Expert Report

An expert report is an independent clinical opinion prepared for legal proceedings. These reports are designed to assist the Court and legal professionals in understanding complex psychological, trauma related, and family dynamics that may be relevant to the matter before the Court.

Depending on the referral questions, reports may address areas such as
• The impact of intimate partner violence or trauma
• Child protection related concerns
• Emotional functioning and safety considerations
• The effects of conflict, stress, or trauma on family dynamics
• Trauma informed understanding of parenting related challenges

Expert reports are focused evaluations completed within a clearly defined scope and are not equivalent to parenting assessments or best interest evaluations.

Expert reports are conducted by Johanne Colas, MSW, RSW, a bilingual Registered Social Worker and Clinical Investigator with extensive experience in child welfare, family law, trauma informed practice, and court involved clinical work.

Johanne has served as a panel member with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer since 2018, conducting investigations and providing clinical insight in complex family law matters across Ontario. Her background also includes many years of frontline and clinical experience within child welfare and hospital settings, including work involving trauma, family violence, and child protection concerns.

She has significant experience working with high conflict family systems, intimate partner violence, and cases involving multiple professionals or agencies. Her work is informed by expertise in child development, attachment, trauma, and risk informed clinical practice.

Johanne provides services in both English and French and is experienced in working with culturally diverse families and families with immigration related experiences.

A detailed curriculum vitae is available upon request.

We welcome inquiries from lawyers, parents, and professionals seeking independent, trauma informed clinical expertise in family court or child protection matters.

At Four Wings Psychology, we are committed to providing clear, balanced, and clinically grounded expert reports that support informed decision making in complex family situations.