In 2021, a group of individuals came together with a vision of forming a community counseling clinic designed to enhance access to counseling services and fill a critical need in addressing the gap in mental health services for Durham, surrounding communities, and beyond. The team’s tireless efforts, passion, and dedication resulted in the development and opening of the Eagle Counseling, Consultation, and Research Clinic (ECCRC) in August 2022. ECCRC’s co-founders include (in alphabetical order):
Dr. Alexandra (Alyx) Beckwith (she/her/hers)
Dr. Alyx Beckwith is an Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education program at NCCU. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counseling Education from North Carolina State University and her Master of Education in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Beckwith is a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor and has worked in a variety of settings, including community mental health, private practice, and college counseling. Her counseling work has primarily focused on children, adolescents, and families and on enhancing access to mental health care for all communities. Dr. Beckwith’s research interests center on wellness in parents and families, multicultural and social justice counseling, and international counselor education.
Dr. Latasha Hicks Becton
Dr. Becton is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at North Carolina Central University. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from UNC-Greensboro in 2019. She has over a decade of clinical practice experience and specializes in the treatment of substance use disorders, from initial experiences with abstinence to long-term recovery management. Dr. Becton’s research agenda is focused on assessment and intervention for alcohol and other drug use in college students. She is also interested in the impact of clinical supervision on ethical decision-making.
Dr. Taheera Blount
Dr. Blount is an Assistant Professor in Counselor Education at North Carolina Central University. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from North Carolina State University in 2017. Prior to transitioning to higher education, Dr. Blount worked as a School Counselor with Durham Public Schools and as a Licensed Professional Counselor serving children and adolescents with mental health disorders. Dr. Blount’s research agenda examines the impact of spirituality and religion used to overcome substance use addiction, training school counselors to become data-driven, and dropout prevention strategies for school counselors.
Kevin Eason
Kevin Eason is in his final year of graduate school at North Carolina Central University, working towards licensure in clinical mental health and addictions. Prior to returning to graduate school, Kevin spent nearly two decades in non-profit leadership where he focused on increasing access and removing barriers to mental health, civil liberties & human rights, equity, diversity & inclusion initiatives, and social justice advocacy. He has experience with community mental health, Assertive Community Treatment Teams, and providing in-patient and out-patient mental health services grounded in holistic wellness. Kevin currently serves as the Administrative and Operations Coordinator for the ECCRC. His areas of interest include the unique needs of the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized & minoritized groups, identity exploration, multicultural competence, and social justice advocacy.
Dr. Helen Lupton-Smith
Dr. Lupton-Smith is an Associate Professor in the Counselor Education Program at North Carolina Central University. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from North Carolina State University. Before coming to North Carolina Central University, Dr. Lupton-Smith was a faculty member in the Counseling Program at North Carolina A&T State University and then the Counselor Education program at NC State University. While at NCSU, Dr. Lupton-Smith served as Co-Director of the Community, Counseling, Education, and Research Center (CCERC), NCSU program’s community counseling center where counseling services are provided to underserved populations who can’t afford services as well as training experiences for graduate counseling students. Dr. Lupton-Smith has counseling experience in both school and agency settings with teens and adults. Her interests are around supervision and teaching strategies that facilitate the development of counselors in training as well as a counseling model that promotes access, engagement, and wellness of underserved community members.
With Special Thanks
The Eagle Counseling, Consultation, and Research Clinic would not be possible without the support and leadership of several key figures in North Carolina Central University’s School of Education. These individuals have made it possible for the Clinic to have office space, a website, and access to countless essential resources to ensure we are able to provide effective services to the surrounding community and beyond.
Dean Audrey Beard, Ed.D.
Dr. Audrey W. Beard was named Dean of the School of Education at North Carolina Central University in February 2017. She joined North Carolina Central University in 2015 as Interim Dean of the School of Education. Previously, Dr. Beard served as a tenured professor at Albany State University in Albany, Georgia, director of clinical experiences, and chair of the Albany State University Department of Teacher Education. Under Dr. Beard’s leadership, North Carolina Central’s School of Education has received numerous national awards and recognitions from its various departments. She has a vast amount of experience supervising faculty and staff, budget management and strategic planning.
Associate Dean Jeffrey Warren, Ph.D., LCMHCS
Dr. Warren is the associate dean of the School of Education at North Carolina Central University. He received his Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from North Carolina State University. Dr. Warren's research interests center around educational equity and access and include school consultation, rational emotive behavior therapy, non-cognitive factors, and school counselor preparation. He has presented at state, national, and international conferences on these topics.
Chadwick Royal, Ph.D., LCMHCS
Dr. Royal is the Chair of the Counseling and Higher Education Department at North Carolina Central University, where he also serves as a professor. He is a former associate editor of Career Convergence, a publication of the National Career Development Association, and he is a past chair of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Technology Interest Network. He has served on the American Counseling Association's Cyberspace and Technology Task Force.
Peggy Whiting, Ed.D., LCMHCS
Dr. Whiting is a professor and coordinator in the Counselor Education Program at North Carolina Central University. Professor Whiting earned a doctorate in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University in 1986 and has been a counselor educator since that time. She is also a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, a licensed K-12 school counselor, a fellow in thanatology (grief counseling and education), and the recipient of the 2016 University of North Carolina Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award.
Juls Joyner
Ms. Joyner serves as the Administrative Support for the Counseling Program at North Carolina Central University, where she is broadly known as the Program-Lifesaver. The ECCRC team often relies on Ms. Joyner for guidance on day-to-day administrative tasks and navigating various channels to ensure service delivery. Much in line with her status as a lifesaver in the Counseling Program, she often swoops in to save the day at the Clinic as well.
ECCRC remains eternally grateful for their support, guidance, and leadership…
Our Advisory Committee
In addition to clinic team members, a group of professors, clinicians, and other professionals serve as a part of the advisory committee for the Eagle Counseling, Consultation, and Research Clinic. These volunteers provide their expertise and diverse perspectives to help guide the clinic’s continued strategic development and services.