Robert A. (Bob) Zibbell, Ph.D.

Expert in Residence

Contact Bob Zibbell, PhD

Phone: (781) 789-0676
Email: admin@sdfsmass.com

SDFS maintains an "Experts in Residence" program to provide its clinicians regular access to influential and skilled forensic mental health practitioners. Their consultation provides invaluable insights, real-world experiences, and ongoing mentorship. The “Experts in Residence” program plays a pivotal role in ensuring SDFS clinicians incorporate best practices and lessons learned to best serve our clients and community. SDFS is beyond grateful to have the man who literally wrote the book on child custody evaluations join our consulting team: Dr. Bob Zibbell.

Robert A. (Bob) Zibbell, PhD, is a mostly retired licensed psychologist on Cape Cod.

In the course of thirty+ years, he performed over 500 GAL evaluations and, in twenty-five years as a Parenting Coordinator, worked with about 150 families. As part of that GAL work, he testified about forty times and survived about ten depositions with his self-esteem intact. In addition to presentations at national and local conferences, he had regularly taught new and experienced GALs through the court-required trainings.

Bob is the author of several articles in peer-reviewed journals and of Critical Cases in Massachusetts Family Law for E&F Guardians ad Litem: A mental health professional’s perspective on how appellate law informs GAL investigations and evaluations (1975-2020). His pièce de resistance, however, is the short but (reportedly) authoritative text, Evaluation for Child Custody, co-authored with Geri Fuhrmann, PsyD (2012) part of an Oxford University Press series on forensic psychology.

He does occasional work as consultant to attorneys and as a parenting coach. As part of his semi-retirement, he has begun writing essays on personal experience and the natural world.