Reena Sommer, Ph.D.

Reena Sommer - Divorce and custody expert

For over 20 years, Dr. Reena Sommer has helped people dealing with the challenges of divorce and those who are having difficulty co-parenting after divorce. Throughout the years she has written numerous articles and research papers on domestic violence, divorce, parental alienation and custody issues. She has also written many ebooks on these areas and she co-authored “A Kidnapped Mind: A Mother’s Heartbreaking Story of Parental Alienation Syndrome” with Pamela Richardson.

Reena received her doctoral degree in psychology, family studies, and sociology from the University of Manitoba in 1994. After she completed her post-doctoral studies in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Dr. Sommer decided to leave academia to pursue her interests in consulting and clinical work.

Before moving to Texas in 1996, she worked as a consultant to the Canadian Medical Services Branch, Health Canada, Child and Family Service agencies throughout Ontario and Manitoba, and the Correctional Services of Canada in Canada. She has also participated in a panel of experts before the Joint Senate-House of Commons Committee addressing both child custody and access issues.

Dr. Sommer realized that custody cases pose a growing challenge for divorce attorneys and the courts. After moving to Texas, Dr. Sommer has concentrated her efforts as a trial consultant at Dr. Reena Sommer and Associates. She offers attorneys and the clients they serve case management and strategic planning services, especially for cases involving parental alienation, false allegations of sexual abuse and other contested custody situations.

Her expertise if often sought out by the media on issues relating to domestic violence, divorce and child custody. Throughout the years, Dr. Sommer has been interviewed for major publications in Canada and the United States; including Reader’s Digest, Canadian newspapers, and Chatelaine Magazine. She has also appeared on numerous radio stations and been featured on the local and national TV news channels.

She is guided by the belief that children shouldn’t be denied a relationship with either parent simply because their mom and dad decided to divorce. A major aspect of her work is helping divorcing couples explore options for restructuring their lives so that their children’s interests and needs are protected.

You can find out more about Reena Sommer on her LinkedIn profile.

Articles by Dr. Reena Sommer

Using a Parenting Plan Template - If you're getting divorced and have minor children at home, you'll need to figure out how you will handle issues such as custody, visitation, and decision-making. Having a template to work from makes the task a lot easier.

How to Prepare for a Custody Evaluation – When parents are facing a contested custody case, they often have to undergo a custody evaluation. Here is what to expect, things to avoid, and how to prepare for your evaluation.

Parental Alienation – Children often get caught in the middle of emotionally charged divorce cases. Sometimes in these situations, one parent will try to alienate the child against the other parent. If you’re facing this situation, it helps to understand how parental alienation happens and what the consequences are for both the child and the alienated parent.

Understanding what Leads a Spouse to Cheat - If you are struggling with the humiliation and despair from discovering your spouse’s infidelity, you’re probably trying to make sense of how it could ever happen. This article can help.