Personal statement

Michael is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology within the School of Sciences, and a Link Tutor for an International Education Partnership, in the UAE.

Academic qualifications

  • Doctor of Criminal Justice (thesis on psychology of missing people & police investigation/behaviour)
  • MSc Psychology (BPS) (mental health & wellbeing)
  • MSc Public Policy & Leadership
  • Level 7 Professional Certificate in Academic Practice
  • BSc History (with law)
  • Advanced Level 6 Certificate in Clinical Supervision (pending)
  • Advanced Level 5 Diploma in Counselling.

Professional memberships

  • Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (Advance HE)
  • Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
  • Member of the British Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists (BACP)
  • Accredited Registrant of the National Counselling & psychotherapy Society (NCPS).

Other external roles

  • Executive Member of the BACP Private Practice Division
  • Peer Reviewer for two academic journals.

Teaching subjects and areas of expertise

I have taught across levels 4-7 in higher education, in psychology, criminology, policing and sociology. I have supervised dissertations up to masters-level and am qualified to be second supervisor for doctorates. I wrote and validated (externally & internally) a pioneering degree apprenticeship. Previously, I was Head of Department for psychology (with Counselling). I was also a Level 4 CPCAB Counselling Tutor.

My research interests include policing, police culture and behaviour, missing people, public health, counselling, mental health, resilience, wellbeing and trauma exposure.

Research impact

My joint journal article on missing people was presented as evidence to all all-parliamentary committee on missing people. I have appeared on Tv and in radio to discuss crime issues and missing people. In my previous career of 21 years, I worked on the Joanna Yeates murder, fictionalised in a Bafta award-winning drama The Lost honour of Christopher Jefferies. I also worked on historical sexual abuse by the football coach Barry Bennell, featured on Victoria Derbyshire. My 2024 book on missing people has been accessed across the globe and is used in university courses, and research shared with professionals and academics at international conferences. My pending book (October 2026) is a guide on How To Become A Counsellor.

Research outputs

book

Harris, M, ed. (2026) How to become a counsellor: a practical guide. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. ISBN 9783032351401 (Forthcoming)

book

Harris, M (2024) Police voices on prevention interviews in managing missing people in England and Wales: safe and well? Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. ISBN 9783031755804

book_section

Greig-Midlane, J and Harris, M (2023) 'A climate of change.' In: Eason, A, ed. A police officer鈥檚 guide to academic research. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 11-34. ISBN 9783031192852

article

Harris, M and Collings, R (2025) 'Thin blue line? Mental resilience, trauma-exposure and wellbeing of Degree Apprenticeship police trainees in England.' Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 40 (4). pp. 878-888. ISSN 0882-0783

article

Harris, M (2022) 'Karate keeps the score: growing by moving through trauma.' Shotokan Karate Magazine, 154.

article

Harris, M (2019) 'Pedagogy in teaching and examining karate students.' Shotokan Karate Magazine, 142.

article

Harris, M and Shalev Greene, K (2016) 'Police attitudes in England to return interviews, in repeat missing person cases.' Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 13 (3). pp. 253-266. ISSN 1544-4759

conference_item

Harris, M (2025) Police voices on prevention interviews for missing people in England and Wales: safe and well? In: 7th International Conference for Missing Children and Adults, 2-4 July 2025, Leeds Trinity University, Leeds, UK.

conference_item

Harris, M (2025) Thin blue line? Mental resilience, trauma-exposure and wellbeing of Degree Apprenticeship police trainees in England. In: BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Conference - Visionaries of Psychologically Informed Practice: Physical Health & Beyond, 4-5 July 2025, Bristol, UK.

conference_item

Harris, M (2025) Thin blue line? Mental resilience, trauma-exposure and wellbeing of Degree Apprenticeship police trainees in England. In: BPS Division of Academics, Researchers, and Teachers in Psychology Annual Conference - Delivering High-Quality Psychology Education in Challenging Times, 23-24 June 2025, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK.

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Harris, M (2024) Mental resilience of degree apprenticeship police trainees in England. In: BACP Forum, 2 May 2024.

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Harris, M (2018) Safe and well? Voices in managing the return of repeatedly missing people, in England and Wales. In: BSC Annual Conference - Transforming Criminology: Rethinking Crime in a Changing World, 3-6 July 2018, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK.

conference_item

Harris, M and Shalev, K (2017) Police attitudes in England to return interviews in repeat missing person cases. In: 3rd International Conference on Missing Children and Adults, 14-16 June 2017, Abertay University, Dundee, UK.

conference_item

Harris, M (2015) Police attitudes in England to return interviews in repeat missing person cases. In: 2nd International Conference on Missing Children and Adults, 8-10 July 2015, Brussels, Belgium.

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Harris, M (2014) Prevention interviews for missing people. In: 11th International Conference on Evidence-Based Policing, 9-11 July 2014, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

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Harris, M (2013) Return home interviews for missing people. In: Postgraduate Conference on Social Sciences, June 2013, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.

thesis

Harris, M (2019) Safe and well? Police voices in managing the return of missing people, in England and Wales. PhD thesis, University of Portsmouth.

other

Harris, M (2024) Police voices on prevention interviews for missing people: safe and well? [blog post]. BSC Policing Network.