Gender Dysphoria Expert Adults| 7,200+ Evaluations
Contact this Expert Witness
- Company: DR Z PHD PLLC.
- Phone: (310) 946-6361
- Website: drzphd.com
Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness
General Specialties:
Psychology and Mental HealthKeywords/Search Terms:
Gender identity, Nonbinary, Gender transition, Civil rights, Gender affirming care, Gender dysphoria, Expert witness, Medical necessity, Custody evaluation, Transgender healthcar, Transgender assessment, Psychological evaluation, Discrimination, Court-appointed, Forensic psychology, DSM-5 diagnosis, Title IX, Competency evaluationEducation:
PhD Clinical Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute; MA Counseling Psychology, Lewis & Clark College; BA Public Affairs, WA State UniversityYears in Practice:
20+Number of Times Deposed/Testified in Last 4 Yrs:
1Additional Information
Dr. Natalia Zhikhareva (Dr. Z) is a licensed clinical psychologist with 20 years of exclusive specialization in gender dysphoria assessment and treatment for transgender and nonbinary adults. With over 7,200 completed evaluations, Dr. Z has developed specialized expertise across every type of gender presentation — from straightforward cases to highly complex, atypical situations involving trauma, neurodivergence, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Dr. Z holds a Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PhD) and is licensed in California (PSY28888), Texas (#39338), New York (#024701), and Florida (out-of-state telehealth #197). She is court-appointed as an expert witness in California — one of a small number of psychologists recognized by the courts as an authority on gender identity matters — and has provided expert testimony in cases including criminal matters involving life sentences. Her forensic work encompasses gender dysphoria diagnosis, medical necessity evaluations, assessment of gender identity in complex legal contexts, and expert testimony in civil, criminal, and family court proceedings. Her clinical frameworks are grounded in DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, WPATH standards, trauma-informed care, and neurodiversity-affirming practice. Dr. Z is the published author of On Your Terms: Gender Transition Redefined for Adults, an Amazon Bestseller and #1 New Release in its category. She is a nationally recognized speaker and has been featured by Google Trans Conference, Forbes Health, BuzzFeed News, the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, and Authority Magazine. Her specialized areas include: gender dysphoria assessment, complex and atypical presentations, transition and detransition evaluation, crossdressing vs. gender identity differentiation, medical necessity documentation, and cases where transition is not possible or desired. Attorneys retain Dr. Z for her diagnostic precision, extensive pattern recognition across thousands of cases, and court-recognized credibility in one of mental healthcare's most specialized and misunderstood areas.