Michelle Porche

Dr. Michelle V. Porche, Ed.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor in Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development in the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Her research includes the interdisciplinary study of early and ongoing adversity on risk of high school dropout and other academic achievement outcomes, as well as physical and mental health. She is currently participating as a Co-Investigator in a collaborative research effort between the Boston Medical Center and Boston University, which will study the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on children who display signs of anxiety, while using two distinct methods of delivery: face-to-face and online. In addition, she is conducting research on the impact of Doc Wayne Youth Services sports-based group therapy for addressing the behavioral health needs of children and adolescents. A new project in collaboration with Dr. Devin Attallah at WCEHD investigates school-wide trauma-informed processes for reforms. Dr. Porche’s scholarly work on LGBTQIA+ issues include collaborative investigation of the impact of the 2004 same-sex marriage ruling in Massachusetts (Porche, M. V. & Purvin, D. M. (2008). Never in our lifetime: Legal marriage for same-sex couples in long-term relationships. Family Relations, 57, 144-159). She has also written about her own experiences fostering inclusion in higher education: “Sitting in the Middle of the Bus” in the edited volume: “Out in the Workplace” (1995).