I would give Dr. Kerner, and his staff, 100 stars if I could. Dr. Kerner worked with my family in a very challenging and complicated custody case. Custody disputes are often long, emotionally draining, weighty, scary, wrought with uncertainly and conflict, and likely one of the most challenging experiences any parent will endure with regards to their child(ren). During such a crisis, people need compassion, caring, understanding, and to know that professionals handling the custody evaluation have it together, can be counted on, and will ultimately make decisions in the best interest of the child(ren). Custody disputes are bad enough, adding the stress of incompetent evaluators could be absolute crazy-making. That is why I strongly recommend Dr. Michael Kerner should you need a custody evaluator. Administratively, his office is run professionally, they respond to communications promptly and with care, they work well with attorneys as well as parents, they are on time with appointments, follow-up with contacts, help coordinate home/school visits, keep you informed about where in the process you are, and most importantly, try their best to complete each evaluation in 60 days. My attorney has clients waiting almost a YEAR for the completion of a basic evaluation! I can not imagine the added stress that would cause in an already strained situation! Dr. Kerner's reports are very thorough, well researched and written, complete, and leave no stone unturned. His recommendations for visitation is fair, unbiased, and always what is truly in the best interest of the child(ren) in question. Dr. Kerner and his staff made going through this stressful experience as manageable as possible. I always felt listened to, trusted Dr. Kerner's observations, and was impressed with his interactions with my young child. Dr. Kerner is an astute man, with significant practical experience and a CV that would impress anyone. More than his work accomplishments, his gentle and approachable nature make him easy to talk to. He was well received by all of those in my family who had the opportunity to speak with him. Dr. Kerner, with his 25+ years of experience in custody work, truly knows what to look for in terms of family relationships. He understands what familial behaviors are most damaging to children and he can identify red-flags in such a way that a less experiences evaluator might miss. Dr. Kerner saw patterns and identified issues without having to be told about them, as his extensive experience gave him so much insight. In all custody situations, there will be one party that will be pleased with an outcome, and one party that will be less than pleased. I was impressed with the compassion that Dr. Kerner showed to me and to my child's father throughout this process. He made no assumptions about us and allowed us to tell him what was going on, from our own experiences. He made a recommendation to the court based on what he saw and learned, not on what I wanted or my former partner wanted, but what was best for our child. Dr. Kerner was asked to testify in court for our case and he was prompt, professional, and articulate when taking the stand. The judge appreciated his extensive background and expertise and truly listened to his reasoning for coming to his recommendation. His concrete knowledge of current case law allows him to understand how his recommendations will be read and interpreted by the courts. This legal familiarity is a tremendous asset while navigating the court process. Though not the most economical of evaluators out there, he provided the best possible service one could ask for. The adage of "you get what you pay for" rings true here. Dr. Kerner and his staff seem incapable of a half-assed job, and go above and beyond to get it right. If you find yourself in a custody challenge, isn't knowing that the most experienced professional possible will determine and recommend what is truly in the best interest of your child(ren) worth any cost? I think so, and in fact, I can't think of anything worth more. I recommend Dr. Michael Kerner whole-heartedly and without hesitation. read more

One year post trial update: After paying his trial appearance costs in addition to the exorbitant $40+ k child custody evaluation openly paid by my former spouse, I am giving no stars to this evaluator. Not only do I think he got his evaluation wrong. It appeared he had no recollection of viewing the critical child abuse videos that were highly critical material in his evaluation which went entirely overlooked. In my opinion he's strictly motivated by money (who is paying his bill) and not in doing what's in the best interest of the child. It should also be duly noted that he would repeatedly ask me the same questions, and he took what my collateral contact (my brother) said and twisted it around to make it sound like my brother only said horrible things about me and omitted the complimentary things my brother said. Now my brother is going through something I am not at liberty to discuss, and I'm not clear how Dr. Kerner only extrapolated something horribly negative from my brother's interview, but I have come to believe Dr. Kerner has serious problems with his personality and he would be perfectly fine to destroy a sibling relationship with twisting around what he was told because of whatever weird malicious personality problem he himself appeared to demonstrate. Who would cavalierly try to destroy a brother and sister's relationship by painting a vicious attack on me by my own brother? He refused to interview my other brother. Run for the hills from this clinic. read more

I can't speak highly enough of the professionalism, integrity, and thoroughness shown by Dr. Kerner in my children's custody evaluation. From the very beginning, it was clear that he approached the situation with objectivity and a deep understanding of family dynamics. He took the time to truly listen to both sides, asked the right questions, and gave each concern the weight it deserved. In a time when emotions ran high and the stakes were incredibly personal, he brought a sense of calm and fairness that helped me trust the process. What stood out most was how carefully he documented everything. The final report reflected a detailed and balanced picture of the situation -- including efforts made by the other party that were clearly intended to diminish or undermine my role as a parent. Despite these attempts, Dr. Kerner remained focused on what mattered most: the well-being of the children. His insights and recommendations were grounded in facts and supported by evidence, not bias or hearsay. Thanks to his clear, professional, and well-reasoned evaluation, my relationship with my children was preserved. If you are in the middle of a high-conflict custody situation and want someone who will truly act in the best interest of the children while remaining fair and impartial, I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Kerner. He helped save one of the most important relationships in my life -- that of a parent and child. read more

Don't recommend to use this firm. They don't care about the kids, it's all about the money they get from the client.

Dr Kerner is the person you need to help in all court proceedings. He is extremely fair and is able to see through baseless accusations. 5 stars, he's the best! read more

Did a custoday evaluation for my ex and me. Terrible listener - spent 90% of his evaluatiopn time with kids doing the talking. Never interviewed alone without my ex present. Simply believed everything my ex said without any questioning or investigation. Kerner completely missed the obvious fact that they were being emotionally manipulated for years. The simple proof that Kerner screwed up: He advised that the court give my ex full custody (which is nearly impossible to fight). Then, two years later, my kids moved back in with me because of my ex's emotional abuse. My kids had documented the abuse themselves. The court awarded me full custody and my ex got only got supervised visitation. read more

I would highly recommend Dr. Kerner. It's hard to find a good psych that you like, and out of the ones that I've been to, he's my favorite.

A great experience with Dr. Kerner. He was very attentive and offered a lot of great advice. I would recommend every day of the week!

Dr Kerner is compassionate and a remarkably thorough evaluator. I am so glad our family chose him.

I would give him zero stars but not allowed. Dr Kerner's bill is not fair. He charges minimum $15,000 and then up charges you for extras when he did not provide everything he charged you for. He knows he has parents in a vulnerable situation and has them by the balls. Do not be fooled he cares. Be careful he is very ingrained with the Judges. He is not for your child's best interest. My kids hate him and said he told their dad what he said which actually made things worse for our children. My son was shocked. He was completely fooled by my ex prancing in with his new family with doing zero research on his own. He thought my ex's fiancé was me in his report to the court. She and my ex had just been in a domestic dispute a few months earlier where she was arrested but Dr. Kerner thinks they are healthy and has zero clue cause he "reads" people....LOL!!! Stating I'm inappropriate in report to the Judge when it was not me he was talking about was highly concerning in such a sensitive case. He also stated in report that I grilled my daughter after her interview. I guess the receptionist is part of the interview and thinks if you ask your child if everything was ok that is grilling them. He will not revise any mistakes he makes in his report that you pay for and he is just cutting and pasting for his $15,000 without any solid help that addresses the issue. He also stated something to the effec that I was a strong female and therefore not able to be abused by a man. Well if that statement wasnt abuse what the hell is! I wish we never used him although I think when he redid the schedule he thought he was screwing me over. I am actually enjoying all my free time when my ex has to step up and be a parent and actually follow the schedule now cause it cost him a pretty penny to understand what they mean.. Kerner thinks men who cheat, steal their kids from the other parent, don't pay child support and do not follow custody orders are being abused by women via the courts. RUN RUN RUN !!!!! His weird secretary is spying on you as well and Im not sure why. I honestly think he hates women and is doing his part to screw them over. I stated to him my ex was violent and had assault charges he never verified but its easy to see on the internet in five seconds. He ended up saying I had no basis for this. That is terrifying. I wish I knew what narcissist abuse was prior to using this elderly senile fool who I heard is on his third wife so he don't care about women and children. He is on the side of the lying cheater who abuses his ex and his kids but theres no issue or damage being done in his eyes. My ex is such a loser that this all escalated over a solid custody schedule that he would refuse to use or follow. Finally I paid $15,000 for one with this jerk...... parents looking for help beware!!!!!! read more

Zero competency of parental alienation. Nobody on my side of the family have seen my children in years, including myself. My kids are now subjected to psychological abuse and isolation by their other parent. None of my ex's sinister lies and false allegations held up in court and same with false CPS claims, all prior to his evaluations. True experts know alienating parents have personality disorder/s and are aware of the alienating behaviors. He also asked I pay 2x the amount he originally stated the evaluation would cost in order to receive the report, effectively holding the report ransom. I had to refer him to his own contract in order to get the report. If you have a high-conflict ex and are experiencing alienation, one, I'm sorry; two, do not hire this guy for a custody evaluation; and three, go online to the Parental Alienation Study Group and similar for resources. read more

Dr. Kerner caused severe damage to my children in 1995-1996 as court appointed psy. He was unable to assess the difference between depression and grief from death in my family. He interviewed the step mother before me, the mother and could not determine the truth. He had one 12 year old child of the family abducted and sent away to a wilderness camp for troubled teens for 5 months (Jan-May) based on lies. At the camp the child was abused, molested, and denied medical care that turned out to be cancer. The camp was in northern Idaho where the children lived in TPs chopping wood for their own heat, made to go on forced marches in the snow. All of the children in the family have been in therapy for many years dealing with the horror of what happened. I then had to pay him over $10,000 as child support (not counting attorney fees). The only reason my child was brought home was because I brought a newspaper report to court. Dr. Kerner was obviously nervous because he came back to the witness stand with his pants unzipped and declared that the child could then come home from the camp. Stay far away from this psychologist. He had judicial immunity as a court appointment so could not be sued. read more

End result was $10K+ and a report that was 95%+ template according to an expert I hired to review after the fact - who has seen many from this office. The recommendations weren't consequential and as many of you know in a scenario where no one agrees on much of anything, hence we are all here, both counsels agreed not to follow the recommendations. End result was not beneficial for the kids, which is why we requested this evaluation in the first place. Hope for you and your kids you fare better. Suggest you shop around and find someone who will dig deep to resolve issues. read more

I had a custody evaluation done by Dr. Kerner. His office assistant/secretary asked me to manually completed some questionnaires - MMPI-2 in year 2017. I completed this form in paper format where as the other parent in this custody dispute did it on the computer. After my completion when I turned my answers to the assistant/secretary, she erased something on my form and rebubbled it. Although the result is 50/50 custody, I found her action unusual. Later, when I met with other professionals in the same field, they all seemed surprised that I would still complete those questionnaires in paper form when everything is online nowadays. read more

Although I received a report that supported my case from Dr. Kerner and the neuropsychologist he refers out to, I found his practice, approach, billing and "expertise" quite questionable. Judges are very familiar with him because he is one of a small handful of psychologists who will provide testimonies in court. In my case, Dr. Kerner was my attorney's hired gun for a Family Law case and while his prepared testimony and reports were favorable to achieve the desired result, the same result could have, and should have, been achieved with integrity and as a result of an unbiased and thorough evaluation. I was embarrassed to read "definitive" results from his session that lasted only 15 minutes during which he did not ask the proper questions nor probe for the issues to support my case. His fabricated report was unrepresentative of my child even if it did accomplish what it was supposed to have achieved. I would have preferred to get there honestly and with a thorough evaluation and I know, because of the existing and historical evidence, that it would have been achievable to prove and support my case. Instead, I received an expensive and fabricated assessment that he was prepared to defend in court. His billing practices were also suspect; he overcharged for hours not provided and double billed for some parts of the scope of work he provided. As with many unconscionable actors in Bay Area Family Law, this is another "expert" who is part of a cesspool who wield great influence on families involved in difficult divorce and custody situations. I am giving a 2 * because the neuropsychologist he used did a very thorough job even though his report was never needed and did not influence Dr. Kerner's opinion. read more

Walking into these types on conversations, it's hard to know what to expect. Dr. Kerner was extremely professional and easy to talk to. His wisdom has helped in the process of rebuilding a relationship with my children's mother in a way that far exceeds my expectations. I hold Dr. Kerner in the highest regard as he has truly had a lifelong positive impact on the lives of not only myself, but my children and their mother. Please remember that it isn't only about the advice and wisdom your given, but how willing you are to hear, internalize and act upon it. Thank you, Dr. Kerner! I'd also add that the office staff is top-notch! read more

Dr. Kerner was the court appointed (by mutual agreement) Child Custody evaluator assigned to our case. In the Santa Clara court systems, from what I observed, Dr. Kerner is the gold standard for evaluators. During our hearings, it was clear that the judge was very familiar with Dr. Kerner and held him in high regard. My experience working with Dr. Kerner was very positive despite the difficult situation. Dr. Kerner is very professional and goes by the book, and at the same time has a wonderful capability of talking easily with children, and intellectually with adults. The setting of his office feels like a living room; it is was warm and comfortable which helped my daughter feel safe and willing to open up. My case was complicated, and Dr. Kerner had no trouble understanding the intricacies of many of the details, and seeing through to the real issues in our case. During our hearings, Dr. Kerner, who must handle numerous cases at once, was able to recall birthdates, critical events, and various reports from memory. Dr. Kerner was always careful to give both sides exactly equal access to him, and equal opportunities to rebut each other's claims. Lastly, more than anything else, what impressed me about Dr. Kerner was his concern for the wellbeing of my daughter. He wanted what was best for her more than anything else. I would highly recommend Dr. Kerner as an evaluator. read more

Without a doubt the best you can have as a professional in his field who ardently articulates his expertise in a way that is reachable to the audience. My full endorsement. read more

I was initially hesitant , but he is truly one a fantastic Therapist, really patient and smart. One of the best! He listens to you and is really detailed and meticulous. read more

Dr. Kerner is committed to families regardless of which party hires him to support their concerns. He does a fine job of evaluating personalities and assisting parents and kids through times of high conflict. read more

If I could provide more stars I would. Dr. Kerner is a highly intelligent man who provides much wisdom and logic to his practice. I was knee deep in a terrible custody battle and had a 730 Home Evaluation done by another provider. That evaluation was in my favor but the other party was trying to poke holes in the report and methodology. That's where Dr. Kerner came in. I was referred to him and took an appointment. WOW! Immediately out of the gate I was impressed with his knowledge on not only the courts evaluation process but his insight into breaking down the basics of the family dynamic and my whole situation. He was able to review the evaluation and weigh in on the report and findings. He is honest has integrity and an all around upstanding man. He cut through all the BS everyone was trying to sling around and got right down to "what is in the best interest of the child". Without his knowledge and expertise, I don't know how my child custody trial would have ended up. He is a master of his craft and well worth every penny! His presence on the stand and court room speak for itself. If you have the pleasure of working with him, you will see he truly is a blessing! read more

Dr. Kerner's evaluation was professional, thorough, and fair. He showed genuine concern for the child. He was not fooled by the false fronts and posturing put on. His judgement was sound and based on what was in the best interest of the child. read more

Beware. The review by Erica M. on 9/16/13 is by a winning petitioner who paid 10's of thousands to steal custody after a move-away. It is a typical story of a broken system and I have honest evidence of malfeasance. I am the respondent in reviewer Erica M's custody grab. With money and manipulation our son has been stripped of his father. There are substantial complaints against Dr. Kerner as well as many ''hidden/flagged' complaints on Yelp and other sites. His 20 reviews are almost all 1 or 2 stars. I am more than willing to share my evidence and give testimony to other parents, victims, attorneys, reporters, Judges, District Attorneys or governing authority. The system is clearly broken and Dr. Kerner appears to be an eager accomplice. A family court system that continually harms the children by taking a parent away and harms that parent is clearly losing the war. Children deserve both parents. Sasha 's Dad Brook@ecotahoe.com read more

I have used Kerner for an evaluation and emergency screening. Our family needed a lot of help, but we did NOT get it here. If there is any possibility of using mediation or better yet negotiating between you and your lovely ex-spouse, then you will be so much better off, as the agreement will be something that is truly something that will work for both parties. I wasted a lot of time, dollars, energy and emotion that would have been much better spent on our children. In my opinion, Kerner neither spent the time necessary, nor do the tests necessary, to find out what was truly going on. What happens with an evaluation is you get the opportunity to write a $10K - $20K check to Kerner and then a $50K - $100K check to your attorney(s) to clean it up. In the end, I used the public system and it cost a fraction of the amount and ended up with 50 / 50 custody of our Son. If it is too late for you, and you have already signed up for the 'evaluation', here are some things to keep in mind. Kerner will act like your friend so you will open up and give him some material for his report. Beware. You will be asked what your ex does well, you will also be given bonus points if you can bake cookies during the home visit (at least that is what my attorney said), you will be asked for parenting references (teachers, or principal references are best, not friends.). Finally, be very kind to Kerner's admin as she writes the report and has a lot of input. Now four years later, with oldest in college, I can tell you without any doubt, if someone suggests an evaluation with Kerner, I would avoid it at all costs. Instead, if I could not negotiate a custody sharing plan, I would use the public system at a fraction of the cost and focus all time, dollars, energy and emotion on our children. read more

A number of years ago when we couldn't agree my ex-wife and I chose Dr. Kerner to evaluate where our daughter would attend school. We also asked Dr. Kerner for recommendations on parenting issues. After spending thousands of dollars on Dr. Kerners services, both My ex -wife and I were very disappointed with Dr. Kerners work and report. We found the report inadequate and riddled with misspellings and inaccuracies. Dr. Kerner focused solely on generalities and gave no plan or suggestions on how to facilitate making our daughters life better. About a year later, my ex-wife and I found ourselves back in court where our same judge chose not to even consider Dr. Kerners report and ordered another evaluation conducted by a Santa Clara County evaluator. The county evaluators report was clear, complete and contained no errors or inaccuracies and contained many recommendations to make our daughters life better and more comfortable. Even though my ex-wife and I were not in complete agreement on the county evaluators recommendations, we were pleased with the quality of work provided by the evaluator. This was in contrast to what Dr. Kerner provided. Dr Kerner may be a fine child counselor but my ex-wife and I would not recommend him for an evaluation. read more

Dr. Kerner worked with our child custody over 10 years . The first evaluation was joint legal & physical custody because he is intelligent and can "reveal" a canard. The last evaluation it was suggested , that I let my daughter stay with her mom because that is what she wants ( being almost 14, they can do that ). Dr. Kerner warned me not to fight this in court . I respect his opinion , because he has dealt with other peoples kid problems for decades. He is a true professional. read more

Dr.Kerner helped my ex-husband and I negotiate the treacherous waters of divorce by providing skillful, professional and compassionate mediation. He taught us to put the best interests of our children beyond our differences. His experience as a custody evaluator has made him extremely insightful about the best ways to proceed through all the issues that come up and the impact on the kids. The process was difficult but Dr. Kerner handled our emotions with understanding and a keen sense of humor about life and the human condition. He kept us mindful of the goal that our children were going to be okay despite the changes. I'm so glad we took the advice of a friend and decided to travel to see Dr. Kerner. I believe we will be able to communicate about our children's needs going forward. If we run into problems, we agreed that we would not hesitate to seek his wise counsel. I strongly recommend Dr. Michael Kerner to any divorcing couples who want a divorce that will be as healthy as possible for the family. read more

I attended a court ordered evaluation with Dr Kerner. After stressing that I arrive early for each session, he was always late - up to 20 minutes. Originally I was charged for this time until I made a stink. Secondly, Dr Kerner took personal calls during our sessions which I felt was unprofessional; again I was charged for this time. Although Dr Kerner professes to be an expert in addiction his knowledge of the subject is rudimentary at best. Spend a couple hours on line reading about the subject and you will know as much, if not more, than Dr Kerner. Dr Kerner dictated notes at the end of each session (again on my time) over the phone. There were often errors in what I heard and although I corrected him on several points, multiple times, these errors found their way onto his report. In fact, the report ended up being the transcripts of his dictations. There was no additionally editing done and read like the notes they were and not a professional report to be submitted to the court. Finally, his report was so middle of the road because as he says "if everyone likes his recommendations they are more likely to stick with them". Dr Kerner was not hired to make nice he was hired to make some hard decisions. Sadly we ended up back in court paying lawyers to hammer out the decisions that Dr Kerner was hired to make but refused to do. Overall, Dr Kerner was a waste of time and money for the unprofessional, unknowledgeable and sloppy work that he performed. Here's some additionally information on Dr Kerner: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/05.16.96/master-9620.html read more

Hired Kerner two times and was a disaster. In my opinion, he did not take the time to truly understand what was happening. The result of his shoddy work was a lot of litigation. Ask people who have worked in the industry for a long time ... and i hope for your sake you run like i should have. read more

Regrettably, zero stars is not an option. Please read the Not Recommended reviews. In my own divorce, my children and I have been negatively impacted by the practices of Dr. Kerner. I have collected a group of professional women who, along with their children, have been similarly negatively impacted by the practices of Dr. Kerner. Subsequently, I have represented some of these women as their pro bono attorney. My experience is both as a client of Dr. Kerner and as the attorney of other clients of Dr. Kerner. The facts are incontrovertible. In my case, Dr. Kerner was court appointed as a Recommending Mediator. (Up front, let me state that Dr. Kerner is on his third marriage.) From day one, Dr. Kerner was completely uninterested in discussing the facts of my case. He preferred to "chat." (He can be quite charming. Do not be fooled by this.) I thought this was a therapeutic technique to "get to know me." In fact, it was simply a way to waste time, run up bills and uncover some scrap of unflattering or damaging evidence on me. When there was no such evidence, Dr. Kerner fabricated a fictional persona for me. I later learned that this is his habit, particularly with professional females. However, Dr. Kerner actively evades all unflattering and negative information about males, unless there are claims that the male does not have money or status. Dr. Kerner's first interaction was on the telephone with my attorney and opposing counsel. He wrote "Billionaire" in his notes in reference to my soon to be ex husband (ex). Please note that my ex is not actually a billionaire, but he does have a notable trust fund. Dr. Kerner (and, indeed, the entire Divorce Industry) is quite eager to embolden and empower particularly affluent men to misuse the judicial system to abuse and harass their spouses, all to the detriment of children. There is big money involved, leaving families bankrupted and lives destroyed. During my interviews, Dr. Kerner appeared to be taking notes. When I subpoenaed his entire case file, these alleged notes were actually illegible scribbles. He dictates notes at some later time. The problem is that these dictated notes bear little resemblance to what was actually discussed. Therefore, no one should ever meet with Dr. Kerner without a recording device (in California, you must have permission to audio record the session) or your attorney as a witness. I did the latter for the last two sessions before Dr. Kerner withdrew from my case because I reported him to the Board of Psychology. Dr. Kerner has multiple complaints pending with the Board of Psychology. (Based on my reading of those complaints and dismissed complaints, including the credentials and credibility of the complainants and the facts of each case, the Board of Psychology appears to be protecting Dr. Kerner, possibly for decades.) Dr. Kerner was incapable of correctly reporting even the most mundane facts. He spoke by telephone to my therapist (retained to assist me in parenting a very difficult teenaged daughter). His notes pertaining to relevant facts were wrong, including the fact that the therapist had not met my daughters, when she actually had. All of Dr. Kerner's notes and even his professional reports are riddled with fiction and inaccuracies. Dr. Kerner failed to properly report straightforward facts. Volatile events were grossly misreported. Dr. Kerner does not amend his reports or recommendations, even when he admits his own mistake(s) and apologizes in front of witnesses. At opposing counsel's insistence (and in an explicit attempt to prove that I am unfit to care for our children and should lose custody, fueled by Dr. Kerner's Recommendation), our family underwent a Court-Ordered Full Custody Evaluation and Recommendation with Jeffrey S. Kline, PhD, ABPP. It took 81.8 hours of his dedicated due diligence. By contrast, Dr. Kline's Evaluation and Recommendation, a 64 page single-spaced report, was wholly not in agreement with any statement, conclusion or recommendation made by Dr. Kerner. After my experience with the Divorce Industry, my calling is now to make systemic changes to the Family Law Courts so that no more parents and their children are harmed, as so many of us have been. Feel free to contact me about anything in this email. I can be reached at krsweidy@yahoo.com. read more

Dr. Kerner was hired as a neutral and private custody evaluator to help our family make the right decisions with regards to our children. My experiences with Dr. Kerner is quite similar to those described in 1-star ratings and under non-recommended category: https://www.yelp.com/biz/michael-kerner-phd-san-jose Dr. Kerner is pleasant and seems approachable during one-on-one meetings. However, he continuously diverted the attention from the issues related to the children to personal matters between my ex-husband and me. He took a detailed history of my background as if he was going to work with me as my therapist! I did mention to him personally that I'd rather talk about the children and how they have been taken care of since they were born, and I how they were cared for now after I had filed for divorce. He did not seem to be taking detailed notes during our one-on-one sessions or recording the sessions. As such, I was not surprised when he attributed quotes to me in the custody report that were factually incorrect. He also attributed quotes to my therapist and our marriage counselor that were faculty incorrect. Further, I believe the quotes he attributed to my children were made up by him to go with the flow of the story that he wanted to tell about the dynamics of our family in his custody report. I know my children quite well and what they would have been comfortable to share with someone whom they barely knew. The words attributed to my children sounded too mature for their age--words that I don't believe they would have spoken to express themselves. I regret very much giving Dr. Kerner permission to speak with my children privately, as I believe his interactions with them and our family created more disharmony and conflict than what we had before his involvement in our family matters. In addition to the above, Dr. Kerner simply FORGOT to investigate the allegations that I had put forward regarding the physical safety and emotional well-being of our children. After his report was released, my attorney and I confronted him about the important issues that he had FAILED to investigate and include in the report. He admitted that he should investigated such matters. In fact, he sent and email to all parties admitting to important flaws in his report. However, he refused to amend his report or issue a refund for lack of services that he was paid to do and was prepaid for. In the end I felt that I had paid Dr. Kerner over $ 10,000 to do absolutely nothing but to create more disharmony within our family. Avoid Dr. Kerner at all costs. read more

I would NOT recommend Dr. Kerner. While he might have helped some people, he has harmed more than is known. It appears he is swayed by influential people and those in the court system he fears. From my personal experience he is unethical, lies in evaluations, does not correct "mistakes" when he said he would and is biased. He did not report to CPS as required. The harm he has caused to families who needed help and protection is everlasting. The reason claims are being dismissed about him is being reviewed. read more

Unfortunately, only unhappy people write nasty reviews when they are forced to hear their faults from an evaluator. These are the exact types of people that clog up the system refusing to see they have problems. On and Off Dr. Michael Kerner has evaluated my children's situation. When accusations were made he used facts to prove or deny the validity of these claims. Dr. Kerner is much more realistic in the trend of the California courts and the recent legislature that has proven that shared custody is in the best interest of the children. Most attorneys and Judges are also following this trend, which if you are a mother might make you feel that you are not being treated fairly, but years of case studies have proved that children raised mostly by one parent, Mother or Father, is not in the best developmental interest of the children. The public courts do not care about substance abuse, alcoholism, sexual molestation and domestic violence. Dr. Kerner has stuck to his guns and you are innocent until proven guilty. Just because you accuse your spouse of something, especially husbands in the past, you were guilty. Dr. Kerner's fiduciary responsibility is not to correct your problems but instead to remain in a position where he can openly disclose these issues to the court to protect the interest of the children. He walks a tight rope between what he puts in his reports (Which will be available to the minor children someday) and communicating the trend of who is honest and tests to see how stable they are mentally. In my case he left no stone unturned. Even his comments about me, which did not depict me as perfect, were honest. I find it hard to believe that you were not aware of what was coming. And if you were your attorney was not doing their job and telling you how to make your case. Angry meetings and demands the evaluator agrees with you is the worst thing you can do. Frankly, I think the recommendations of the legal community towards Dr. Michael Kerner Speaks for itself. If you do not like the evaluation----you may need to take a closer look at yourself to see what you really are like. Custodial Father of two young Children read more

Dr. Michael Kerner has continued to be extremely helpful in navigating through important issues related to my case. He is highly knowledgeable, and his clinical skills are demonstrated with the utmost professionalism, ethical standards, integrity, and respect for his clients. read more

In regards to your review of Dr.Kerner; I find your statements to be very troubling. First and foremost Dr.Kerner's interests are in what is best for the child, not the parent. This can be troublesome for someone who has their own agenda. Also, I am not sure how someone's marital status is relevant to their ability as a professional. I can only speak of my experience with Dr.Kerner and logic. First off, I am thankful that I was able to find an individual with his dedication and talent to assist me through this difficult time. Dr. Kerner has always shown a working knowledge and understanding of the situations that have occurred within the scope of my case. I have never questioned his professionalism or rationale, which is comforting given the field he works in. I have had the opportunity to work with various individuals in this field, and felt there was a huge disparity between fact and fiction in dealing with some. Perhaps, it could have been a lack of attention to detail or experience. I can not state clearly enough that Dr.Kerner is a highly talented, perceptive and compassionate therapist, that deals in the best interest of the child. If this is not what you are looking for, then Dr.Kerner may not be the right choice for you and your family. Again, I can only speak from my experiences with Dr.Kerner, and can confidently state that I would recommend him highly. I also find it very offensive that the reviewer would assume that the reader lacks the acumen to ferret out the truth behind that claim that the Board of Psychology would protect one of its members at it's own risk...Need I say more..this review seems to be more of a personal rant/attack rather than a review of professional services rendered. read more

Michael Kerner isn't just the best therapist I've ever known, he is one of the best professionals I've ever known. And a remarkable person. In addition to be exceptionally bright, Dr. Kerner brings great wisdom, insight and humor to the table. To call him humanistic is a gross understatement. If you are looking for a therapist who is smart, ethical, worldly and with a huge heart, you can't do better than this guy. I see the review from Richard K. and haven't experienced ANY of what he complains about in the six and a half years I've seen Dr. Kerner. Dr. Kerner does court evaluations and he may have done one Richard K. wasn't pleased with. I see I gave Dr. Kerner five stars in a review I wrote here almost exactly five years ago and my high regard for him hasn't changed one iota. read more

I highly recommend the services of Dr. Michael Kerner PhD. Dr. Kerner first became involved in our custody case in 2009, and he has remained our custody evaluator to present date. From the beginning, Dr. Kerner kept our son's best interests in the forefront, and maintained an empathic and balanced assessment of our son's experience and circumstances, and in the end he advocated recommendations that truly supported our son's needs. One of the biggest reasons I was so impressed with Dr. Kerner from the beginning, is his genuine belief that the safety and best interest of children must always come first. He has the ability to process and sort through a large number of details and lengthy history to clearly identify the key elements, and understand and address the root of the problem. Dr. Kerner was able to see the truth, when others were deceived. My ex was making false, outrageous, and slanderous accusations about me to Dr. Kerner and another mental health professional involved in our case. Dr. Kerner received feedback from multiple sources, looked into the false claims himself, and quickly discovered how the claims being made about me were in fact false. The other mental health professional involved in our case eventually looked into the false claims as well, and came to the same understanding and conclusions that Dr. Kerner had already come to. I don't see how a custody evaluator can be more unbiased, ethical and competent in his work than Dr. Kerner. Dr. Kerner has an extremely impressive professional background and I find him to be very skilled in his profession. He has put an enormous amount of time and effort into both of our families, and he did a thorough evaluation. He is completely professional and respectful. He has a very natural calming effect on people and my son instantly was comfortable with him. I was impressed with his sense of humor, and his openness in sharing some of his own personal life experiences and lessons learned. He was always genuinely interested in what my son had to say, how he feels and how he is doing. His assistant is top notch, professional and kind. Dr. Kerner genuinely seems to care about helping families heal, and always made himself available to both families when needed. Dr. Kerner is fair and balanced and sees the good in both sides of families that are involved in custody disputes. I personally observed him highlight everyone's strengths while at the same time he remained strong to address the difficult issues he needed to address. It's critical a custody evaluator have a backbone , not be easily fooled, intimidated, or bullied, and be able to effectively work with families to heal and keep the safety and best interest of children the priority. Dr. Kerner does all of this. It's highly unlikely that both sides in a custody evaluation can be perfectly happy and content with the outcome. A custody evaluator has to make hard decisions that always reflect what is in the best interest and safety of the children. Dr. Kerner does this very well. If I ever encounter anyone in the need of a skilled, competent custody evaluator, I will without hesitation, highly recommend Dr. Michael Kerner. read more

I have never posted a review of any sort on any website over the internet until now. I gladly submit this review to highly recommend to any individual dealing with emotional stress and uncertainty in their lives, needing and seeking professional psychological therapy, the benefit I have experienced being treated by Dr. Michael J. Kerner. Some years ago I was going through divorce and was uncertain about the future of my two young children in addition to dealing with job stress and an upcoming back surgery. I knew I needed someone to talk to at this most stressful time of my life. I researched Dr. Kerner's qualifications and was especially impressed of his many years of work experience in family court. I felt comfortable with Dr. Kerner immediately and was able to talk freely to him about my thoughts, feelings and perceptions relating to my personal situation. He offered practical advice which helped me deal with difficult choices to many sensitive issues. He did not tell me what I should or should not do, but gave me direction. It was evident to me that Dr. Kerner has had many years of experience working with people in similar situations like mine. I applied his advice to many difficult issues and things could not have worked out any better for me and my children. His support empowered me with self confidence I needed at that critical time. This confidence was key to helping me cope with and overcome my personal crisis. Today, I have two healthy and happy teenagers with promising futures. I'm proud to say our whole family is successful. Dr. Michael J. Kerner is an instrumental part of that success. I feel he can be helpful to anyone seeking his professional services. read more

I have been a student and subsequently a colleague of Dr. Kerner. He is one of the finest psychologists I have ever met--utterly brilliant--and he is also the kindest trainer and mentor. I have sent many people to him and everyone has had a superb experience in working with him. He is simply one of the best psychologists in the County and I wish I could give him six stars! read more

Dr. Kerner has been involved in our child custody case for over 10 years. He was recommended by both attorneys (mine and my ex-husband's). During the course of our case, Dr. Kerner wrote 3 evaluations. Each time he consulted with other experts in the case, like our daughter's therapist, to make sure he was getting a full picture, not just what the parents were hoping to portray for him. He was thorough and professional. I have done all I can to keep our daughter out of "the conflict." I appreciated that Dr. Kerner was sensitive to that. While he met with our daughter quit a few times over the course of these past 10 years, he did a wonderful job making her feel at ease, assuring her that she mattered to both of her parents, and most importantly that her voice mattered in this process. read more