Mandy Morrill-Richards

Mandy Morrill-Richards serves as Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Programs in Counseling at Valparaiso University, where she has shaped clinical training since 2010. Her dual role integrates academic leadership with hands-on clinical supervision in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, while also advising the department's Chi Sigma Iota chapter.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Ed.D. in Counseling from University of Memphis
• M.A. in Counseling from The College of New Jersey
• B.A. in Sociology from State University of New York at Binghamton

Dr. Morrill-Richards' research pioneers the understudied field of sibling abuse, examining long-term psychological consequences through gendered lenses (particularly male victimization and female perpetration). Her work connects abuse dynamics to interpersonal competencies and self-esteem deficits in adult survivors, filling critical gaps in trauma literature that traditionally focused on parent-child abuse. This scholarship directly informs her clinical workshops for practitioners nationwide.

Analysis of her publication timeline reveals evolving sophistication—from foundational 2010 encyclopedia entries to 2017 studies mapping sibling abuse onto peer bullying and criminological frameworks. Her work consistently bridges psychology, counseling, and victimology, with increasing interdisciplinary reach into human rights and educational contexts.

Key recognitions include:

• Invitation to SAFE (Stop Abuse for Everyone) national speakers bureau
• 2012 feature in Sweden's Svenska Dagbladet
• 2013 Radio Health Journal segment

As clinical training director, she oversees practicum/internship placements while mentoring students through her trauma-informed lens. Her supervision philosophy integrates 15+ years of frontline experience—from domestic violence shelters to court advocacy—with evidence-based interventions. Though specific grants aren't detailed, her sustained publication record indicates robust research support that directly benefits graduate students through co-authorship and conference opportunities.

Students engage with her expertise through research collaborations on abuse dynamics and clinical training pipelines that prepare counselors for real-world trauma work, all grounded in her lived experience supporting abuse survivors.