Rate My Professor Michele Ford

Michele Ford, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Chair of the Psychology Department at Dickinson College since 2012, is a licensed counseling psychologist with over 25 years of experience across clinical, academic, and consulting roles. She earned a B.S. from Texas A&M University in 1995, an M.A. from Texas Tech University in 1998, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University in 2000. Ford completed her predoctoral internship through the Vanderbilt University/Veterans Affairs Consortium Internship Program in Professional Psychology and her postdoctoral residency at the Vanderbilt University Psychological and Counseling Center. Her professional career includes work in college counseling centers and hospital settings, and she currently maintains an active private practice as Principal Owner of Keystone Psychotherapy, LLC, where she provides therapy to adolescents and adults.

Ford teaches a range of undergraduate courses at Dickinson College, including Psychopathology (PSYC 165), Research Methods in Counseling Psychology (PSYC 370), Seminar in Counseling Psychology (PSYC 470), Human Sexuality, Disordered Eating, and Counseling Theories. Her clinical and academic interests center on disordered eating and body image, sexual and reproductive trauma—including sexual assault, infertility, and miscarriage—depression, anxiety in adults and adolescents, psychological ethics, and family functioning. She has published research on these topics, including the article 'Eating disorders are about emotional pain - not food' in The Conversation (2020). Ford's expertise has led to frequent media contributions, with insights featured in outlets such as The Washington Post on healing after breakups, Oprah Daily on midlife self-reflection, The San Diego Union-Tribune on reclaiming space and emotional well-being, Good Housekeeping on self-evaluation, U.S. News & World Report on nervous breakdowns, and The Sentinel on mental health warning signs and resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic. She consults with behavioral health organizations and regularly speaks on mental health, self-care, and wellness topics.