- Family Law, Criminal Law, Juvenile Law (DCS) and Personal Injury
D.J. Gaughan, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist
Provides forensic and clinical psychological evaluations, consultations, and mediation services for Family, Juvenile, Criminal, and Personal Injury cases across Arizona.
Understanding Your Situation
Are you or a loved one facing criminal proceedings or a DCS dependency?
Are you a personal injury victim experiencing emotional trauma or PTSD symptoms?
About
Dr. D.J. Gaughan is a licensed psychologist with over four decades of professional experience in clinical, forensic, and family law psychology. He has served Arizona families and courts since 1984, providing evaluations, expert testimony, and mediation services.
His career includes extensive work with the Superior Court of Arizona, the Department of Child Safety (DCS), the Department of Corrections, and numerous family law cases. Dr. Gaughan’s approach combines compassion with evidence-based practices to help families reach resolutions that are cost-effective, calmer, and more child-centered than traditional court proceedings.
Dr. Gaughan offers comprehensive, court-recognized psychological evaluations at approximately half the cost charged by many forensic psychologists.
Unlike some nonprofit or low-cost providers, his evaluations do not rely solely on self-reporting.
Services
Family Court & Legal Services
In addition to evaluations, Dr. Gaughan provides a range of professional services for family law cases, including:
- Child Interviews
- Private Parenting Conferences
- Parenting Coordination and Mediation (Parenting coordination and Mediation lower than many attorneys)
- Hourly Consultation and Rebuttal Reports (rates lower than many attorneys and psychologists)
You or your attorney may receive a report or limited focused assessment from another mental health professional. If you disagree with the conclusions or methods used, Dr. Gaughan can provide rebuttal reviews, consultations, or expert testimony to support your case.
Child & Family Therapy
If you have been ordered to take your child to counseling, or are seeking therapy for your child during or after a divorce, Dr. Gaughan is a forensically informed therapist with over 45 years of experience and a Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology.
He is uniquely qualified to recommend developmentally appropriate parenting plans for infants and children of all ages, including long distance arrangements.
Areas of Practice
- Family Law – Custody, divorce, mediation, and parenting coordination
- Criminal Law – Evaluations and mitigation for mentally ill, addicted, cognitively, limited, and environmentally disadvantaged defendants
- Juvenile Law (DCS) – Juvenile Law (DCS) to Juvenile Law (DCS/CPS)
- Personal Injury – PTSD and psychological trauma related to accidents
Mediation Services
Family and custody mediation: helping parents resolve disputes outside of court.
Collaborative divorce coaching and child specialist services.
Parenting coordination and family conflict resolution.
Forensic & Legal Evaluations
Competency and psychosexual evaluations.
Parenting capacity and child safety evaluations (DCS referrals).
Guilty Except Insane (GEI) and Rule 11 evaluations.
Expert witness testimony in family and criminal courts.
Clinical Services
Individual, group, and family therapy.
Treatment of PTSD, trauma, chemical dependency, and family adjustment issues.
Support for veterans, trauma victims, and high-conflict families.
More About Dr Gaughan
Credentials & Affiliations
- Licensed Psychologist, State of Arizona (#0664).
- Member, American Psychological Association.
- Member, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).
- Member and Past President of Maricopa County Association of Family Mediators (MCAFM).
Publications & Training
- Author: Child Custody from a Psychologist’s View (National Business Institute).
- Contributor to Family Law News and Arizona Attorney Magazine.
- Trainer and lecturer for judges, attorneys, and mental health professionals on custody, mediation, and forensic psychology.
