Forensic Services

Through the process of separation and divorce, families will often require support and assistance. Dr. Kathryn Berla, Ed. D.,HSP, offers a range of assessment and consultation services designed to meet the unique needs off families in transition. The goal is to offer focused interventions that are tailored for the individual family in order to minimize the level of intrusion and stress while maximizing both cost-effectiveness and the benefits to parents and children.

Forensic Consultation/Expert Witness
$300/hour 
Areas of expertise include general psychological/emotional functioning, domestic violence dynamics, adjustment to injury or loss of a loved-one, and parenting issues. Fees for testimony will differ from regular consultation fees.

At times parties contemplating divorce or custody issues may benefit from consultation and support from an experienced evaluator and therapist. Clients may be self-referred, or referred by an attorney.

Collaborative Parenting Skills
$200/hour (Self-referred only)
This is a useful alternative for couples with low levels of conflict. This option provides guidance and education on child development and parenting issues with the expressed goal of helping separated and/or divorced couples develop and maintain healthy co-parenting skills. This intervention does not require a court order and is well suited for couples that wish to navigate the difficult terrain of divorce in the most amicable manner and recognize the benefit of education and consultation. This is a coaching role and is not a healthcare service.

Collaborative Family Law

Child Specialist
$250/hour ($500 retainer due on appointment date).
Participation in the Collaborative Law modality requires that clients retain attorneys certified in Collaborative Family Law and have signed a contract. The Child Specialist is engaged on an as-needed basis.

Co-Parenting Coaching
$200-250/hour (Court-Ordered)
This option is for developing and expand co-parenting skills for high-conflict families. This is a coaching role and is not a healthcare service.

Court-Ordered Psychological Evaluation
Please refer to the Service Agreement for fees.
Clients must be Court-ordered for this assessment or be referred by an Agreed Order.

Issue Focused Assessment (IFA)
Please refer to the Service Agreement for fees.
This is a time and cost saving option that is well suited to couples with a clearly defined and relatively straight forward parenting problem. Couples with conflict over scheduling, families with older children who are resistant to visitation, other discrete problems such as simple relocation, substance abuse, minor child maltreatment, special education needs, grandparent's rights or other issues that are limited in scope, are well-suited for such an option.

In more complicated and conflict-ridden situations when issues of parental fitness or legal custody are in contention this option is not warranted. Typically the process involves 8-10 hours of contact, and depending on the given case, the assessment may consist of clinical interviews, collateral contacts, and review of relevant documents as well as psychological testing, drug screening and other options. As a result a brief summary report along with recommendations will be generated. If appropriate, verbal feedback may be provided in a conference format to the parties and/or their counsel. A court order or an agreed order is required for such an evaluation.

Child Custody Evaluation
Please refer to the Service Agreement for fees.
A comprehensive custody evaluation is a lengthy and involved procedure. It includes the following but is not limited to: clinical interviews, extensive psychosocial histories, psychological testing, parent-child observations, and collateral contacts with medical and mental health providers, teachers, child-care providers and extended family members, as well as any other person that may be relevant to the case. As indicated, the evaluation may require home visits and drug screening.

A full evaluation may be necessary when there are issues of parental fitness, including but not limited to mental health, child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, or relocation of one parent. Some families have such a high level of conflict and/or disagreement that court involvement is unavoidable, and an evaluation is warranted. A court order is required for such an evaluation.