About
Dr. Kenneth B. Perlmutter
I am a licensed psychologist practicing clinical and forensic psychology as a private practitioner in Palo Alto for forty years. I now practice solely in the field of forensic child custody matters (i.e. the distinct specialty of the interface of psychology and the law). This specialty pertains to the application of the science and profession of psychology to the questions and issues relating to law and the the legal system. I came to this point in my career based on my passion to understand children and families from a developmental and family systems perspective.
Since 1985 I have served children, parents and the courts in child custody related roles such as performing/conducting comprehensive Child Custody Evaluations (CCE) and Brief Focused Assessments (BFA) completing over 800 to date. I have extensive experience with, and regularly serve as, Parenting Coordinator, Custody Mediator (both confidential and recommending), and Co-Parent Counselor. A significant part of my current practice involves consulting with attorneys both as a confidential consultant and as a disclosed work product reviewer providing expert testimony. I also educate and consult with parents in a confidential relationship about various aspects of these forensic services.
See More
My current practice focuses on various aspects of child custody matters, and I specialize in working with families of divorce in unique and complex high conflict cases. I have special expertise in performing and consulting about Relocation CCEs. Over the course of my career, and with greater frequency over the past ten years, I have given professional presentations to, and trained, the judges, attorneys and mental health professionals. I have published articles about important aspects of these services. Since the Pandemic began, I have been in the forefront of adapting custody evaluation methods to meet its challenges, and have presented on the topic of Remote-CCEs and published two articles about it.
In 2021 I was elected to serve as a Member on the Board of Directors, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts-California Chapter. In this role I now serve on the Mentoring Outreach Committee. This committee focuses on the recruiting and mentoring of mental health professionals to meet the legal criteria in order to serve as child custody evaluators. Additionally, we are tasked to develop new language and guidelines regarding the requirements (specifically to define “materially assist”) for child custody evaluators as stated in Rules of Court 5.225. I am committed to and excited about this work as I enter the next phase of my career.
Education
Education
1976-1980
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
M.A., Psychology (Clinical), 1978
Ph.D., Psychology (Clinical), 1980
1979-1980
PH.D., Clinical Psychology
Veterans Administration Medical Center
Palo Alto, California
Clinical Psychology
Internship (APA approved)
1972-1976
B.A.
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri
B.A., Psychology, 1976
honors
honors
Phi Beta Kappa
Washington University, 1976
Alice Handley-Isaksen, Ph.D.
Award. 2011, given by the Santa Clara County Psychological Association for outstanding forensic service to the organization and the community
Sigma Xi
The Scientific Research Society, 1976
Professional Societies & Memberships
Professional Societies & Memberships
- American Psychological Association
- California Psychological Association
- Bay Area Psychological Association
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (International and California)
- Member, Board of Directors, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts-California Chapter (2021-Present)
professional experience
professional experience
7/84 to present
Forensic Child Custody: Evaluation/Mediation/Parenting Coordination/Attorney Consultation
Specializing in forensic matters related to divorce and child custody
Primarily in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
9/81 through 2015
Private Practice in Clinical Psychology
Individual (child/adult), couple and family psychotherapy. Psychological Testing
Primarily in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda,
Contra Costa, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
Contra Costa, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
4/86 through 7/03
Professional Staff, Sequoia Hospital
Consultant Psychiatric Inpatient Unit (1/85 to 12/88)
Sequoia Hospital Redwood City, California
Provided clinical supervision to staff on Psychiatric Inpatient Unit
Sequoia Hospital Redwood City, California
Provided clinical supervision to staff on Psychiatric Inpatient Unit
2/83 through 12/96
Independent Contract Psychological Evaluator
Department of Social Services
Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Psychological test evaluations of children (ages 5-18)
Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Psychological test evaluations of children (ages 5-18)
6/82 through 9/93
Clinical Assistant Professor
Stanford University School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Voluntary Clinical Faculty, Provided clinical supervision and training of psychiatry residents and interns
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Voluntary Clinical Faculty, Provided clinical supervision and training of psychiatry residents and interns
3/81 through 7/84
Clinical Director
Bill Wilson Center for Youth and Families
Santa Clara, California
Directed the implementation of four clinical programs: Outpatient
Counseling Center, Training of LMFT Interns, School Outreach Program, Residential Program for Youth
Santa Clara, California
Directed the implementation of four clinical programs: Outpatient
Counseling Center, Training of LMFT Interns, School Outreach Program, Residential Program for Youth
2/82 through 2/83
Lecturer
San Jose State University
Psychology Department
Taught Masters level students Family Therapy and Systems Theory
Psychology Department
Taught Masters level students Family Therapy and Systems Theory
3/81 through 3/83
Psychology Consultant
Veterans Administration Medical Center
Clinical Psychology Internship Program (APA approved)
San Francisco, California
Provided clinical supervision and training of Ph.D. Psychology internss
Clinical Psychology Internship Program (APA approved)
San Francisco, California
Provided clinical supervision and training of Ph.D. Psychology internss
9/80 through 3/81
Clinical Psychologist, Adolescent and Family Clinic
Faculty Member, Clinical Psychology Internship Program (APA
approved)
Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences Houston, Texas
Provided psychotherapy (including family therapy) to a diverse medical center population.
Supervised and trained Ph.D. level psychology interns
Provided psychotherapy (including family therapy) to a diverse medical center population.
Supervised and trained Ph.D. level psychology interns
9/79 through 8/80
Clinical Psychology Intern (APA approved)
Veterans Administration Medical Center
Palo Alto, California
Completed rotations on: Family Study Unit, Outpatient and Inpatient
Units
Palo Alto, California
Completed rotations on: Family Study Unit, Outpatient and Inpatient
Units
9/78 through 2/79
Clinical Psychology Trainee
Veterans Administration Medical Center
Atlanta, Georgia
Completed rotations on several Inpatient Units
Atlanta, Georgia
Completed rotations on several Inpatient Units
9/76 through 8/79
Staff Psychologist/Clinical Trainee
Teaching Assistant/Lecturer
Emory University
Psychology Department and School of Dentistry
Provided psychotherapy (including individual, couple and group
therapy) to a diverse University population (campus and community)
Lectures to undergraduates and dental students
Published doctoral dissertation: “The Role of Verbal, Vocal, and Nonverbal Cues in the Communication of Evoking Message Styles.”(Journal of Research in Personality, 1985)
Psychology Department and School of Dentistry
Provided psychotherapy (including individual, couple and group
therapy) to a diverse University population (campus and community)
Lectures to undergraduates and dental students
Published doctoral dissertation: “The Role of Verbal, Vocal, and Nonverbal Cues in the Communication of Evoking Message Styles.”(Journal of Research in Personality, 1985)
5/75 through 8/75
Volunteer Psychology Trainee
Martland Hospital, New Jersey College of Medicine
Psychiatry Inpatient Unit
Newark, New Jersey
Supervised by a Ph.D. psychologist performing in and observing an
inner city public hospital
Completed a research project with resultant article published in The
American Journal of Psychiatry (1977)
Psychiatry Inpatient Unit
Newark, New Jersey
Supervised by a Ph.D. psychologist performing in and observing an
inner city public hospital
Completed a research project with resultant article published in The
American Journal of Psychiatry (1977)
professional experience
professional experience
7/84 to present
Forensic Child Custody: Evaluation/Mediation/Parenting Coordination/Attorney Consultation
Specializing in forensic matters related to divorce and child custody
Primarily in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
9/81 through 2015
Private Practice in Clinical Psychology
Individual (child/adult), couple and family psychotherapy. Psychological Testing
Primarily in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
4/86 through 7/03
Professional Staff, Sequoia Hospital Consultant,
Psychiatric Inpatient Unit (1/85 to 12/88) Sequoia Hospital Redwood City, California. Provided clinical supervision to staff on Psychiatric Inpatient Unit
2/83 through 12/96
Independent Contract Psychological Evaluator
Department of Social Services Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
Psychological test evaluations of children (ages 5-18)
Psychological test evaluations of children (ages 5-18)
6/82 through 9/93
Clinical Assistant Professor
Stanford University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Voluntary Clinical Faculty. Provided clinical supervision and training of psychiatry residents and interns
3/81 through 7/84
Clinical Director
Bill Wilson Center for Youth and Families Santa Clara, California. Directed the implementation of four clinical programs: Outpatient Counseling Center, Training of LMFT Interns, School Outreach Program, Residential Program for Youth
2/82 through 2/83
Lecturer
San Jose State University Psychology Department
Taught Masters level students
Family Therapy and Systems Theory
Taught Masters level students
Family Therapy and Systems Theory
3/81 through 3/83
Psychology Consultant
Veterans Administration Medical Center Clinical Psychology Internship Program (APA approved) San Francisco, California.
Provided clinical supervision and training of Ph.D. Psychology internss
Provided clinical supervision and training of Ph.D. Psychology internss
9/80 through 3/81
Clinical Psychologist, Adolescent and Family Clinic Faculty Member, Clinical Psychology Internship Program (APA approved)
Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences Houston, Texas.
Provided psychotherapy (including family therapy)
to a diverse medical center population.
Supervised and trained Ph.D. level psychology interns
Provided psychotherapy (including family therapy)
to a diverse medical center population.
Supervised and trained Ph.D. level psychology interns
9/79 through 8/80
Clinical Psychology Intern (APA approved)
Veterans Administration Medical Center
Palo Alto, California.
Completed rotations on:
Family Study Unit, Outpatient and Inpatient Units
Palo Alto, California.
Completed rotations on:
Family Study Unit, Outpatient and Inpatient Units
9/78 through 2/79
Clinical Psychology Trainee
Veterans Administration Medical Center Atlanta, Georgia. Completed rotations on several Inpatient Units
9/76 through 8/79
Staff Psychologist/Clinical Trainee
Teaching Assistant/Lecturer
Emory University Psychology Department and School of Dentistry. Provided psychotherapy (including individual, couple and group therapy) to a diverse University population (campus and community). Lectures to undergraduates and dental students Published doctoral dissertation: “The Role of Verbal, Vocal, and Nonverbal Cues in the Communication of Evoking Message Styles.”(Journal of Research in Personality, 1985)
5/75 through 8/75
Volunteer Psychology Trainee
Martland Hospital, New Jersey College of Medicine Psychiatry Inpatient Unit Newark, New Jersey. Supervised by a Ph.D. psychologist performing in and observing an inner city public hospital. Completed a research project with resultant article published in The American Journal of Psychiatry (1977)
