Charnequa Kennedy

Charnequa Austin Kennedy is a national board-certified (NCC) licensed professional counselor with a mental health service provider (LPC-MHSP) designation. She is currently the director of counseling services at North Carolina Central University and previously served as a director at Tennessee State University. Over her 16-year career as a counseling professional, Ms. Kennedy has worked in educational and clinical settings, including private practice, integrated behavioral health and K–12 and collegiate mental health.

Additionally, Ms. Kennedy has experience in non-profit management and student leadership development prior to working directly in counseling. She has provided training and presentations related to educational success and interventions at local, state and national conferences. Ms. Kennedy has delivered training on emotional wellness, stress, counseling strategies and other clinical topics to address behavioral and mental health wellness. As a practitioner-researcher, Ms. Kennedy's foci with clients include working with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA communities, along with achievements for students of color, learning, behavior and development for adults in educational and work settings, student-athlete mental wellness and giftedness and performance domains. Along with her national board certification and professional licensure, Ms. Kennedy holds additional national certifications as an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF). Ms. Kennedy received her Ed.S. in Educational Psychology from Regent University, an M.Ed. in Counselor Education from South Carolina State University and a B.S. in Psychology from the College of Charleston. She completed additional post-master's studies in clinical mental health counseling and pursued training in sports counseling and mental wellness of student-athletes.