Michele Davidson, PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMH-C, CNM, CFN

Board of Directors
PPP Infanticide Coordinator

Dr. Michele Davidson is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, and forensic nurse. Dr. Davidson was a nurse educator for more than 20 years, and during that time, developed the Smith Island Community Health Program, the graduate forensic nursing certificate program, and briefly headed up the PhD Program. She is a best-selling author of over 35 maternal-newborn nursing and psychiatric textbooks, receiving the American Journal of Nursing Book Award in 2012 for her book, A Nurse’s Guide to Women’s Mental Health. She has published over 75 papers in peer reviewed journals and is a frequent speaker at international and national conferences. 

Her own experience with postpartum psychosis (PPP) led Dr. Davidson to develop the Davidson Conceptual Model of Prodromal Postpartum Psychosis Symptomology to better understand risk factors for PPP. She was the coordinator for PPP with PSI for 12 years before accepting her board appointment, and is currently serving in a new role as the PPP Infanticide Coordinator.

She founded Chesapeake Bay Psychiatry, a private practice located in Virginia that specializes in perinatal and women’s mental health and Smith Island Foundation, a non-profit organization providing health service screenings on Smith Island where she served as executive director. Dr. Davidson is an advocate for families with children with disabilities, providing consultation to multiple organizations and agencies. 

She has been married to her nurse practitioner husband for over 30 years. One of their children, son Hayden, is also active in committee work on PPP within PSI.