Leslie Photo

Leslie S. Packer, Ph.D.

Office Address
702 Marshall Street, Suite 410
Redwood City, California 94063
Map

Mailing Address
1017 El Camino Real, Box 224
Redwood City, CA 94063

California Psychology License No. PSY3802

Email: kidwrk@gmail.com
Tel. 650-321-6127
Fax. 650-321-6182

welcome

I have been practicing clinical psychology since 1970, and I received my California license in 1972.  My areas of specialization have focused on child development, parenting, trauma resulting from sexual and physical child abuse, parent-child attachment, and cognitive-behavioral therapy with children.  A new dimension to my practice in recent years has been working with adult plaintiffs in personal injury cases, who are alleging that they were sexually abused as children.  My role has been to conduct forensic psychological testing batteries, in the context of Independent Medical Examinations (IME’s).  As a part of this work, I have provided deposition and trial testimony about the mental status of the individual in question, and the long term effects of trauma.

In my child abuse work, I have conducted more than one-hundred forensic evaluations involving allegations of child sexual abuse, and I have testified as an expert witness in a large number of these cases.  I have served as an expert witness on other child-related issues, reviewing evaluations that have been conducted by other mental health professionals, and I have testified in Bay Area Family Courts, Juvenile Courts, and in Superior Court jury trials.

In my practice I have also focused on divorce issues.  I have been appointed to conduct 730 custody evaluations involving more than 700 families.  These evaluations have often addressed complex issues such as relocation, parental addiction, special needs children, and children who are alienated from one of their parents.  In the area of parenting plans and custody schedules, my particular interest is in the needs of children six years of age and younger.

In addition to conducting comprehensive child custody evaluations, I have also served in the following capacities with divorcing families:

  • Recommending Mediation, assisting parents in the process of coming to agreement about the parenting plan that will be in the bests interests of their children.
  • Brief Focused Assessment (BFA), in situations when the issues are limited to a few child-specific questions.  In BFA’s, the evaluator investigates and advises the court in regard to issues such as: parenting capacity; the child(ren’)s attachments to each parent; the need for supervision of visits by one parent; the school that the child will attend; and exchange provisions that will best protect the child from exposure to conflict.
  • Private Emergency Screening, in situations where a recommendation for an interim parenting plan is needed, pending the completion of a comprehensive child custody evaluation by another professional.
  • Re-unification Counseling, in situations where there are rifts or estrangement between a parent and child.
  • Coparent Counseling, in situations where communication needs to be facilitated between parents in order to achieve consistency in their methods of relating to their childr(ren).
  • Child Therapy, in situations when a court-ordered parenting plan includes therapy for the child.

 

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

1967-69 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Child Psychology and Developmental Disabilities: John F. Kennedy Child Development Center. University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
1968 Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Texas, Austin
1966 M.A. in Psychology, University of Texas, Austin
1964 B.A. in Psychology, Grinnell College

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1980-Present Full-time Private Practice
1977-80 Senior Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Unit, Hillcrest Juvenile Hall, San Mateo County
1971-77 Senior Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Unit, Child Development Services, San Mateo County
1969-71 Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Colorado
1967-68 Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado

 

CLINICAL SPECIALTY AREAS

  • Forensic expert on short-term and long-term effects of trauma, loss, and sexual and physical abuse.  Psychological assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  • Consultation to social services agencies, regarding physically and sexually abused children.
  • Developmental evaluation of infants and young children.
  • Cognitive deficits and learning deficits.
  • Child Therapy, specializing in issues of trauma, loss, abuse
  • 730 Child custody evaluations, in more than 700 court appointed cases
  • Recommending mediation, assisting parents in a conjoint process of coming to agreement about the parenting plan that will be in the best interests of their child(ren).
  • Brief Focused Evaluation, in situations where limited resources require that narrowly focused and specific child-related questions be evaluated. In Brief
     
  • Focused Evaluation, the evaluator investigates and advises the court in regard to issues such as: Parenting capacity; Child(ren)’s attachments to each parent; Need for supervision of visits; School that the child(ren) will attend; and Exchange provisions, to protect the child(ren) from exposure to conflict.
  • Private Emergency Screening, in situations where a recommendation for an interim parenting plan is needed, pending the completion of a comprehensive child custody evaluation by another professional.
  • Re-Unification Counseling, in situations where there are rifts, estrangement, or alienation between a parent and child.
  • Coparenting Counseling, in situations where communication needs to be facilitated between parents in order to achieve greater consistency in their methods of relating to their child(ren).
  • Attachment and Bonding Studies, in consultation to Juvenile Courts.

HONORS

Humanitarian Service Award, United Cerebral Palsy Association of San Mateo County

Santa Clara County Psychological Association  Alice Handley-Isaksen Forensic Psychology Award


PUBLICATIONS

Spence, J.T. and Segner, L.L.  Verbal versus non-verbal reinforcement in the discrimination learning of middle- and lower-class children.  Child Development, 1967, 38, 29-38.

Meier, J., Segner, L., and Grueter, B. An education system for high-risk infants: a preventive approach to developmental and learning disabilities.  In J. Helmuth (Ed.), Disadvantaged Child, Vol III.  Seattle, Special Child Publications, 1970.

Segner, L. and Patterson, C.  Ways to Help Babies Grow and Learn: Activities for Infant Education.  Denver, World Press, 1970.

Bresee, P., Bess, B., Stearns, G., and Packer, L.  Allegations of sexual molestation in child custody disputes: a therapeutic assessment model.  American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 56 (4), October, 1986, 560-569.

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

American Psychological Association
California Psychological Association
San Mateo County Psychological Association
Santa Clara County Psychological Association (2012 Forensic Psychologist Award)
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children