Psychotherapy Expert Witnesses: 17

Diana Birch, MD, has extensive experience acting as an Expert Assessor and Expert Witness in a variety of Family and Child Care Actions both civil and criminal. She is very experienced in working with young people and families, particularly in child neglect and protection, family disturbance, substance abuse and domestic violence.

Dr. Birch is a leading authority on:

• Adolescence
• Teenage Pregnancy and Early Parenting
• Assessments - Day, Age, Emotional, Outpatient, and Community assessments
• Psychopathic Personalities
• Borderline Personalities
• Learning Disabilities
• Physical, Emotional and Sexual Abuse
• Factitious Illness (Munchausen)
• Family Conflicts such as Child Alienation

For twenty years, Dr. Birch ran a residential assessment unit where she evaluated high risk families, substance and alcohol abuse patients and dealt with an age range from babies to grandparents. She now conducts assessments on an outreach and community basis.

Dr. Birch has also worked with individuals and "private" cases such as custody disputes. The assessment work and medico legal context has meant that over 50 cases are reported on each year with equivalent court appearances. This has been formally evaluated in published work.

Dr. Birch is a:

• Member of the Academy of Experts (Checked expert)
• Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (for whom she is also an assessor for Paediatric Consultants)
• Fellow Royal Institute Public Health
• Fellow of Royal College of Physicians
• Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Medicine (USA).

Offices also in USA and Caribbean

Dr. Ernst specializes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Competency/Capacity evaluations, Mitigation evaluations, and Employment Evaluations. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and one of fewer than 35 psychologists in California who have undergone the rigorous examination process necessary to obtain Board Certification in Forensic Psychology. As a trauma expert, Dr. Ernst chose to complete an additional year of fellowship training in PTSD at the San Francisco Veterans Hospital.  Having completed over 350 forensic evaluations, Dr. Ernst is frequently retained to conduct a diverse range of civil and criminal evaluations including, but not limited to, mitigation evaluations (juvenile & adult), competency/capacity evaluations, personal injury evaluations, mental state at the time of the offense evaluations, violence risk assessment, and employment evaluations. He is currently a Qualified Medical Evaluator for the California Department of Industrial Relations and serves as a member of the Criminal Panel for Psychological and Psychiatric Experts for multiple Superior Courts. Dr. Ernst's past professional experiences including providing treatment and expert testimony as a member of the medical staff of Napa State Hospital and completing VA forensic evaluations on veteran's alleging psychiatric injury from military trauma. Areas of Expertise:

Assessment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Personal Injury Evaluations Employment Evaluations Assessment of Civil and Criminal Competencies Violence Risk Assessment / Threat Assessment Mitigation Evaluations Capital Sentencing Evaluations MSO Evaluations Assessment of Neuropsychological Functioning Assessment of Malingering

Independent Medical Exams (IME) Trial Consultation Disability Evaluations Drug Abuse / Drug Addictions Anxiety Disorders Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) Depressive Disorders Panic Disorders Schizophrenia Assessments Violence Evaluations

Alameda Office 1402 Park St., Suite C Alameda, CA 94501 Telephone: 415-913-8096

View Dr. Ernst's Consulting Profile.

Suzanne Dupée, MD, is a triple board certified Adult, Child, and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatrist specializing in Independent Medical Examinations (IME), Child Custody Evaluations, Fitness for Duty Evaluations, and expert witness for the California Medical, Veterinary, and Dental Boards.

Litigation Support - Dr. Dupée has an active forensic psychiatric practice specializing in family law, criminal law, dependency law, civil litigation and disability.  She has been designated as an expert in Federal Court, Family Court, Criminal Court, Dependency Court, Juvenile Delinquency and Civil Court in California, Arizona, and New York states.  She is an expert for several Los Angeles Superior Court panels:  Criminal, Child Custody Evaluator, Dependency Court and Juvenile Delinquency.  

Dr. Dupée has testified over 150 times in various courtrooms and has been deposed over 80 times.  She has worked on high profile cases and death penalty cases. She specializes in forensic evaluations of families in crisis and has completed 100s of Child Custody Evaluations and all forms of psychiatric evaluations for families in crisis.

Dr. Dupee has been retained in 100s of legal cases in civil, family law, criminal, disability and dependency cases. She has completed over 1,000 evaluations in various courts and for insurance companies and government boards. She has been retained by plaintiffs and defense counsel in civil cases.

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic Psychiatry Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Child Custody Solution-Focused Custody Evaluations Child Abuse Work-Related Disability Independent Medical Examinations Family Therapy

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  Civil Psychiatric Evaluations Sexual Harassment Competency to Stand Trial Insanity Evaluations Adult Psychiatry Psychopharmacology Individual Psychotherapy

View Dr. Dupée's Consulting Profile.

Ray S. Kim, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Board Certified Forensic Psychologist. Dr. Kim is also a Board Registered Mental Illness / Substance Abuse Provider, Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association, Diplomate of the American Board of Psychological Specialties, Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute, and Fellow of the American College of Advanced Practice Psychologists. 

Dr. Kim is currently the Director of Chicago Metropolitan Forensic Services at the Illinois Department of Human Services where he supervises a team of clinical psychologists and social workers who evaluate the placement of individuals into forensic facilities. He also serves as the Director of Clinical Training at Chicago Metropolitan Forensic Services where he developed and supervises a forensic practicum program which provides opportunities for specialized clinical training in the area of forensic psychology. 

Litigation Support - Since 2010, Dr. Kim has testified in over 40 cases in both criminal and civil court proceedings. He is sensitive to the nature of legal matters, and provides comprehensive, timely, and professional services. Dr. Kim's services are available to attorneys or defendants seeking a qualified evaluator to help support a case, or wishing to obtain a second opinion on a legal matter already in progress. He is skilled in utilizing the field of psychology's most up-to-date assessments to provide recommendations for prosecution or defense teams. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Psychological Evaluations
• Pre-Sentencing Evaluations
• Sex Offender Evaluations
• Violence Risk Assessments
• Competency to Waive Miranda Rights
• Diminished Capacity
• Fitness for Duty Evaluations
• Substance Abuse Assessments
• Independent Medical Examinations (personal injury, workers' compensation, disability determination, malpractice)
• Detection of Malingering
• Federal Evaluations (competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility)

View Dr. Kim's Consulting Profile.

Glen D. Skoler, PhD is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with over 25 years of experience in court evaluations and testimony. Dr. Skoler is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. He has been qualified as an expert witness in clinical and forensic psychology in several state courts and in Federal U.S. District, military, and immigration courts. Dr. Skoler's clinical psychology practice also provides psychotherapy and psychological testing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Dr. Skoler's forensic psychology practice provides court evaluations, testing and expert witness testimony in criminal, civil, juvenile court, military, immigration, employment, and domestic relations cases. State and Federal court cases are accepted from around the nation, particularly in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, as well as the tri-state area of Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. His services are offered equally to defense, prosecuting, county, family law, and civil litigation attorneys.

Dr. Skoler's additional specialized areas of expertise include political and relationship-related threatening and stalking, false confessions, abuse allegations and interstate and international child abduction/retention cases. Dr. Skoler served as a contributing author and expert panel member for the ABA's Benchbook on Psychiatric and Psychological Evidence and Testimony. He has consulted with or presented to the Federal Judicial Center, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Senate Chaplain, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the American Bar Association and CIA/NSA psychology staff. He has published or been cited in the Washington Post, NPR, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Huffington Post, CBS 48 Hours and on NBC and Fox news affiliates.

Criminal Law & Civil Litigation:

• Criminal Insanity
• Mental Competency
• Personal Injury & Emotional Harm
• Risk Assessments
• Sentencing Evaluations
• Psychological, Neuropsychological & Substance Abuse Evaluations & Testing
• Immigration Evaluations
• Discrimination & Disability Evaluations
• Court-Martials
• Domestic Abuse & Stalking
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders

Juvenile & Domestic Relations Evaluations

• Custody
• Parental Alienation
• Parental Fitness
• Child Retention/Abduction Evaluations
• Juvenile Court Evaluations
• Motions to Try Juveniles as Adults
• Allegations of Child & Spousal Abuse

Attorney Consultations & Professional Ethics:

• Critiques of Psychiatric & Psychological Testimony, Reports & Ethics
• Forensic Evaluations & Testimony in Compliance with APA Code of Ethics & Forensic Guidelines

View Dr. Skoler's Consulting Profile.

Michael Levittan, Ph.D. is an Expert Witness, Psychotherapist, Media Consultant, and Lecturer at UCLA Extension and California Graduate Institute. Dr. Levittan works as an expert witness on cases involving domestic violence, child abuse, post-traumatic stress, anger issues, child custody, school violence. He is director of a certified Domestic Violence/Anger Management program and has numerous articles published on violence and abuse.

Dr. Levittan presents at UCLA, National Alliance on Mental Illness, L.A. Superior Court, U.S. Marines, Hillsides Children's Home, Loyola Marymount Univ, International Conference on Violence, Abuse, Trauma, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Grief & Loss Conference, The Maple Center, Womens Shelters.

Dr. Levittan's website: www.michaellevittan.com.

James Tyler Carpenter, PhD, FAACP, is a Board Certified (Clinical) Licensed Psychologist Provider. Dr. Carpenter’s training began with latency age children, adolescents, and their families. It has evolved over almost 30 years of professional practice to include assessment, treatment, teaching, supervision, consultation, and research.

Dr. Carpenter specializes in psychosis, character disorder, trauma, offending behavior, suicidal patients, personality, forensics, disability, and integrating the full spectrum of temporal and modality specific psychological treatments across inpatient, outpatient, milieu, residential, and correctional settings.

Dr. Carpenter has held academic, research, and teaching appointments at Harvard University, Medical School, and Extension Schools, as well as Boston, Lesley, Roger Williams Universities, Massachusetts School for Professional Psychology, and the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance. He has published, taught, supervised, served as an editorial consultant, and presented on the topics of subliminal stimulation, meditation based psychotherapies, group psychotherapy, integrating techniques, the use of translators in forensic assessments and treatment, group treatment of violent offenders, assessment of suicidal patients, psychopathology, theories of psychotherapy, personality, and the recidivism of released inmates.

Litigation Support - Dr. Carpenter has received forensic expert witness training and experience. He has performed Risk Evaluations and testified for both the defense and the prosecution on Psychosis, Treatment, and Homicide. His assessment skills extend to the full range of psychometric instruments involved in assessing personality, psychopathology, risk, impairment, and cognitive compromise as applied to forensic-clinical and disability assessment.

View Dr. Carpenter's Consulting Profile.

UCLA-trained double-boarded psychiatrist (adult and child & adolescent psychiatry) in active clinical practice. Experienced in academic psychiatry, community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, residential treatment, incarcerated juvenile treatment, and private practice outpatient care. Lived and worked in Europe, Asia, and Central America--proficient in Japanese, Spanish, and French. One year of public school teaching experience. Undergraduate education in classical music, history, and literature. Experienced in medical-legal consultation for medical record review and deposition preparation, as well as expert witness testimony for child and adult emotional injury cases, representing both plaintiff and defense. Private practice in Los Angeles specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry since 2013. Candidate in adult psychoanalysis since 2012 at the Psychoanalytic Center of California (PCC). Taught seminars at both the PCC and the Maple Counseling Center, focusing on the integration of medication treatment and psychotherapy.

EMPLOYMENT

2013-Present Adult, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry Private Practice

2012-2014 Staff Psychiatrist LA County DMH

2010-2012 Staff Psychiatrist Pacific Hospital

2010 Staff Psychiatrist St. Elizabeth Hospital

EDUCATION

2012 Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Harbor-UCLA

2010 Adult Psychiatry Residency University of Cincinnati

2007 MD Medical College of Wisconsin

1995 BA University of California Berkeley, First Honors

Board certified in Adult Psychiatry

Board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Qualified Medical Examiner (QME) for State of California DWC

Prudence L. Gourguechon, MD, is a clinical Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst with over 35 years of in-depth experience diagnosing and treating patients with Trauma, Depression, and Anxiety Disorders. She is a nationally known leader and educator in the field and is frequently sought out by the media as an expert commentator on human behavior. 

Dr. Gourguechon is Yale and Michigan-educated and Northwestern-trained. She is Past President of the American Psychoanalytic Association, former Northwestern Faculty, and former Dean of the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. Dr. Gourguechon has clinical expertise in trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury and other types of emotional injury, and psychological damage due to trauma, discrimination, accidents, abuse (including the effect of childhood abuse in adulthood) and harassment.

Litigation Support - Dr. Gourguechon has over 10 years of experience as an expert witness and independent medical examiner, and has worked with both plaintiff and defense attorneys. As an expert in the Psychology of Leadership and Decision Making , she is interested in the conditions leading to and the consequences of executive malfeasance, or “Leadership Malpractice,” and its effects on victims and survivors, a particular kind of emotional damage known in psychiatry as “moral injury.” 

Leadership malpractice is one way of describing the neglect by institutional bystanders who fail to act and protect when informed of abuse by their employees. The ideal client for her expertise is an individual who was subject to sexual abuse by a doctor or coach within the context of an institution that failed in its duty to protect, or covered up the abuse.

Areas of Specialization:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Emotional Trauma Depression Anxiety Disorder Therapy Psychotherapy Sexual Abuse Sexual Harassment / MeToo Employment Discrimination Hostile Work Environment Psychological Injury

ADA / Disability Discrimination Title VII Title IX Racial Discrimination Executive Malfeasance Moral Injury Wrongful Termination Fitness for Duty Leader Malfeasance Leadership Assessment Leadership Competency

View Dr. Gourguechon's Consulting Profile.

Gloria Kardong, MD is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with specialties in Psychotherapy and Psychomarmacology. In full time private practice in Palo Alto, CA for the past 25 years, Dr. Kardong offers services to individuals, couples, adolescents, and adults. She is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University Medical Center and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Kardong offers Forensic Psychiatric litigation support services in civil and criminal cases to attorneys for Plaintiff and Defense. Her services include General Psychiatric Issues, Women's OB/GYN Issues, and the Evaluation and Treatment of Impaired Professionals and/or consultation with their professional organizations. Dr. Kardong is a Psychiatric Consultant and Expert Witness for Stanford University Schools of Law and Medicine, the California Medical Board, and private attorneys nationwide. She has been retained as an expert over 20 times.

Areas of Expertise:
Women's Health Care Specialist - Psychiatry / OB-GYN Interface:

Pregnancy-Related Psychiatric Problems Psychiatric Medications in Pregnancy and Postpartum Postpartum Depression / Psychosis Infertility Gynecology / Oncology

Menopause Hormonal Issues Childhood Sexual / Other Abuse Adult Consequences Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Eating Disorders

Impaired Professionals:

• Physicians
• Mental Health Providers
• Attorneys
• Executives / Professionals
• Organizations

View Dr. Kardong's Consulting Profile.

Expertise: Specializing in applications of clinical psychiatry to legal issues in civil and criminal matters at the interface of Psychiatry and the Law. Has served as an evaluator or expert witness in about three hundred cases in State and Federal courts in matters relating to:

Mental State at Time-of-the-Offense Evaluations Insanity Defense / Diminished Capacity Civil & Criminal Competency Evaluations Competency to Stand Trial / Competency to Waive Miranda Rights Testamentary Capacity / Testimonial Capacity / Informed Consent Capital Sentencing & Mitigation Risk of Violence Assessments Sex Offenders Sexual Harassment Worker's Compensation

Independent Medical Evaluations / Psychiatric Disability Personal Injury / Pain & Suffering / Emotional Distress Workplace Violence Assessments Discrimination Evaluations under Americans With Disabilities Act Fitness for Duty Psychiatric Malpractice Toxic Tort Product Liability

Professional Background: Certified by ABPN in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Psychiatry and Law Program at MCP Hahanemann University. Director of Psychiatry & Law Program and Director of Correctional Mental Health Services Program/Provider of Mental Health Services for the City of Philadelphia Prison System. Formerly Director of Psychiatry & Law Program at the Medical College of Virginia. M.D. Degree -University of Massachusetts. Psychiatry Residency & Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship -Tulane University Medical Center.

Todd Finnerty, Psy.D. is a Psychologist in Columbus, Ohio and an expert on Psychological Impairment Assessment and Disability Claims. Dr. Finnerty has been licensed as a psychologist since 2003, and is currently in active clinical practice providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (particularly for insomnia). Dr. Finnerty offers both forensic and treatment services in-person and telehealth examinations.

Background Experience - Since 2004, Dr. Finnerty has performed tens of thousands of medical records reviews on Social Security Disability Claims for the Ohio Division of Disability Determination. He also conducts psychological evaluations related to Impairment and Workers Compensation Claims (ex: for the Ohio Industrial Commission). He performs file reviews on short-term and long-term disability insurance cases and he's performed hundreds of medical records peer reviews for disability insurance companies (ex: working through Professional Disability Associates). 

Dr. Finnerty has experience reviewing the medical records of military treatment facilities after the suicide of their service members to determine whether the standard of care was met during the treatment. He provides disability evaluations and independent medical opinions for veterans (has worked with VES and QTC in the past contracting with the VA), and psychotherapy and psychological assessment (including validity testing) using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and other evidence-based approaches.

Dr. Finnerty was named "Disability Review Physician of the Year" in 2012 by the National Association of Disability Examiners, Great Lakes Region, and the Ohio Association of Disability Examiners' "Consultant of the Year" in 2010.

Litigation Support Services: Dr. Finnerty is available to perform Independent Psychological Evaluations as well as Medical Records Reviews. His ideal clients are attorneys and organizations in need of disability claim review, worker's compensation claim review, or litigation related to impairment such as personal injury. 

• Medical Records Reviews and IME's related to short-term and long-term Disability Insurance and related issues
• Independent Medical Opinions / Nexus Letters for Veterans VA Disability Claims
• Psychological Evaluations (IMEs) related to Disability Insurance Claims, Workers Compensation (Federal and Ohio), and Functional Impairment
• Opinions / Form Completion related to Disability Leave
• Personal Injury psychological evaluations and records reviews

Contact Dr. Finnerty directly on his cell phone with questions at 330-495-8809.

Linnda Durre', Ph.D., Licensed Psychotherapist, (FL License #MH6058) is an expert witness, psychotherapist, family counselor, intern supervisor, international speaker, author, business consultant, adjunct college professor, and a magazine, Internet, and newspaper columnist. Her four areas of court expertise are Family Law, Personal Injury Law, Employment Law, and Criminal Law.

Litigation Support: With over 40 years of experience, she consults to attorneys and has been qualified as an expert witness in seven (7) states - Florida. Alabama, California, Arkansas, Georgia, Connecticut, and Washington - in the areas of Personal Injury, PTSD, Family and Couples Counseling, Divorce, Child Custody, Relocation, Drug and Alcohol Counseling, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Abuse by Psychotherapists, as well as Age, Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Discrimination. Her 400-page doctoral dissertation and research in the latter area was cited to pass legislation in several states.

Dr. Durre' hosted and produced three radio shows, two of which were call-in advice shows. She hosted and produced two call-in advice TV shows, including "Ask The Family Therapist," on America's Health Network, which was associated with Mayo Clinic and aired from Universal Studios Orlando.

She has appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes, O'Reilly (twice), Today Show, Good Morning America, Canada AM, Daytime, Donahue (twice), Sally Jessy Raphael, People Are Talking, Home Show, Hour Magazine, Home and Family Show, Disney Channel, and the local and/or national news on NPR, PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, and Fox.

Dr. Durre' has been interviewed, cited, and/or quoted by the NY Times, LA Times, Forbes, WSJ, IBD, Business Week, SF Chronicle & Examiner, Toronto Globe & Mail, Albany Times Union, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Parade Magazine, Alternative Medicine Magazine, CNN Online, Washington Parent Magazine, Screen Actor Magazine, Florida Magazine, Orlando Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, and others.

View Linda Durre's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Danny Allen, Consultant Adult Psychiatrist is fully trained and experienced in report writing and regularly appears as an Expert Witness in Family Proceedings. Dr. Allen is an Approved Clinician, approved under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983 and a Cardiff University accredited Expert Witness and a member of the Expert Witness Institute, the Academy of Experts and the Society of Expert Witnesses. He holds consultancies with Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Workplace Health (Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust) The Maidenhead Clinic, Phoenix Mental Health Services/Cardinal Clinic and BMI The Shelburne Hospital.

Dr. Allen appears in court regularly in public law cases. He has undertaken a number of high profile cases for Customs and Excise and the Crown Prosecution Service, including alleged rapes and murders. Dr. Allen provides services for lawyers, social services and businesses. His reports are also available to Employment & Housing Tribunals and Employers and Licensing Authorities.

Type of Reports Prepared:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Depression

Drug & Alcohol

Specific Phobia

Sexual Offense

Adjustment Disorder

Family Proceedings

Personal Injury

Criminal Reports

Head Injury

Capacity

David Friedler, MS, MPH, CNHA, LMHC, Is an expert in wrongful injury, abuse and neglect in health care. His experience is in the regulatory standard of care in Nursing Facilities, Psychiatric and Substance Use Rehabilitation as well as Adult Foster Care. He holds MPH and MS degrees and has worked clinical and administrative roles for four decades. He has extensive experience with survey compliance, Federal and State regulation, JCAHO and CARF accreditation, OSHA compliance and policy and procedure adherence. Areas of Expertise:

• Long Term Care
• Nursing Homes
• Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
• Behavioral Health / Psychiatric Care in Drug Treatment Facilities
• Psychiatric care in Nursing Homes, Group Homes