I provide general public consultation the first week of every month at my online office doxy.me/drchildress, scheduling is through my online Scheduling Calendar. The fee for consultation appointments is $250/hr and I bill through doxy.me at the start of the hour.

I am only licensed in the state of California, so there are only a limited range of things I can do for non-California residents. Typically, I help parents frame up their situation and possible directions forward with their local area professionals. I am available for professional-to-professional consultation with other mental health professionals and attorneys – just not parents outside my state of licensure.

  • Note: I cannot provide consultation to parents and attorneys in Oregon by order of the Oregon licensing board and advice from the Trust malpractice insurance carrier and my attorney, pending appeal decision of the Oregon licensing board sanctions through the Oregon courts.

Parents may also wish to familiarize themselves with the materials in other areas on this consultation website regarding resources for the mental health professionals and attorneys.


Parent Consultation Handout

This is a handout for parents that describes the pathology and a clinical psychology solution (treatment not custody).


Risk Assessment Handout

In all cases of high-intensity court-involved custody conflict, a proper risk assessment for possible dangerous pathology in the family needs to be conducted – including for possible Child Psychological Abuse (DSM-5 V995.51), i.e., a shared (induced) persecutory delusion that then destroys the child’s attachment bond to the targeted parent.


Resource Booklets

The Narcissistic Parent is a 50-page booklet that uses quotes from the professional literature to highlight for legal professionals (judges, attorneys, GALs, Parenting Coordinators) the nature of the pathology involved with a narcissistic parent.

The Assessment of Attachment-Related Pathology is a 50-page booklet that describes a six-session assessment protocol for the assessment of attachment-related pathology surrounding divorce. This assessment protocol can be provided to involved mental health professionals and attorneys to indicate the type of assessment desired.

The Professional Consultation booklet is a 50-page booklet written at a professional level that parents can provide to their involved mental health professional to describe the pathology and the surrounding professional obligations.

Foundations is a 300-page book that describes the pathology across three levels of analysis, 1) family systems therapy, 2) personality disorder pathology, 3) the attachment system and attachment pathology.


Tele-health Second Opinion Assessment Consultation

Dr. Childress is available for second opinion consultation in active assessments conducted by local-area mental health professionals. This handout describes a variety of options for second-opinion consultation on an active assessment.


Australian Amicus Brief

This is an amicus brief I offered in Australia surrounding pending legislation considerations that describes the pathology of concern in the family courts.


Healthcare & Legal System Solutions

The allied  parent wants to drive this into the courts to put the targeted parent on “trial” for being a “bad parent”/(spouse). Don’t let that happen. This isn’t about custody, it’s about child abuse, it’s about treatment.

In healthcare, all of healthcare, including all of mental health care, diagnosis guides treatment.

The attachment pathology created by the pathological parent is severe, the DSM-5 diagnosis is Child Psychological Abuse (V995.51), the creation of a shared persecutory delusion in the child that then destroys the child’s attachment bond to the other parent.

In all cases of high-intensity custody conflict:

  • A proper risk assessment for possible psychological child abuse needs to be conducted – (DSM-5 V995.51 Child Psychological Abuse).
  • A proper risk assessment for possible spousal emotional and psychological abuse of the targeted parent using the child as the weapon needs to be conducted – (DSM-5 V995.82 Spouse or Partner Abuse, Psychological).
  • A proper assessment for possible delusional thought disorder pathology in the family needs to be conducted.

In healthcare, all of healthcare, including all of mental health care, diagnosis guides treatment.

    • Is the diagnosis V995.51 Child Psychological Abuse?
    • Is the diagnosis V995.82 Spouse or Partner Abuse, Psychological?
    • Is the diagnosis a shared (induced) persecutory delusion?

Psychological Control of the Child

  • Parental psychological control of the child is an established fact. Here are the supporting quotes from the literature. Use proper terminology that is scientifically grounded.
  • Handout – Psychological Control

California SB-311 Amicus Letter

This is an amicus letter I sent regarding California state legislative bill SB-311.