Conversations with Dr. Scott & Dr. Shiloh of LA Not So Confidential

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Scott & Dr. Shiloh.

Hi Dr. Scott & Dr. Shiloh, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are both forensic psychologists based out of Los Angeles. We met while completing a year-long, full-time internship for completion of our doctoral degrees. Dr. Shiloh’s educational program was purely focused on forensic psychology while Dr. Scott’s was a clinical psychology program with an emphasis on family forensics. Our internship was based in South Los Angeles and the clinic provided pre and post incarceration evaluation, treatment, case management and monitoring of high-risk sexual offenders and parolees from various state prisons, some who were diagnosed with chronic mental illness.

Dr. Shiloh came from a previous career in law enforcement and Dr. Scott was in entertainment before starting grad school. As much as we joke about in our podcast, we really did have an almost immediate connection despite coming from totally different walks of life and having a decade difference in our ages. Dr. Scott will say from his end that Dr. Shiloh’s immediate appreciation (or should we call it tolerance) for his silly humor immediately brought him in, as well as her wise-beyond-her-years practicality and confidence. Dr. Shiloh found Dr. Scott’s sense of human equally as twisted as hers, so she kept him around.

Our families began spending holidays and vacations together as we both navigated the early chapters of our careers. Dr. Shiloh went on to promote through in the sex offender treatment world, while Dr. Scott took a position in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Several years later, we both lucked into positions working with law enforcement and community mental health in downtown Los Angeles. So here we were, a decade and some change after meeting, now working a few steps from each other. While coming back from coffee one day Dr. Shiloh said, “I have an idea… and hear me out…I think we should start a podcast.” Dr. Scott immediately said, “No” because he instantly loves to think of himself as more overworked than the average person, but again, she said, “Hear me out… there are no forensic psychologists talking about true crime and providing real-life context for this genre” (which was true at the time). Dr. Scott remained reluctant for about another half block and then said “How about L.A. Not So Confidential- kind of a play on the noir genre?” And here we are!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Similar to other podcasters starting up in 2017, we knew very little, but wanted to get our voices out there quickly, because we had so much to say. We took to YouTube and asked some friends about equipment before figuring it out on the fly. Dr. Scott took the lead with editing and Dr. Shiloh had some experience in travel blogging, so she dove into the marketing and social media pool and really was responsible for creating our brand. We also met incredible people along the way that offered guidance and support. Overall, we’d have to say that we have had a relatively easy route with the biggest challenge being time. Both of us are working professionals, with additional responsibilities like private practice, consulting work, and parenthood. Eventually, we found ourselves in the position to be able to hire the most incredible editor, which had bought us some time back.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Our show started off with a pretty simple formula. We wanted to keep each episode focused on what the research says about a forensic psychology topic, like psychopathy or battered woman syndrome, and then tell the audience about real-life criminal cases that had that element to them. It can get pretty dark and clinical at times, so our conversational, yet professional, style lends to some levity and real-time discussion between two forensic psychologists who aren’t afraid to challenge or compliment each other. The extra little twist that we end each episode with is discussing a media depiction of the topic. There are so many horrible representations (and a few fantastic ones) of mental health in film and television series, that we thought it was worth examining so the audience could visualize the disorder or phenomenon.

Last year, as we approached five years of doing the show twice a month, we decided to change things up and release episodes weekly, adding a vintage Los Angeles crime story and a review of a true crime documentary. This change has not only given our listeners more of what they want to hear us talk about, but has also added new ways for us to conduct our research week after week, which keeps it fresh for us.

What matters most to you? Why?
Dr. Scott: “In all honesty – to be of service in a way that helps people repair from past trauma and realize their potential. I came from a pretty modest background and it took me literally years to realize that I still walked through the world with a great deal of privilege. I have been helped by so many people and the idea of paying it forward links me to a bigger sense of purpose and self.”

Dr. Shiloh: “In my day job, helping those who help others matters most to me. Working as a law enforcement psychologist has brought my education and work experience full circle and I feel I am in a very privileged position to support first responders in their darkest times. However, as far as the podcast goes, my hope is that we provide some real-world understanding about mental health matters for the true crime consumer who wants to go a little deeper and sometimes a little darker. I also want our audience to know that it’s okay to have levity around some of these very difficult to understand situations, but that above all, respect for victims needs to be front and center.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.la-not-so-confidential.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanotsopodcast/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAnotsoconfidential
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAnotsopod
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wEAcbi3Dt4

Image Credits
Amy Salessi, https://amysalessiphotography.com