Former Orange County reunification therapist mislead courts about credentials

Jessica St. ClairPhoto byOnline

Jessica St. Clair, self-proclaimed as Orange County's first intensive reunification therapist, has not been a doctoral student at Pacifica University since 2011, according to obtained documents.

In a 2012 communication, an administrator stated, “Because you have been inactive since Fall 2011, you have been administratively withdrawn from your program and from Pacifica.”

For years, St. Clair has portrayed herself as a trusted expert in Orange County Family Court cases, labeling herself “OC’s first intensive reunification therapist” on the court's approved evaluator list. As recently as last year, she informed OC judges that she would soon receive her doctorate from Pacifica University. One judge, whom this reporter observed, referred to her as “soon to be doctor,” a title she did not correct, simply responding, “thank you.”

It remains unclear whether the courts were aware of her lack of credentials, but she often presented herself as a doctor to clients referred by Orange County family court judges.

Family law attorney Christian Conrad told Julie Anderson-Holburn of NewsBreak, that St. Clair prolonged cases which left children exposed to abusive parents. In several cases, St. Clair misrepresented visitation sessions, wrongly labeling protective parents as alienators and falsely claiming children were in "imminent danger" under their care.

“St. Clair’s harmful recommendations caused significant trauma in my cases,” Conrad said.

Parents who have interacted with St. Clair describe her manipulative tactics during sessions. Many recall how she pressured them emotionally, encouraging them to cry and using emotional blackmail to coerce them into paying for expensive therapy sessions.

One parent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recounted, “I told her I couldn’t afford the $375 per hour charge for her sessions. She leaned toward me, looked at my wedding ring, and said, ‘That looks really expensive. You could probably get enough for a session.’” St. Clair then asked whether the parent owned or rented their home. When the parent replied that they owned their home, St. Clair suggested they sell their house and ring if they truly loved their daughter.

In her court testimony, Jessica St. Clair characterized Lucy Vellema as an “unempathetic mother” who “didn’t deserve to see her son.” Vellema responded, “St. Clair made this egregious statement based on bias and corruption to increase her profit margins. She ignored the fact that I spent six months with my son during unsupervised visits, while another individual bartered sex for custody.”

From 1996 until April 2024, St. Clair served as a therapist and custody evaluator for the Orange County Superior Court family law division. Before that, she supervised MFT and LCSW interns as a Senior Social Worker for Orange County Social Services from 1991 to 2007, gaining recognition within both the OC family courthouse and child protective services.

As of April 24, 2024, St. Clair left all her family law cases in the county, leaving many unresolved.

While there is no clear indication that St. Clair broke the law by providing false documentation regarding her credentials, she may have committed perjury by leading judges to believe she was nearing her doctorate while under oath during court appearances.

St. Clair could not be reached for comment.