Dr. Avi Engelhart, Psy.D.

Professional Background

Dr. Avi Engelhart's professional journey reflects a longstanding commitment to understanding human behavior and helping individuals navigate life's most challenging transitions.

Dr Avi began his career by earning a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University Chicago. While working in education, Dr. Avi came to recognize that academic achievement and personal success are deeply influenced by emotional and psychological well-being. This realization inspired him to shift his professional focus from educational leadership to the study of mental health and human relationships.

Driven by a desire to better serve individuals and families, Dr. Avi pursued advanced training in marriage and couples counseling through the Open University of Jerusalem before establishing a private practice dedicated to working with couples experiencing relationship challenges. His growing interest in the science of human behavior ultimately led him to earn a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), graduating with High Honors from California Southern University.

Dr. Avi’s doctoral research focused on the relationship between emotional regulation and parenting. His doctoral studies emphasized child development, communication, behavioral sciences, learning theory, conflict resolution, and family systems. These experiences serve as the multidisciplinary foundation that continues to inform his work as a family mediator, parenting coordinator, educator, and professor.

Throughout his career, Dr. Avi has remained dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate conflict with professionalism, compassion, and respect. He believes that lasting resolutions are achieved when people are empowered to make informed decisions that reflect their own values, priorities, and goals. His approach combines psychological insight with practical problem-solving to foster respectful communication, informed decision-making, and durable agreements that promote the long-term well-being of families.

Mediation and Conflict Resolution Experience

Dr. Avi completed training as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator and County Mediator. His mediation approach emphasizes self-determination, respectful communication, practical problem-solving, child-centered decision-making, long-term conflict reduction, and empowering individuals to create their own solutions.

Court Mediation Experience

Dr. Avi served as a staff mediator for family and county cases with Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, working closely with court administration and members of the judiciary.

In this role, he facilitated mediations involving cases before Judge Corlew, Judge Silver, Judge Rowe, Judge Burkhart, and Judge Delgado. His work was recognized for professionalism, neutrality, productive communication, and a strong commitment to helping parties reach meaningful resolutions.

Professional Recognition

Selected professional recognition, training materials, and documentation related to Dr. Avi's work in mediation, parenting coordination, education, and conflict resolution are provided below.

Parenting Coordination

As a court-appointed Parenting Coordinator, Dr. Avi Engelhart works with separated and divorced parents to reduce conflict, improve communication, and foster a healthier co-parenting relationship centered on the best interests of their children. He recognizes that ongoing parental conflict can significantly affect a child's emotional, psychological, and developmental well-being, and is committed to helping parents shift their focus from conflict to collaboration.

Drawing on his background in psychology, child development, family systems, and conflict resolution, Dr. Engelhart helps parents develop effective communication skills, manage disagreements constructively, and make thoughtful, child-centered decisions. He provides structure, accountability, and practical guidance while encouraging parents to create consistent, stable environments that support their children's growth and emotional security.

Dr. Engelhart's approach emphasizes emotional regulation, respectful communication, developmentally appropriate parenting practices, and long-term family stability. His goal is to equip parents with the tools and confidence to resolve disputes more effectively, reduce unnecessary litigation, and build a cooperative co-parenting relationship that allows children to thrive during and after family transition.

Teaching and Professional Development

Dr. Avi has served as a university professor, workshop presenter, and educator. He has taught topics including parenting skills, family systems, emotional regulation, communication, conflict resolution, relationship dynamics, stress management, negotiation, and problem-solving.

Jewish Divorce and Mediation

Rabbi Dr. Avi Engelhart has received Rabbinical Ordination (Semicha) from Rabbi Zalman Nechemya Goldberg, zt"l, one of the most respected halachic authorities of his generation and the former Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. As both an Orthodox Rabbi and a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, Dr. Engelhart offers Jewish families a unique combination of religious scholarship, mediation expertise, and psychological insight.

Rabbi Dr. Engelhart has worked and collaborated with the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and the Beth Din of America, the leading Orthodox rabbinical court in the United States. Through his extensive involvement with Jewish communities throughout North America, he has developed a deep understanding of the religious, cultural, and emotional complexities that often accompany separation and divorce within the Jewish community.

For many Jewish couples, divorce involves far more than the dissolution of a civil marriage. It also requires navigating important halachic considerations, including the Get process, while balancing family relationships, community dynamics, and personal dignity. Rabbi Dr. Engelhart understands these unique concerns and provides guidance that is respectful of both Jewish law and the needs of the individuals involved.

Rabbi Dr. Engelhart's goal is to help Jewish couples feel confident that they are in knowledgeable, compassionate, and capable hands throughout the divorce process. By serving as a trusted guide through both the civil mediation process and the religious aspects of Jewish divorce, Rabbi Dr. Engelhart helps couples reach practical resolutions while preserving dignity, minimizing conflict, and honoring their religious values and traditions.

Professional Philosophy

I believe that the individuals and families I serve are the experts on their own lives. My role is not to make decisions for my clients, but to provide a respectful, structured, and a supportive process that empowers them to make informed decisions that align with their values, priorities, and long-term goals.

Every person deserves to be heard with dignity, treated with respect, and given the opportunity to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their future. I am deeply committed to honoring each client's autonomy and right to self-determination. Rather than imposing solutions or taking sides, I facilitate thoughtful dialogue that enables individuals to retain ownership of both the decision-making process and its outcomes.

Confidentiality is fundamental to developing trust and creating an environment where honest communication can occur. I strive to provide a safe, private, and professional setting in which clients can openly discuss sensitive issues with confidence that their privacy will be respected in accordance with applicable ethical and legal standards.

My practice is grounded in the principles of informed consent. I believe that meaningful decisions can only be made when individuals fully understand the process, the available options, and the potential implications of their choices. I am committed to ensuring that clients receive clear, accurate information so they can make decisions voluntarily and with confidence.

Whether serving as a mediator, parenting coordinator, or educator, I approach every interaction with professionalism, impartiality, cultural humility, and compassion. I recognize that conflict, separation, and family transitions can be emotionally overwhelming, and I seek to create an environment that promotes emotional stability, psychological safety, and constructive communication. My goal is to reduce unnecessary conflict, preserve relationships whenever possible, and help individuals navigate difficult circumstances with clarity and confidence.

Ultimately, I measure success not simply by whether an agreement is reached, but by whether clients leave the process feeling respected, understood, empowered, and satisfied that they were treated fairly throughout the experience. I believe that durable resolutions are built not only on sound agreements, but on a process characterized by integrity, respect, transparency, and genuine care for the well-being of everyone involved—especially children and families.