The Mind-Body Connection: Exploring the Intersection Between Psychology and Physical Health

Dr. Mark Blanchard is a Lecturer the Department of Psychology at Harvard, and an instructor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE), with expertise in clinical psychology. He holds a PhD from the University of Detroit Mercy and has taught in the Harvard community for the past two years. At DCE, Blanchard teaches the graduate proseminar, with an emphasis on mentorship; graduate-level academic preparation; the development of students' critical reading, thinking, and writing skills; and the application of course concepts to their academic interests, disciplines, and lived experiences. Blanchard's clinical and research interests focus on personality functioning, attachment and relational processes, and multi-method psychological assessment, particularly in the context of trauma and serious mental illness across medical and psychiatric settings. His work is grounded in depth-based frameworks and emphasizes understanding patient complexity, treatment engagement, and clinical outcomes.