The Psychology of Serial Killers

The Psychology of Serial Killers is a gripping live show hosted by renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Toles. Explore the darkest corners of the human mind with an expert-led look into the behaviors, motives, and patterns of history’s most notorious serial killers. 

 With a deep background in trauma and forensic psychology, Dr. Toles leads the audience through chilling real-life cases, breaking down the psychological profiles of killers with clarity and compassion. This is not a sensationalist true crime retelling—it’s an insightful, thought-provoking exploration of criminal minds grounded in real psychological science.Dr. Rachel Toles is a licensed clinical psychologist in both the state of California and the state of Minnesota.  Dr. Toles’ current clinical areas of practice include, but are not limited to: treating relationship, intimacy, and sexual problems, anxiety, trauma, depression, addiction, and poor impulse control.  Dr. Toles also performs psychological fitness for duty evaluations and court evaluations, which include psychological and neuropsychological testing.  

With extensive experience in both clinical and forensic evaluation settings, Dr. Toles has dedicated herself to understanding the motivations, behaviors, and patterns of dangerous criminals.  Dr. Toles has also served as an expert witness for court cases, utilizing her criminal forensic expertise and psychological evaluation skills to help bring justice and understanding to these legal proceedings.  Additionally, she has worked intimately with female inmates who suffer from acute mental illnesses at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, under the supervision of Dr. Michael Maloney, a forensic psychologist in the Menendez Brothers case. 

She attained broad-ranging academic and professional training from the University of Southern California, the California School of Professional Psychology (APA accredited doctoral program), and the University of Winnipeg (Canada).  Her clinical training includes individual and group therapy at Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in Hollywood, California, and individual therapy and psychodiagnostic testing at Airport Marina Counseling Services. In addition, her postdoctoral fellowship involved working with children and administering psychodiagnostic tests at the Reiss Davis Child Study Center.  

Dr. Toles is in high demand as a lecturer and speaker, sharing her knowledge on profiling and understanding the minds of serial offenders.  In her private practice, Dr. Toles approaches each client uniquely, and helps her clients develop coping skills based on their individual needs. Some skills may include cognitive behavioral approaches, as well as mindfulness and meditation techniques. Currently, Dr. Toles is working on a thought-provoking book that challenges our perception of “evil” and encourages us to reconsider our understanding of this concept.