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Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - Expert Witness

Christian Jordal, Ph.D., LMFT, CST-S

Christian Jordal, Ph.D., LMFT, CST-S

1518 Walnut Street
Suite #600

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102
(484) 429-6079

Website https://familyexpertwitness.com/

► Contact Christian Jordal, Ph.D., LMFT, CST-S

Expert WitnessForensic ExpertLitigation SupportSpeaker
Christian Jordal, PhD is an Associate Clinical Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Counseling & Family Therapy at Drexel University. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist License (MF # 000699, PA), AAMFT-Approved Supervisor, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor and holds certification in Transgender Healthcare from Widener University.

Dr. Jordal serves on the Pennsylvania State Licensure Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors. He also serves on the Commission for Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education board. Dr. Jordal maintains a private practice and serves as a consultant to attorneys in litigated matters.

Dr. Jordal provides services related to child abuse, family law, discrimination, sexual harassment, malpractice, sexual behavior, domestic violence, and much more.

Services

Dr. Jordal has worked with individuals, couples, and families since 2004 to address mental health and relational concerns such as:

• Adjustment issues related to separation, divorce, grief, and loss
• Anxiety
• Attachment injuries, including jealousy
• Communication difficulties
• Conflict resolution
• Depression and Mood Disorders
• Infidelity
• Non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships
• Post-traumatic stress
• Sexual addiction and dysfunction
• Sexual and gender identity concerns

He approaches issues in context, taking into account how culture, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and other identities influence a person's lived experience.


Litigation Support Services

Dr. Jordal provides an array of litigation consultation services to attorneys:

-Review of case
-Educating attorneys about a case's relevant sex, sexuality, gender and/or behavior
-Evaluation of reports and credentials of opposing experts
-Assisting with cross and direct-examination questioning
-Non-disclosed expert and attorney-client privileged communication about
-Child custody
-Parental alienation
-Intimate partner violence
-Loss of Consortium
-Alternative Relationships (domestic partnership, family contracts)
-Gender Identity
- Sex and the Workplace
-Prenups: relationship communication/contracts
-Discrimination

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

Transgender Health; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Abuse; Sex and the Workplace; Therapy Malpractice and Ethical Violations; Sexual and Gender-based Discrimination; Prenups - Relationship Communication/Contracts; Alternative Relationships (Domestic Partnership; Family Contracts); Marriage and Family Therapist.

Profile

Dr. Jordal's more than 15 year career providing therapy to couples and families includes an impressive body of publications, appointments, and acknowledgment as a leader in his field. Dr. Jordal's publications are extensive and address a range of sexual-orientation, family issues in non-traditional families, and transgender transition.

• Department Chair, Department of Counseling and Family Therapy, Drexel University.

• Associate Clinical Professor, Drexel University, Director, Master of Family Therapy degree program

• Private practice, providing client treatment for over 15 years.

• Editor, Journal of Family Psychotherapy.

• Commissioner, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE.)

• Board member, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.

• Clinical Fellow, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

• Certified in Affirmative Therapy for Transgender Communities (Widener University).

• Certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, Sex Therapy.

Professional Experience

RELATIONSHIPPED, LLC – Philadelphia, PA
2015-Present
Founder & Practitioner
Deliver on-site mental health and sex therapy services for individuals, couples, and families to support healthy relationships and personal wellness.
Consultant to Attorneys about related issues in legal context.

REGROUPTHERAPY.COM – Virtual
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
2014
Utilized HIPPA-compliant technology to provide virtual mental health and sex therapy services nationally

CENTRA COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY & PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATES – Philadelphia, PA 2013-2014
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist: Mental health and sex therapy services for individuals and couples

Marriage and Family Therapist Internships & Residency
2004-2011
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON – Eugene, OR (2011)
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COUNSELING SERVICE – Rock Island, IL (2010)
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIVERSITY – Blacksburg, VA (2008)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO MEDICAL CENTER – San Diego, CA (2006)


Licenses

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Pennsylvania
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, New Jersey


Legal Experience & Services

Attorneys consult with Dr. Jordal about cases with these concerns:

• Sexual Behavior that is not well-understood by a jury or attorneys.
• Discrimination (sexual, sexual orientation, transgender)
• Criminal domestic abuse or sexual assault.
• Coping mechanisms, functional and dysfunctional.
• Behavior that appears to be sexual but isn't, or doesn't appear to be sexual, but is.
• Damages address a family that is suffering
• Family Disputes in Family Court or Divorce Mediation
• Impact on Sexuality of experiences including related to adjudicated events.
• Impact of Sexuality on behavior relevant to litigated matters.


Affiliations

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Fellow
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
International Family Therapy Association
Society for Sex Therapy and Research


Qualifications

Approved Supervisor, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
Certified Sex Therapist, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor in Training, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, & Therapists


Seminars & Training

Presentations

Piercy, F., Crane, R., Jordal, C., Larner, G., Lebow, J., and Sexton, T. (2017). Writing for Family Therapy Journals. Presented at the 25th Annual Conference of the International Family Therapy Association, Malaga, Spain

Jordal, C. (2015). American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, & Therapists, 47th Annual Conference. Queering Commitment: A Grounded Theory of Intact Bisexual-Heterosexual Marriages. Brief presentation prospectus. Minneapolis, MN.

Jordal, C. (2014) National Council on Family Relations, 76th Annual Conference. Queering Commitment: A Grounded Theory of Intact Bisexual-Heterosexual Marriages. Brief presentation prospectus. Baltimore, MD.

Jordal. C. (2014). International Family Therapy Association, 21st Annual Conference. Using Simulated Learning Environments to Test Clinical Readiness of CFT Master's Students. Panama City, Panama.

Traylor, R., Krug, S., Piercy, F., Goodwin, A., Banker, J., Jordal, C., Rodgers, B., & Cole, E. (2008). American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 66th Annual Conference. Ethical Reflections on the Shootings at Virginia Tech. Memphis, TN.

Jordal, C. (2006). 31st Annual Southeast Symposium on Child & Family Development. What Constitutes Support?: Facilitating Sexual Identification & Inclusion Among College Students – Prospective Group Exercise. Blacksburg, VA.

Kimel, S. Y., Brouillard, C. R., Ching, H. A., Gelle, S. A., Sandoval, A., Jordal, C., & Sieber, W. J. (2006). Society of Behavioral Medicine Meeting, 27th Annual. Cultural Differences in the Estimation of Health Status. San Francisco, CA.

Sarkin, A., Seiber, W., Santoso, J., Harvey, J., Jordal, C., Patterson, J., & Kallenberg, G. (2005). Society of Behavioral Medicine, 26th Annual Meeting. Gender, age and cohabitation moderate relationship between mobility and depressive symptoms. Boston, MA.

Sieber, W. J., Lang, A., Sarkin, A., Kallenberg, G., Santoso, J., & Jordal, C. (2005). Society of Behavioral Medicine Meeting, 26th Annual Meeting. Identifying best items for assessing anxiety in primary care. Boston, MA.


Publications

Articles

Jordal, C., & Allen, K. (In process). Making it Work: How Intact, Mixed Orientation Married Couples Maintain Commitment Despite the Push to Choose.
Brown, T. B., Jordal, C., Linville, D., & Todahl, J. (2011). Embracing flux: Faculty and student partnerships toward a rich and evolving training environment. Family Therapy Magazine, September/October, 38-40.
Allen, K. R., Husser, E. K., Stone, D. J., & Jordal, C. (2008). Agency and error in young adults' stories of sexual decision-making. Family Relations, 57, 517-529.
Piercy, F., Banker, J., Traylor, R., Krug, S. Castanos, C., Cole, E., Ciafardini, A. J., Jordal, C., Rodgers, B., Stewart, S., and Goodwin, A. (2008). A Virginia Tech ethics class reflects on the shootings at Virginia Tech. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34, 210-226.

Book Chapters

Ashton, D., & Jordal, C. (2019). Revisioning Gender in M. McGoldrick and K. V. Hardy (Eds.), Re-visioning Family Therapy: Race, Culture, and Culture in Clinical Practice. New York: The Guilford Press.
Jordal, C., Carneiro, R., & Russon, J. (2016). The Hows and Whys of Journaling as a Course Assignment. In H. Aponte and K. Kissil (Eds.), Training the Person-of-the-Therapist: Theory and Implementation. Rutledge, New York, NY.


Education

Ph.D. in Human Development, Concentration: Marriage & Family Therapy. Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University – Blacksburg, VA - 2011.

M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy. The University of San Diego – San Diego, CA - 2006.

B.S. in Psychology. Pennsylvania State University – University Park, PA – 1994.

Post-Graduate Certificates:

Advanced Training in Transgender Mental Health, Widener University– Chester, PA - 2018

Sex Therapy, Council for Relationships – Philadelphia, PA - 2014




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