Dr. Christian Jordal Ph.D., LMFT, CST-S
Philadelphia, PA 19102
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and forensic expert in family law, criminal, and civil matters. I have been retained by petitioners and respondents, plaintiffs and defendants, in state and federal courts in several jurisdictions. I consult with counsel, prepare forensic reports, and testify.
My family law work centers on child custody, domestic and intimate partner violence, and allegations of child abuse. My assessments draw on interviews with the parties and with secondary sources, review of discovery materials, and research-supported self-report surveys. Intimate partner violence cases also call for a review of family, relational, and health histories.
A less common part of my practice is evaluating sexual behavior in legal matters, including compulsive sexual behavior, pornography use, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. I assess the behavior and explain its meaning and consequences for the individual, the partner, and the family. I also have post-graduate training in transgender mental health and have been retained in matters involving transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
I am a Clinical Professor at Drexel University, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor, and I am licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. From 2018 to 2022 I served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors, where I worked on licensure standards and discipline. My publications and presentations cover sexuality, gender, and couple relationships.
Inquiries from attorneys can be sent through this page or to drjordal@familyexpertwitness.com.
- Child Custody
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Emotional Distress
- Family Law
- Sexual Abuse
- Sexual Addiction
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Harassment/Discrimination
- Spousal Abuse
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Degrees
• Ph.D., Human Development (Concentration: Marriage and Family Therapy), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2011
• M.A., Marital and Family Therapy, University of San Diego, 2006
• B.S., Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 1994
Licensure
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Pennsylvania (MF000699)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, New Jersey (37FI00200400)
Certifications and approvals
• Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)
• Certified Sex Therapist, AASECT
• Approved Supervisor, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Post-graduate training
• Advanced Training in Transgender Mental Health, Widener University, 2018
• Certificate Program in Sex Therapy, Council for Relationships, 2014
Regulatory and professional service
• Member, Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors, 2018–2022 (appointed by the Governor)
• Member, national job task analysis task force for the MFT National Examination, 2024–2025 - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Professional memberships
• Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
• Professional Member and Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)
• Member, International Family Therapy Association (IFTA)
• Member, Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR)
• Member, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
Regulatory and accreditation service
• Commissioner, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), 2019–2022. I was elected by the national AAMFT membership to the body that sets accreditation policy for graduate programs in North America.
• Site Visitor, COAMFTE, 2015–present
• Member, Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors, 2018–2022. Delegate to the AMFTRB Annual Meeting, 2019–2022. - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Academic appointments
• Clinical Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University (2026–present). Previously Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Counseling and Family Therapy (2016–2026), and Assistant Clinical Professor (2012–2016).
• Visiting Instructor, Couples and Family Therapy Master's Program, University of Oregon (2010–2011)
• Graduate School Dissertation Chair, Northcentral University (2012). I chaired approximately 25 doctoral dissertation committees.
Courses taught and developed, Drexel University (graduate, post-master's, and doctoral)
• Sex Therapy and Couple and Sex Therapy (CFTP 578, developed)
• Legal and Ethical Implications in Couple and Family Therapy (CFTP 522, developed)
• Clinical Readiness Seminar (CFTP 539, developed), including simulation-based assessment with standardized patients
• Clinical practicum and group supervision, couples therapy, Person of the Therapist, and gender and sexual orientation
Selected presentations
• Pennsylvania Bar Association Wellness and Well-Being Meeting, Wellness: Mindset and Actions (2021)
• Sino-American Family Therapy Institute, clinical supervision curriculum (invited instructor, 2022–2025), and international symposium on brief systemic work with adolescents and families in healthcare settings (December 2026, forthcoming)
• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) annual conference, Queering Commitment: A Grounded Theory of Intact Bisexual-Heterosexual Marriages (2015)
• National Council on Family Relations annual conference, Queering Commitment and Commitment in Mixed Orientation Relationships (2014)
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) annual conference, Preparedness of Couple and Family Therapists Working with Families Affected by Substance Use (2019) and Bridging the Gap: Substance Use Training and C/MFTs (2020)
• International Family Therapy Association annual conference, Writing for Family Therapy Journals (2017) and Simulated Learning Environments to Test Clinical Readiness (2014)
Publications and editorial work
• Editor, International Journal of Systemic Therapy (formerly Journal of Family Psychotherapy), the official journal of the International Family Therapy Association (2017–2020)
• Book chapters on gender and on training the person of the therapist (Guilford Press, Routledge), and articles on sexual decision-making and substance-use training (Family Relations)
Media
• Washington Post (2015) and NBC 10 Philadelphia (2020) - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 9
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Child custody; domestic and intimate partner violence; child abuse; manslaughter; sexual assault; loss of consortium; immigration (deportation); and medical malpractice.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 20%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 80%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 2
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: 2025
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 8
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 8
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 6
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Case consultation and record review; forensic evaluations and written reports; review and rebuttal of opposing experts' reports; deposition and trial testimony.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $500
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $500
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: A retainer is required before work begins, and the amount depends on the scope of the matter. Travel time is billed at $200 per hour, door to door. Reasonable travel and case-related expenses are billed at cost. My fees are not contingent on the outcome of the case. A full fee schedule and retainer agreement are available on request.
References from retaining counsel in family law, criminal, civil, and federal matters are available on request.