Maria Teresa Coutinho
Clinical Associate Professor
Dr. Maria Teresa Coutinho is a clinical associate professor in the Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development Department at BU Wheelock College of Education at Boston University. Dr. Coutinho’s current research focuses on enhancing the transition to adult healthcare for urban adolescents of color with asthma and enhancing healthcare utilization for Black children with asthma and their families with the goal of decreasing emergency department use for asthma. Findings from her work reveal an association between caregivers’ sense of empowerment and their ability to manage their children’s asthma symptoms. In addition, Dr. Coutinho has an interest in understanding the use of community health workers to support healthcare engagement for children of color diagnosed with chronic illness.
Before joining BU Wheelock, Dr, Coutinho served as clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Department of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and research staff psychologist at Hasbro/Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Coutinho completed a research fellowship in pediatric psychology focused on urban and ethnic minority families’ sense of empowerment in accessing healthcare services for their children with asthma. Dr. Coutinho’s research focuses on cultural, social and healthcare system factors that impact BIPOC children and their families’ healthcare utilization.
Dr. Coutinho’s clinical experience is focused on early childhood mental health and supporting positive social emotional outcomes for urban children and families. Her work focuses on supporting meaningful connections between preschool and early childhood providers and parents in order to enhance early childhood mental health and development. Another area of interest is culturally responsive supervision for psychology trainees and mental health professionals. Dr. Coutinho has led several initiatives and presentations aimed at enhancing training regarding cultural competence for mental professionals.
Dr. Coutinho’s research has been supported by several grants through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and she has been recognized as a National Heart Blood & Lung Institute-PRIDE scholar. Her work has been published in several prestigious journals including the Journal of Black Psychology.
Pronouns: she/her
Recent News
Education
PhD, Counseling Psychology, Boston College
MA, Counseling Psychology, Boston College
BA, Political Science, Yale University
Courses
CE710 Child Psychopathology, CE846 and CE946 Introductory and Advanced Clinical Practicum, CE947 Externship
Research
Dr. Coutinho’s research interests include cultural, social and healthcare system factors that impact BIPOC children and their families’ healthcare utilization. Specifically understanding race and ethnic identity as aspect of resilience for Black and Latino children and their families as they manage pediatric asthma. Dr. Coutinho is also interested ways to support and enhance the role of community health workers in supporting positive healthcare outcomes for children or color diagnosed with asthma.
Selected Publications
Coutinho, M.T., and Koinis-Mitchell, D. (2013). Black immigrants and school engagement: Perceptions of discrimination, ethnic identity and American identity. Journal of Black Psychology, 40 (6), 520-538. doi: 10.1177/0095798413498095
Coutinho, M.T., Kopel, S. J., Williams, B., Dansereau, K., Koinis-Mitchell, D.. (2016). Urban caregiver empowerment: Caregiver nativity, child asthma symptoms and emergency department use. Families, Systems and Health, 34(3): 229-39. doi: 10.1037/fsh0000206.
Coutinho, M.T., Subzwari, S, McQuaid, E.L., Koinis-Mitchell, D. (2020). Community Health Workers’ Role in Supporting Pediatric Asthma Management: A Systematic Review. Journal of Pediatric Psychology 8, 195-210. doi:10.1037/cpp0000319
Selected Presentations
Coutinho, M. T., Koinis Mitchell, D. (2013). Family empowerment and asthma morbidity in a sample of ethnically diverse urban children. Poster session presented at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University DPHB 16th Annual Research Symposium on Mental Health Sciences, Providence, Rhode Island.
Coutinho, M.T., Chavez, L.M., McQuaid, E.L, Kopel, S., Vale, K, Seifer, R., Bruzzese, JM., Canino, G.. and Koinis-Mitchell, D. (2020). The Rhode Island-Puerto Rico Asthma Self-Management in Schools (ASMAS) Program: Meeting current pandemic challenges for training and implementation. Poster Session presented at the Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) in Health.