Shannon Lynch, Ph.D.
Professor, Clinical Psychology
Office: Garrison Rm 421
B.A. (1992), Tufts University;
M.A. (1996) and Ph.D. (1999), University of Michigan;
Postdoctoral Fellow (1999-2001), Victims of Violence Program, Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School.
Research Interests
My research interests focus broadly on individuals’ experiences of and recovery from interpersonal violence. Currently, my research team is conducting a series of projects examining incarcerated women's and youth’s trauma exposure, mental health, treatment/programming needs, and factors influencing current functioning as well as reintegration into the community and reoffending. I am interested in understanding how mental health and trauma and marginalization intersect to increase the risk of becoming involved with the criminal legal system and reoffending. Finally, my team is also examining how emotion regulation and shame are associated with trauma exposures and subsequent mental health problems in multiple populations.
My clinical interests are in trauma treatment, interpersonal treatment, couples, and general individual and group treatment.
Dr. Lynch is anticipating accepting a new graduate student for admission in fall 2024.
Selected Publications
*denotes current or former students co-authors
Lynch, S. M., *Weber, S., *Kaplan, S. & *Craun, E. (2023) Childhood and adult sexual violence exposures as predictors of PTSD, dissociation, and substance use in women in jail. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. First published June 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2023.2226132
*Richner, D. C., & Lynch, S. M. (2023). Sexual health knowledge and sexual self-efficacy as predictors of sexual risk behaviors in women. Psychology of Women Quarterly. First published May 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231172183
*DeCou, C., Lynch, S. M., *Weber. S, *Richner, D., *Mozafari, A., *Huggins, H. & *Perschon, B. (2023). On the association between trauma-related shame and symptoms of psychopathology: A meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 24(3), 1193-1201. First published October 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211053617
DeHart, D.D. & Lynch, S.M. (2021). Women’s and Girls’ Pathways through the Criminal Legal System: Addressing Trauma, Mental Health, and Marginalization. San Diego, Cognella. ISBN: 978-1-5165-3446-3
*Weber, S. & Lynch, S.M. (2021). Understanding the relations among adverse childhood experiences (ACE), substance use, and reoffending among detained youth. Child Abuse & Neglect, 120. 105211. First published July 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105211
*Mahoney, C.T., Lynch, S.M. & Benight, C.C. (2019). The indirect effect of coping self-efficacy on the relation between sexual violence and PTSD symptoms. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. First published Oct 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519881525
*Konecky, E. & Lynch, S.M. (2019). Cumulative trauma exposure, emotion regulation, and PTSD among incarcerated women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32 (5), 806-811. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22435
*DeCou, C. R., *Mahoney, C., *Kaplan, S. & Lynch, S. M . (2019). Coping self-efficacy and trauma-related shame mediate the association between negative social reactions to sexual assault and PTSD symptoms. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11 (1), 51-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000379
Lynch, S. M., DeHart, D., Belknap, J., Green, B., Dass-Brailsford, P., *Johnson, K.J. & Wong, M.M. (2017). An examination of the associations among victimization, mental health, and offending in women. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 44, 796-814. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854817704452