Expert Discusses Identifying Psychopathic Traits in Various Contexts

Psychopathy expert Leanne ten Brinke has spent decades studying toxic personality characteristics. She advises on warning signs to watch for in colleagues, politicians, or potential partners. Her career focus was influenced by an encounter with a suspected psychopath during her early 20s while studying forensic psychology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. At that time, she volunteered at a probation facility that held weekly group sessions for released sex offenders. Ten Brinke recalls that most participants showed remorse, but one individual treated the therapy sessions like a game, particularly during discussions about the impact of crimes on victims.