District Court Appointments:
Parental Responsibility Evaluator, Family Consultant & Conflict Coach, Parenting Decision Maker and Parenting Arbitrator.
Mental Health Professional:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Private Practice, Fort Collins CO.
*Dr Govan will not accept Any Domestic Court Cases PRE’s that involve Private Judges.
Dr. Debra Govan’s work as a Parental Responsibilities Evaluator is rooted in her personal journey as a mother of two young children who went through a divorce. During that time, she gained a lived understanding of the emotional intensity, uncertainty, and difficult decisions that can arise when parents separate, and children are directly impacted.
That chapter in her life reinforced the importance of keeping children’s needs at the center of the process and highlighted the value of having a neutral third party assess the family’s circumstances. This became an “aha” moment in Dr. Govan’s professional journey.
After completing her PhD, Dr. Govan recognized that her background in elementary education, counseling, child development, and family systems, along with her life experience, had naturally led her toward work focused on assisting families through complex transitions while supporting the best interests of children.
Dr. Govan’s professional background includes extensive work as a Child and Family Investigator appointed by the Courts across Colorado Judicial Districts. That work shaped her professional lens in evaluating complex family dynamics, parenting concerns, child development issues, and the factors relevant to the allocation of parental responsibilities, primary residence, and parenting time.
Dr. Govan brings more than 26 years of experience providing Parental Responsibilities Evaluations and related services to the Colorado Courts. This experience informs her comprehensive approach to each PRE, which involves careful review, analysis, and consideration of each family’s unique circumstances. Her work is designed to assist the Court and parties by providing meaningful information regarding parenting responsibilities, child development, family dynamics, safety concerns, and the best interests of the child.
Dr. Govan’s educational background reflects a broad and multidisciplinary course of study. She earned a Ph.D. in Community Counseling, with an emphasis on individual and group counseling, and Human Resource Studies from Colorado State University. She also holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Creighton University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Indiana University. Together, these degrees provide a strong academic foundation in counseling, education, human development, and organizational studies.