Developer

Donald A. Gordon, Ph.D. is internationally recognized as a leading expert in parent-child relationships, juvenile delinquency prevention, and family conflict resolution. For over four decades, his research has focused on reducing the negative impact of divorce and family disruption on children through evidence-based, skills-focused parenting education.

Background and Leadership

Dr. Gordon is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Divorce Education and CEO of Family Works, Inc., two organizations dedicated to helping families in transition. He is the creator of Children in Between and Parenting Wisely, award-winning parenting programs adopted by courts, schools, and agencies nationwide. These programs have received the Positive Parenting and Active Parenting Awards from the Children's Rights Council and are listed on the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.

Innovations in Parent Education

Dr. Gordon has been a pioneer in the use of technology for delivering parent education. As early as the 1990s, he was developing interactive video and CD-ROM programs to help families learn practical parenting skills. Today, his online courses are widely used by court systems and social service organizations to help parents reduce conflict, improve communication, and shield children from emotional harm during divorce or separation.

Research and Publications

As a researcher, Dr. Gordon has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and educational materials. His work has been published in journals such as Child and Family Behavior Therapy, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and the Journal of Primary Prevention. He has collaborated on international projects, contributed to major academic texts, and presented his findings at dozens of national and global conferences.

He has served as principal investigator on more than 30 state and federal research grants, securing over $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), State Justice Institute, and other agencies. His projects have focused on divorce education, parenting interventions for at-risk youth, family therapy, and violence prevention.

Academic and Military Service

Dr. Gordon began his academic career at Emory University and later served over two decades as a professor of psychology at Ohio University, where he is now Emeritus Professor. His teaching focused on child and adolescent therapy, family systems, behavior disorders, and program evaluation.

He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he held the rank of Captain and served as Chief of Psychology Services at the U.S. Army Hospital at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia and both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alabama.