Training Team

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP, is a Board-certified psychologist in Couple and Family Psychology (ABCFP) and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA). She developed and was the director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at William James College where she was a Professor of Clinical Psychology. Previously she was an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Training in the Children and the Law Program, Department of Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has published extensively on issues related to attachment, alienation, co-parenting after divorce, high conflict divorce, parent-child contact problems, parenting plans, and parenting coordination. Dr. Deutsch has served on numerous AFCC and APA task forces. She is also a former President of AFCC.

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP

Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP, is a Board-certified psychologist in Couple and Family Psychology (ABCFP) and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA). She developed and was the director of the Center of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at William James College where she was a Professor of Clinical Psychology. Previously she was an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Training in the Children and the Law Program, Department of Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She has published extensively on issues related to attachment, alienation, co-parenting after divorce, high conflict divorce, parent-child contact problems, parenting plans, and parenting coordination. Dr. Deutsch has served on numerous AFCC and APA task forces. She is also a former President of AFCC.

Leslie M. Drozd, PhD

Leslie M. Drozd, PhD

Leslie M. Drozd, PhD, is a psychologist with 36 years of practice in forensic and clinical psychology in California, Washington, and Hawaii. She has conducted parenting plan evaluations in addition to serving as a forensic consultant and as a testifying and didactic expert. Leslie has co-authored professional guidelines for conducting evaluations and co-edited books, chapters, and articles on conducting evaluations, domestic violence, substance misuse, trauma, alienation, gatekeeping, step-up parenting plans, relocation, psychological testing, child sexual abuse, parenting coordination, and family therapy with families with parent-child contact problems. She served on the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee and on numerous boards of directors including AFCC's.

Leslie M. Drozd, PhD

Leslie M. Drozd, PhD

Leslie M. Drozd, PhD, is a psychologist with 36 years of practice in forensic and clinical psychology in California, Washington, and Hawaii. She has conducted parenting plan evaluations in addition to serving as a forensic consultant and as a testifying and didactic expert. Leslie has co-authored professional guidelines for conducting evaluations and co-edited books, chapters, and articles on conducting evaluations, domestic violence, substance misuse, trauma, alienation, gatekeeping, step-up parenting plans, relocation, psychological testing, child sexual abuse, parenting coordination, and family therapy with families with parent-child contact problems. She served on the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee and on numerous boards of directors including AFCC's.

Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, ABPP

Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, ABPP

Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, ABPP, is the Maconda Brown O’Connor Professor at Smith College School for Social Work. A prolific writer, speaker, and consultant, she has a reputation for the development, implementation, and evaluation of preventive interventions in courts and family-focused community agencies. She specializes in issues pertaining to coparenting, father involvement, life transitions, early development, parental conflict, and family law. She has been a key consultant and evaluator for the Out of Court Divorce program in Denver, CO and the Family Resolutions Specialty Court in Hampshire County, MA. She was awarded AFCC’s Stanley Cohen Award for Distinguished Research and the Meyer Elkin Essay Award for the 2023 article PCCP through the eyes of professionals in the Family Court Review where she serves as the Social Science editor. She is also a former President of AFCC.

Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, ABPP

Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, ABPP

Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, ABPP, is the Maconda Brown O’Connor Professor at Smith College School for Social Work. A prolific writer, speaker, and consultant, she has a reputation for the development, implementation, and evaluation of preventive interventions in courts and family-focused community agencies. She specializes in issues pertaining to coparenting, father involvement, life transitions, early development, parental conflict, and family law. She has been a key consultant and evaluator for the Out of Court Divorce program in Denver, CO and the Family Resolutions Specialty Court in Hampshire County, MA. She was awarded AFCC’s Stanley Cohen Award for Distinguished Research and the Meyer Elkin Essay Award for the 2023 article PCCP through the eyes of professionals in the Family Court Review where she serves as the Social Science editor. She is also a former President of AFCC.

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.)

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.)

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.), recently left the family law bench in California after 20 years and is now doing private trials and mediations with Signature Resolutions. While on the bench, Judge Silberman was honored as Judge of the Year by the American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, Pasadena Bar Association, San Fernando Valley Bar Association and the Los Angeles Inn of Court Family Law Section. Judge Silberman has served on the board of the AFCC California Chapter and spoken at numerous local and international conferences.

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.)

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.)

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.), recently left the family law bench in California after 20 years and is now doing private trials and mediations with Signature Resolutions. While on the bench, Judge Silberman was honored as Judge of the Year by the American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, Pasadena Bar Association, San Fernando Valley Bar Association and the Los Angeles Inn of Court Family Law Section. Judge Silberman has served on the board of the AFCC California Chapter and spoken at numerous local and international conferences.

Matthew Sullivan, PhD

Matthew Sullivan, PhD

Matthew J. Sullivan, PhD, has been in private practice in California, specializing in family dispute resolution and clinical work in the family courts for over 30 years. He is a pioneer in the development of the parenting coordination role internationally and regularly presents at conferences and trains family justice professionals about parent-child contact problems in shared parenting arrangements. He was a recipient of the AFCC’s president’s award in 2023 and the Myer Elkin essay award for the article judged best in the 2024 volume of the Family Court Review where he currently serves on the editorial board. He served on the APA Ethics Committee from 2016-2018. Dr. Sullivan is the co-founder of Overcoming Barriers, Inc. He is also a former President of AFCC.

Matthew Sullivan, PhD

Matthew Sullivan, PhD

Matthew J. Sullivan, PhD, has been in private practice in California, specializing in family dispute resolution and clinical work in the family courts for over 30 years. He is a pioneer in the development of the parenting coordination role internationally and regularly presents at conferences and trains family justice professionals about parent-child contact problems in shared parenting arrangements. He was a recipient of the AFCC’s president’s award in 2023 and the Myer Elkin essay award for the article judged best in the 2024 volume of the Family Court Review where he currently serves on the editorial board. He served on the APA Ethics Committee from 2016-2018. Dr. Sullivan is the co-founder of Overcoming Barriers, Inc. He is also a former President of AFCC.

Louise T. Truax, JD

Louise T. Truax, JD

Louise T. Truax, JD, is an attorney in private practice in Connecticut, with a focus on high conflict custody cases. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was received the prestigious Fellow of the Year Award in 2014. She is the general editor and author of Connecticut Family Law, a LexisNexis publication. She frequently lectures in Connecticut and throughout the country on family law issues, particularly custody issues.

Louise T. Truax, JD

Louise T. Truax, JD

Louise T. Truax, JD, is an attorney in private practice in Connecticut, with a focus on high conflict custody cases. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was received the prestigious Fellow of the Year Award in 2014. She is the general editor and author of Connecticut Family Law, a LexisNexis publication. She frequently lectures in Connecticut and throughout the country on family law issues, particularly custody issues.

Peggie Ward, PhD

Peggie Ward, PhD

Peggie Ward, PhD, is a clinical-forensic psychologist who has specialized in the areas of child abuse, alcohol abuse, and parent child contact problems for 35 years. Her independent practice focuses on complex parent child and family interactions where family conflict is a dominant factor. Dr. Ward has held appointments at Tufts Medical School and Harvard Medical School. She has served on the AFCC MA Board of Directors and FLAFCC Board of Directors where she is currently Vice President. She has published articles on parental alienation. She contributed several chapters to the edited book, Overcoming Parent Child Contact Problems: Family-based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, and Alienation (2015). Dr. Ward has created courses for William James College on Interventions for Parent Child Contact Problems.

Peggie Ward, PhD

Peggie Ward, PhD

Peggie Ward, PhD, is a clinical-forensic psychologist who has specialized in the areas of child abuse, alcohol abuse, and parent child contact problems for 35 years. Her independent practice focuses on complex parent child and family interactions where family conflict is a dominant factor. Dr. Ward has held appointments at Tufts Medical School and Harvard Medical School. She has served on the AFCC MA Board of Directors and FLAFCC Board of Directors where she is currently Vice President. She has published articles on parental alienation. She contributed several chapters to the edited book, Overcoming Parent Child Contact Problems: Family-based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection, and Alienation (2015). Dr. Ward has created courses for William James College on Interventions for Parent Child Contact Problems.