About
Dr. Wendy Eckenrod-Green is a professor, counselor, speaker, and former President of the Virginia Counselors Association with nearly three decades of experience in youth mental health, counselor education, and school systems.
Her work focuses on helping schools and communities better recognize warning signs, strengthen communication, and respond more effectively to student mental health crises.
Why This Work Matters to Me
My work in youth mental health and school systems is not just professional—it is deeply personal.
When my son was in high school, he found himself in a relationship that involved emotional abuse, threats of self-harm, and physical aggression. As a parent and a counselor, I recognized the warning signs and reached out to school administration, hoping to bring awareness and support to a complex and concerning situation. What I encountered instead was something I have since seen far too often—systems that were not equipped to respond effectively, even when the signs were present.
A year later, our community experienced an unimaginable tragedy. A student closely connected to my son was killed in an act of dating violence that ended in murder-suicide. In the aftermath, it became clear that there had been multiple warning signs—shared by students, visible in behavior, and even documented publicly—that had not resulted in effective intervention.
That experience changed me. It reinforced what I had spent my career studying and teaching: that crises rarely happen without warning—but too often, those warnings are missed, misunderstood, or fall through the cracks of overwhelmed systems.
Since then, I have dedicated my work to helping schools and communities better recognize early warning signs, respond more effectively, and build systems that support both prevention and intervention. Because behind every policy, every protocol, and every training—there are real students, real families, and outcomes that matter.
Professional Highlights
Professor with 19+ years in higher education
Former President of the Virginia Counselors Association
Licensed clinician specializing in traum and family conflict
National and regional media contributor on youth mental health and school violence
Speaker and trainer for educators, counselors, and community organizations
Media / Featured In
NPR / Radio IQ
Education Week
WSLS-TV
WDBJ7
Roanoke Times