Bernell Elzey

Bernell L. Elzey, Jr., Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, NCSC is a nationally recognized counselor educator, licensed clinician, and equity advocate. A proud native of New Orleans and graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Holy Cross, he currently serves as Teaching Faculty in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Antioch University Seattle, following previous roles as Program Director and Interim Clinical Director.

Dr. Elzey is the founder of Conscious Therapy and Wellness, LLC, offering inclusive telehealth counseling for individuals, couples, and families. He also facilitates culturally responsive, trauma-informed workshops for educators and mental health professionals.
A former high school teacher and school counselor, named Teacher of the Year at Warren Easton Charter High School in 2020. He is the Immediate Past President of the Louisiana School Counselor Association, where he now serves Director of Nominations and Elections. . He is Co-Chair of the Diversity and Social Justice Committee within the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision. Additionally, he is a National School Counselor Fellow with the San Diego State University Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment (CEPA), where he focuses on enhancing postsecondary readiness and advocacy for students and families.

His research examines African American adolescent males, father absenteeism, the school-to-prison pipeline, and intersectional identity development among BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth and students with disabilities. In 2025, he was named to both Gambit Weekly and Xavier University of Louisiana’s 40 Under 40 cohorts.

Courses Taught

COUN 6312 - Multicultural Counseling

COUN 6336 - Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster Response

Education

PhD, University of Holy Cross New Orleans

MA, Xavier University of Louisiana

BA, University of New Orleans

Awards / Honors

Humanitarian Award , Louisiana Counseling Association, 2025