
Michael Axelman
Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology
Michael Axelman was born and raised in a suburb outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude) from the University of Vermont, and received his M.A. in the Social Sciences and Ph.D. in Human Development: Psychology from the University of Chicago. He was awarded the John Dewey Prize Lectureship in the College, and held fellowships at the Joint Center for Poverty Research (Northwestern University/University of Chicago), and the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship in child and adolescent clinical psychology at The Childrens Health Council in Palo Alto, California.
Professor Axelman’s research interests include school-based mental health, child and adolescent development, and the integration of parent consultation, relational psychology, and family systems theory. He currently consults with parents, teachers, and child care providers, and he maintains a limited practice in Palo Alto.
He lives with his wife and two sons in Redwood City. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and listening to rhythm and blues.