Professional, Relational, and Court-Ready Mental Health Insight
At Montgomery County Counseling Center, we understand how emotionally and legally complex family law matters can be. Whether you’re navigating custody disputes, parenting time disagreements, or other family-related legal challenges, having a qualified, experienced mental health expert as part of your case can make a meaningful difference. There is also an important distinction between expertise in individual therapy and the systemic lens of family therapy.
Our Expert Witness Services provide clear, ethically grounded, systemically informed testimony that supports legal decision-making while honoring the complex dynamics of the whole system, not just each individual involved. Learn more about Laura Goldstein, LCMFT, and her clinical approach: no jargon, just clarity and integrity.
About Laura Goldstein, LCMFT – Expert Witness Professional
Laura Goldstein, founder and Executive Director of Montgomery County Counseling Center, is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist with extensive experience working with individuals, parents, couples, and families in both clinical and consultative settings. Her work is grounded in authenticity, directness, and relational insight, qualities that translate powerfully into expert witness service.
Laura honors the lived experiences of those involved while providing judges and legal teams with clear, unbiased, clinically sound observations. She is known for being human, relatable, and grounded, saying what needs to be said with care and precision.
How I Can Help
I provide written reports, deposition testimony, and court testimony on family dynamics, mental health, and treatment, offering clinical opinions grounded in my training and experience as a marriage and family therapist and clinical supervisor.
I help attorneys understand the clinical issues in their case. That can include reviewing records and opposing expert reports, identifying strengths and gaps, and developing questions for direct and cross-examination. Consulting work does not involve testimony.
I teach the court about clinical concepts without offering opinions about the specific people in the case. Topics include personality disorders and emotion dysregulation, family systems and high-conflict dynamics, parent-child contact problems, adolescent mental health, self-harm and suicide risk, and levels of care.
I’m available for appointment by the court as a neutral expert, offering an independent clinical perspective rather than advocating for either side.
What to Expect When Working with Me
I review case-relevant background materials, therapeutic histories, and assessment data (when available) to build a nuanced understanding of the situation at hand. As a marriage and family therapist, I’m trained to look at the whole family system, not just one individual.
My testimony is informed by clinical experience, systemic frameworks (like family therapy and DBT principles), and an appreciation that every person at the table is more than a label and that the situation is more than just the sum of its parts. I only offer opinions I can support with the evidence and my clinical expertise, regardless of which side retained me.
In both my writing and testimony, I use language that judges, attorneys, and families can understand, without being overly academic or sacrificing clinical fidelity or ethical rigor.
I’m highly committed to responsive communication with your team and the court while maintaining strict confidentiality of case information and the highest standards of professional ethics.
My Areas of Expertise
- Family dynamics and family systems affecting children, adolescents, and young adults, including family involvement in treatment
- High-conflict family systems, co-parenting, and parent-child contact problems
- Personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder and overcontrolled presentations
- Self-harm, suicidal ideation, risk assessment, and levels of care
- Treatment options and recommendations, including treatment the court may consider ordering
- Clinical ethics, mandated reporting, dual relationships, confidentiality and privilege in clinical practice, and treatment of minors in legally involved cases
- Substance use and co-occurring disorders in adolescents and young adults
- Standard of care in outpatient mental health treatment
Important Note About Eligibility
To protect confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest, neither current nor former therapy clients of Montgomery County Counseling Center are eligible for expert witness services. If you’re unsure whether this applies to you, we’re happy to clarify and discuss appropriate alternatives.
I am licensed to provide therapy in Maryland, Virginia, and Indiana. However, because serving as an expert witness is considered consultation and not therapy, I can provide professional opinions in other jurisdictions. Attorneys should review their state’s regulations to confirm legal eligibility.
How the Process Works
Step 1: Initial Consultation (15 minutes, complimentary)
I’ll meet with the attorney to understand goals, scope, and timelines.
Step 2: Review the Contract Together
The attorney receives our agreement, reviews it with the client, answers questions, and obtains signatures so everyone feels clear and comfortable moving forward.
Step 3: Case Review & Assessment
I review documents and records and conduct any necessary interviews to form a clinically sound basis for opinion.
Step 4: Expert Perspective Delivered
Depending on need, support may include consultation with counsel, a written report, deposition, or court testimony.
How to Get Started
If you’re a family law attorney seeking expert witness testimony or consultation, there are two simple ways to connect.
Option 1: Email me directly
Reach out to me at laura@mccounselingcenter.com with a brief description of the case and the type of support you’re looking for.
Option 2: Schedule an initial consultation with me
Use this link to Schedule a consultation with me at a time that works for you.
From there, we’ll talk through scope, timelines, and next steps, and make sure it’s a fit and that the process feels clear and manageable for everyone involved.
I’m here to bring clarity, integrity, and psychological insight to your legal process.
Let’s talk about how I can be of service.