NOTICE: This event is at full capacity.
Somerset, Hunterdon, & Warren Psychological Association (SHWPA)
Dr. Mark Singer, Dr. David Gomberg and Dr. Elizabeth Stillwell,
Present, in-person only,
“Domestic Violence, Coercive Control:
Evaluation and Therapeutic Issues”
Friday April 4, 2025, Registration 9:15, Program 10 AM – 2:30 PM
Lunch Provided
Bridgewater Marriott 700 Commons Way Bridgewater, N.J. 08807
4 Domestic Violence Continuing Education Credits
Overview of Program: This program will explore issues related to domestic violence and coercive control. Theoryand research will be explored as related to issues that impact families, children, therapy, and evaluations. The role of the mental health professional in assessing, evaluating and treating individuals who have been victims of and/or perpetrators of such behavior will be explored. In addition, psycho-legal issues and ethical responsibilities will be addressed.
Presenters:
Dr. Mark Singer is a retired Police Sergeant from the West Orange Police Department. Dr. Singer has been a licensed psychologist in New Jersey since 1999 and performs evaluations and provides treatment in several areas, including child abuse/neglect cases, child custody cases, parental alienation/disrupted relationships, and parental capacity cases. His office is in Livingston, NJ. Dr. Singer holds a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, with a specialized track in multi-cultural counseling. Dr. Singer has previously presented to professional groups and agencies on the topic of psychological assessment and measurement in child protection cases, evaluation and related issues in child custody, parental alienation, and other issues related to child protection/abuse/custody. Dr. Singer has testified as an expert witness in the New Jersey Superior Court in issues related to parental capacity, parental alienation, child abuse/neglect, child custody/visitation, and termination of parental rights. Dr. Singer has provided services as a consultant for the Department of Child Protection and Permanency, the Office of the Law Guardian, the Office of the Public Defender, and to private attorneys. Dr. Singer is also a retired Senior Professor (Criminal Justice) from Union College (formerly Union County College, Cranford, NJ). Dr. Singer also works therapeutically with individuals and families in a wide variety of areas, including reunification, reconciliation, and co-parenting therapy.
David S. Gomberg, Ph.D., has practiced clinical and forensic psychology for over 20 years in both New Jersey and New York City as a Licensed Psychologist. In his family forensic practice, he has conducted hundreds of child custody/parenting time evaluations, best interest evaluations, brief focused evaluations, psychological evaluations and risk assessments. He has been court appointed, jointly retained, and privately retained to conduct forensic evaluations. He is an accepted expert in ten counties, a recognized Parent Coordinator by the State of New Jersey, and has testified in dozens of cases. Dr. Gomberg has conducted reunification therapy, mediation of parenting disputes, therapeutic mediation, and therapeutic and non-therapeutic supervised visitation. He has been retained to conduct bonding evaluations, personal injury cases, and Tevis and emancipation claims. Dr. Gomberg has also trained psychologists, lawyers, and judges on matters related to family forensic practice. In addition to family court work, Dr. Gomberg has conducted thousands of evaluations for the New Jersey Department of Corrections, including hundreds of sex offender risk assessments for the New Jersey State Parole Board. He has also performed pre-employment and fitness for duty evaluations of public safety officer candidates, police officers, corrections officers, and firefighters. In his clinical practice, Dr. Gomberg has worked with a wide range of clients, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, and in geriatric settings. He has been an adjunct professor at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, where he taught graduate and undergraduate classes, and he has conducted research on non-verbal emotional expressions and Alzheimer’s disease. His work has appeared in several publications.
Dr. Elizabeth Stilwell is a licensed psychologist in New Jersey and New York with clinical and forensic expertise. Dr. Stilwell earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) with a concentration in forensic psychology from William James College in Boston, Massachusetts. Before relocating to New Jersey, Dr. Stilwell provided clinical and forensic services for the Federal Bureau of Prison, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Police Department, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Tufts Medical Center, and Mount Sinai Services. Dr. Stilwell is currently in private practice in Livingston, New Jersey. Dr. Stilwell specializes in forensic assessments within the family, criminal, and civil courts, including child abuse and neglect, parental capacity, termination of parental rights, best interest, risk assessments (mental health, domestic violence, sexual offending, and substance abuse), tort/independent medical evaluations, Tevis, and competency to stand trial. Dr. Stilwell is a contracted expert for the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, the Office of the Public Defender, the Office of the Law Guardian, the Office of Parental Representation, and the New Jersey Department of Health. She has also been court-appointed and privately retained as an expert. Dr. Stilwell has testified as an expert in superior court in most New Jersey counties and has provided consultation to attorneys and state agencies on the state and federal levels. Dr. Stilwell maintains a clinical practice where she specializes in the treatment of trauma, grief, and mood disorders. Dr. Stilwell also supervises master’s students, doctoral students, and post-doctoral fellows.
Learning Objectives:
1. Discussion and understanding of differing views of violence within and between cultures.
2. Learn the importance of examination of cultural influences in testing and evaluation.
3. Discussion and understanding of the relationship between culture and views of child abuse/neglect.
4. Awareness of various cultural considerations in testing/therapeutic environments.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
ADA Accommodations available upon written request by emailing virginiawaltersm4@gmail.com, no later than Monday March 24, 2025
Program Fee: SHWPA Member $80, Non SHWPA Member $90, Students $15. Online registration and payment can be made at shwpa.org, OR by mailing a check payable to SHWPA and mailed to Tracy Menzie P.O. Box 644 Lebanon, NJ 08833.Please note – registration for this program will close on Monday March 24,2025.
Continuing Education Credits/Administrative Fee for 4 DV CE Credits (a separate fee for NJPA), are paid online BEFORE the Friday April 4, 2025, program. NJPA Administrative Fees: Sustaining Member – Free, NJPA Member $15, Non-NJPA Member - $25. The NJPA LINK will be provided via email on Friday March 28, 2025.
SHWPA Contact: Virginia Walters, Psy. D. – 908-439-3456-X8 / virginiawaltersm4@gmail.com
This workshop is co-sponsored by NJPA and SHWPA. NJPA is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. NJPA maintains responsibility for the program and its content.