Jean Mercer is a developmental psychologist with a Ph.D. from Brandeis University. She is Professor Emerita at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She is the author or co-author of a number of books and articles discussing a cult-like "child psychotherapy" (Attachment Therapy) that has caused child deaths and injuries. Recently, she served as an expert witness in the trial of a California woman who had kept three adopted children in cages and who attributed her actions to advice from a caseworker who provided her with Attachment Therapy materials. Dr. Mercer is a member of the boards of two non-profit groups, Advocates for Children in Therapy  and the New Jersey Association for Infant Mental Health.