Consultations for Professionals & the General Public
“Every one of us has our own unique experience and training. No one can know everything. Whenever I am in doubt about a legal or psychological matter I reach out to experts—I invite you to do the same.
Most of my career has been focused on helping families and, in particular, children. As a result of my professional passion and many years of practice, I have developed substantial expertise. Please pick my brain if you are not an expert in the areas identified below.
Dr. Wendy Coughlin, Ph.D.
We have tried to make setting up a consultation with Dr. Coughlin easy to do—simply click on the scheduling link below to set up a time to talk. Then click on our payment link to pay for the amount of time that you have selected. Appointments are confirmed once payment has been received.
Dr. Coughlin’s professional consultation clients generally include:
- Attorneys
- Guardian ad litems
- Parenting coordinators
- Doctors
- Mental Health Pros
Dr. Coughlin also provides consultations to members of the general public, assisting individuals dealing with specific issues (listed below).
Topics of Professional Consultations
Addiction Issues:
- In Family Court
- If you are representing a parent who is concerned about the other parent’s substance use disorder. I can provide guidance on monitoring that parent’s compliance with abstinence requirements and/or treatment recommendations.
- If you are working with a parent who is recovering from a substance use disorder and wishes to assure they will be able to have parenting time, I can assist in developing a model to assure the abstinent parent may see the child(ren).
- As a GAL or PC, you may wish to make Parenting Plan recommendations to address substance use concerns—feel free to consult on common options and alternatives.
- Coparenting when there are addiction concerns
- Need help identifying when to step in? Schedule a consultation to discuss options and alternatives
- Treatment recommendations for both parents
- Guidelines for the child(ren)’s safety
- Alcohol and other drug testing
- Time frames and timelines for testing
- Different types of testing
Parent/Child Contact Problems (PCCP):
- Confused about Parental Alienation? Set up a meeting to discuss signs and symptoms
- Discuss court interventions to address PCCP
- Reunification practices and standards
- Identify when to employ supervised timesharing
- What supervisors can and should do
- How to choose a supervisor
- When to use a supervision center. Pros and cons.
Trauma-Informed Issues:
- What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and why they must be considered
- Common trauma treatments and what can be expected
- Signs and symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- When reunification may be hurtful
Topics of Consultations for the Public
General Mental Health Concerns:
- Concerned about your mental health or that of a loved one?
- When to see a physician
- When to see a mental health professional (MHP)
- How to select a MHP
- What to expect
Trauma Treatments:
- How to choose a therapist to help you recover
- When you need a therapist to help
- EMDR, ART, TIR, BSP – what do they mean?
Addiction Issues:
- How to help a loved one, and yourself, when there is a substance use disorder
- Best practices for any addictive disorder
- Special issues
- Opioid dependence
- Alcohol Use Disorder
- Medical Marijuana
- Medically-induced dependencies
- Raising a family when Mom or Dad has an addiction
- How to protect your child(ren)
- When treatment is needed
- When to consult an attorney
- How to deal with an addicted loved one
- Addiction in co-parenting
Navigating Family Court Matters:
- Ways to protect your family during a separation
- Benefits to Collaborative Family Law
- Mental health professionals who can help
- As you divorce and post-divorce—who are these people? When and how to find the right one.
- Counselors
- Parenting Coordinators
- Guardian ad Litems
- Social Investigators
- Who to hire for what
- Developing a Parenting Plan
- Options for timesharing schedules
- Consideration of developmental stages
- Pitfalls of being too general
- Pitfalls of being too specific
- Long-distance schedules
- Safety-focused plans
Parent/Child Contact Problems (PCCP):
- Parental Alienation – the new buzz word
- What is it?
- How to intervene
- Why it is critical to intervene
- Gatekeeping
- How and when to consider child(ren)’s preferences
Dr. Coughlin is identified as a Parental Alienation Specialist by NAOPAS, the National Association of Parental Alienation Specialists.
Testimonials from Professionals and Patients
“Dr. Wendy Coughlin has been a valuable resource for me, both in my former work as a juvenile judge and now as a guardian ad Litem for children in divorce and paternity cases. Her expertise in the effects of child abuse—physical and mental—when combined with her deep knowledge of addiction in all its forms and consequences make her unequaled in our county as an expert witness, a therapist, a parent coordinator or a guardian ad litem. I utilize her as often as I can get her.“
Irene Sullivan, retired juvenile judge, guardian ad litem
Dr. C. came into my life towards the middle of my stay in trauma treatment…I was a cold, shut down, suicidal, traumatized, petrified shell of a person. My life had been turned upside down by a series of traumatic events. Dr. C, despite my coldness and paranoia, didn’t blink an eye. I sensed from the beginning that she wanted to understand me and my story and this is what I had been looking for without knowing it for a very long time.
Through the 3.5 years I’ve been working with Dr. C, she has taught me how to look within, to learn about myself and find answers I had been searching for externally my entire life. She challenged me when that was necessary and still does, she showed me love by being consistent, honest, and looking out for my best interest (something no one had ever done in my entire life).
If you’ve ever been in hell and you want to get through and out, Dr. C will descend to the hell you’re into and guide you out safely. Partner that with her brilliance, steadfastness, experience, and profound soul and she’s just pure magic.
In summation, if God hadn’t brought her into my life I know without doubt I would be dead and my daughter would be motherless.
Dr. Coughlin saved my life.
A.L.D., Patient
I strongly endorse and recommend without any reservation Dr. Wendy Coughlin who I have both personally and professinally for many years. Dr. Coughlin has worked with my Clients in both Collaborative Divorce settings and Traditional Litigation settings, and her assistance and guidance is always instrumental in helping both myself and my Clients navigate the ups and doens and many challenges of the divorce process.
I have also seen Dr. Coughlin work what I would consider miracles with clients who are dealing with substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. I have seen Dr. Coughlin develop a close connection and bond with my Clients, who will then not only listen to Dr. Coughlin’s advice but actually follow her advice because they trust her. I cannot give Dr. Coughlin enough credit for assisting me in dealing with high conflict circumstances and Clients who need someone they can trust.
Mark A. Ossian, Esq., BCS. Marital and Family Law