Ellen C.Weld, PhD
Ellen C.Weld, PhD
Specializing in Child Custody/Therapeutic Visitation/Family & Supreme Court Matters
I obtained my PhD in Clinical Psychology from New York University in 1999 and my New York State License in Psychology in 2000. I obtained a B.A. in Music at Williams College followed by Post-Baccalaureate work in Psychology at Yale University. I speak Spanish, having rediscovered the language in graduate school after studying it in high school.
I have been a member of the Supreme Court Appellate Division Mental Health Professional expert panel since 2004 and specialize in child custody evaluations and parent-child therapeutic visitation. I am regularly appointed to custody matters in all 5 boroughs of New York City, as well as Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
I have also been employed off and on for many years at St. Dominic's Family Services in the Bronx, where I work with children placed in foster care. Currently, I provide mental health evaluations for these children on a part-time basis. I have also provided treatment and evaluations for residents of nursing/rehab facilities at The Supportive Care.
My areas of specialization include forensic (custody/visitation) evaluations, diagnostic/mental health assessment, parental alienation, and understanding the impact of interparental conflict upon children's emotional functioning.
I love my work, high-conflict as it can be.
Separation and divorce are extremely traumatic for families, and a forensic evaluation can add to that trauma. I try to bring empathy to my work, understanding that it is enormously stressful to be dealing with a custody case, and also to be asked questions about highly personal matters.
In addition to my training, I also bring my real-life experiences of being a parent, and simply a human being, to my work.
My perspective is that in most cases, children's emotional health will be best protected if they are allowed to love and have a relationship with both of their parents. That being said, there are also some circumstances in which issues of mental health, substance abuse, or the like, may not allow a child to have a healthy relationship with a parent, at least in the short-term, and sometimes in the long-term.
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Frederick Douglass
Office at:
71-58 Austin Street, Suite 208
Forest Hills, NYPhone: 917-554-7295
Review posted on CareDash by client on October 5, 2020
"Professional and Courteous
"Dr Weld has been instrumental in coordinating supervised visits between myself and my child. She is very professional, compassionate and caring. We are extremely comfortable and happy with her services. I recommended her to anyone who needs supervised visits or other services."