About Dr. Richard A. Warshak
Dr. Richard Warshak is a clinical, research, and consulting psychologist whose work on divorce, child custody, and parental alienation has influenced family law throughout the world.
Through research, expert consultation, and education, his work focuses on helping courts and families apply reason and scientific evidence to reach decisions that enhance children’s welfare.
At a Glance
- Clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in divorce, custody, and parental alienation
- Cornell graduate and past Clinical Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Consultant to the White House
- Author of The Custody Revolution, Divorce Poison, and Welcome Back, Pluto
- Widely published and featured on major media including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, and BBC
Introduction
Dr. Richard Warshak is a clinical, research, and consulting psychologist whose work on divorce, child custody, and parental alienation has shaped family law reform worldwide. His research-informed challenges to common assumptions and practices, combined with his commitment to evidence-based analysis, have established him as a leading authority on divorce, child custody, and the psychology of alienated children.
Through scholarly publications, expert testimony, professional presentations and lectures, consultations, and media commentary, he has improved outcomes for children whose parents live apart.
Career and Academic Background
Since 1977, Dr. Warshak has examined family law assumptions and practices through rigorous scientific research and logical analysis. His career integrates clinical practice, research, writing, teaching, and forensic consultations.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, studied experimental psychology in graduate school at the City College of the City University of New York (CCNY), and received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. His training in research methodology formed the foundation of his empirical approach to child custody and parent–child relationships.
Dr. Warshak was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He has sat on editorial boards of several professional journals and has been a peer-reviewer for 20 journals, in the U.S. and abroad, including those published by the American Psychological Association.
Judges, attorneys, and mental health professionals in the U.S. and abroad have sought his expertise. He served as a White House consultant on child-custody policy and was among 60 experts invited to contribute to an American Bar Association initiative on family law reform.
Areas of Expertise
Dr. Warshak’s work addresses a broad range of family law, developmental, and forensic issues, including:
- father-custody, mother-custody, and shared parenting outcomes
- parental alienation dynamics and interventions
- remarriages and stepfamilies
- domestic and international relocation disputes
- attachment, parenting plans, and overnights for young children
- children’s preferences and involvement in custody decisions
- the approximation rule and custody presumptions and standards
His publications span analyses of judicial discretion, the best-interest standard, the use of scientific evidence in custody decision-making, and challenging issues in child custody disputes. His services include litigation consultation to attorneys, including assistance in dealing with mental health evidence and testimony, and consultations with parents of estranged children.
Key Contributions & Publications
Dr. Warshak’s groundbreaking studies appear in 19 books and more than 90 articles, with his work translated in more than a dozen languages. His consensus report on parenting plans for young children, published by the American Psychological Association, was endorsed by 110 prominent researchers and practitioners and remains one of the journal’s top downloaded articles. His studies are cited widely in academic literature, and in legislative deliberations and judicial decisions throughout the world.
His amicus brief on relocation—endorsed by leading divorce scholars—was accepted by the Supreme Court of California and influenced two landmark rulings emphasizing the complexity of relocation disputes.
Dr. Warshak’s book, Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-Mouthing and Brainwashing, is the classic and best-selling resource on parental alienation worldwide. His educational film, Welcome Back, Pluto: Understanding, Preventing, and Overcoming Parental Alienation—used in every state in the U.S. and 31 foreign countries by courts, clinicians, and families—is the leading resource for families whose children struggle to stay out of the middle of parental conflicts.
Dr. Warshak was a founding member and past president of the Dallas Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology and was the founding editor of the Dallas Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology Bulletin.
Media Presence
Dr. Warshak has contributed expert commentary to more than 75 media segments on divorce, joint custody, custody disputes, parental alienation, stepfamilies, abduction, relocation, trauma, ADHD, parenting, and related topics. His interviews include appearances on ABC 20/20, NBC Today, NBC Dateline, CBS, PBS, CNN, BBC, CTV, Fox, CourtTV, and other networks.
His work has been featured in print coverage throughout the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Colombia, and New Zealand, including front-page and feature stories in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, London Sunday Telegraph, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Time magazine.
Interviews
Dr. Warshak has given interviews for film, television, podcasts, radio, magazine, and newspaper. These can be found in his archive of Media & Press articles.
Highlights include his Maclean’s Interview in 2008, Navigator’s Interview by The Atlas Society, and M Magazine’s feature interview.
Professional Philosophy: A Personal Statement
Dr. Warshak’s approach emphasizes scientific rigor, balanced evaluation, and evidence-driven practice.
In his words, “If I were asked to choose a leitmotif for my career as a research and forensic psychologist—as distinct from my clinical work—it would be this: examining the assumptions and practices of family law through the lens of reason and science. The primacy of reason and science over convention and untested beliefs animates my work and forms the foundation of what I call enlightened custody——an approach rooted in disciplined inquiry, refined by evidence, and dedicated to advancing the flourishing of families.”
It has been a privilege to see this work inform custody decisions and contribute to reshaping family law.