Faculty Profile: Katie Spirko

Katie Osborn Spirko, PsyD, HSP, is a forensic and clinical neuropsychologist, licensed in Tennessee as a clinical psychologist with Healthcare Service Provider designation. As part of her doctoral training, she completed a specialty-track clinical internship in neuropsychology at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she completed rotations in outpatient neuropsychological assessment and sleep medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and acute inpatient psychiatric services at New Hampshire Hospital, the state's largest secure designated receiving facility for involuntary emergency psychiatric commitments.  She subsequently completed a research and clinical postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology within the Neurology Department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was awarded a prestigious Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue research exploring novel cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration as early, subclinical indicators of cognitive decline and dementia risk. 

Dr. Spirko has testified as an expert witness numerous times in both civil and criminal matters, and at both the state and federal level. She primarily serves State of Tennessee chancery and juvenile courts in Davidson, Williamson, & surrounding counties by conducting comprehensive, unbiased evaluative services to address complex psychological, child welfare, and parenting-related matters. She conducts court-appointed evaluations for parenting and child welfare-related matters, as well as being retained to assess mental health factors in state and federal criminal cases. Dr. Spirko also co-directs the Family Conflict Diversion Program at Forensic Assessment & Clinical Therapeutic Services with Ms. Tracy Steyer, LMFT.

As a skilled and well-respected expert witness, Dr. Spirko recognizes the importance of providing clear, direct, and honest testimony. She will prioritize the best interests of your children and will not soft pedal her impressions or recommendations. At the same time, she values transparency and will make every effort to provide ample opportunity for each party and each person's representing counsel to anticipate and adequately prepare for any aspects of her report that may be unfavorable to their case.