CLINIC LEADERSHIP
Malaika Edwards, MS, LCMHC (she/her/hers)
Clinic Director
Malaika Edwards is a doctoral candidate in Counseling and Counselor Education at North Carolina State University. She is also a licensed clinical mental health counselor in North Carolina with experience conducting therapy and clinical assessments in medical, private, and community mental health settings. She earned her Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a double major in Political Science from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her professional aims are to acknowledge the importance of cultural identity, anti-oppression, multivocality, advocacy, and social justice, in the classroom, clinically, and in individuals’ lived experience. Ultimately, she remains intentional about using her role to support individual and collective growth, empowerment, and liberation, while encouraging movement from theory to personal and social action. Malaika remains grateful for opportunities to laugh with family and friends, spend time outdoors with her dog, and travel to new places.
Kevin Eason (he/him/his)
Administrative and Operations Coordinator & Student Counselor
Kevin worked as part of the original Clinic development team and is currently serving as the Administrative and Operations Coordinator and a Student Counselor for Eagle Counseling Clinic. He is in his third year of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at North Carolina Central University and intends to pursue the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) credential. He has worked within the non-profit sector for nearly 25 years, focusing on increasing access to mental health services, human rights, civil liberties, and equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Kevin began his career at 15 when he started a non-profit organization focused on the fair and just treatment of all people. From there, he worked with numerous Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACTT) and provided care for individuals dually diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders. Most recently, he spent a decade in senior leadership with the nation’s largest civil liberties organization before deciding to return to graduate school to once again pursue his calling of working in mental health. Throughout his career and in the Counseling Program, Kevin has remained passionate about helping close gaps in care that often occur for minoritized individuals and communities. As a social justice advocate, Kevin is committed to dismantling white supremacy culture and the foundations of racism & oppression that many of our institutions are built upon. Kevin enjoys spending time with his husband, two sons, and three (!!) Great Danes.
Dr. Helen Lupton-Smith (she/her/hers)
Faculty Liaison
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.
Elias Mohr (he/him/his)
Graduate Assistant
Elias' counseling and research interests include family and couples counseling, especially for LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as conflict resolution and mediation. He completed his undergraduate degree in 2011, and his recent work experience includes program management at the STD/HIV program in Louisiana, as well as developing curriculum for international assignments in higher education. Originally from Arizona, Elias has spent considerable time in Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Boston before settling in Durham in 2020 with his husband and many pets.
STUDENT COUNSELORS
Maddox Cory (he/him/his)
Student Counselor
Maddox is a graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at North Carolina Central University. His background includes a Master of Arts in Teaching and work as a classroom teacher and education researcher, which informs his developmental approach. Maddox’s goal is to provide a safe and affirming environment that uplifts clients’ voices and centers their cultural values and beliefs. He believes counseling is a collaborative process and strives to work together with his clients to both affirm their lived experiences and build goals focused on wellness and healing. Social oppression and discrimination greatly impact our mental health and wellness. Maddox’s personal and professional values of anti-racism, anti-ableism, and body size diversity inform his practice as a therapist and his approach in building safety. He utilizes his lived experience as a transgender person to support individuals in navigating marginalization, varying degrees of trauma, and/or identities that impact your life. Click here for Maddox's Professional Disclosure Statement.
Kevin Eason (he/him/his)
Administrative and Operations Coordinator & Student Counselor
Kevin worked as part of the original Clinic development team and is currently serving as the Administrative and Operations Coordinator and a Student Counselor for Eagle Counseling Clinic. He is in his third year of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at North Carolina Central University and intends to pursue the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) credential. He has worked within the non-profit sector for nearly 25 years, focusing on increasing access to mental health services, human rights, civil liberties, and equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Kevin began his career at 15 when he started a non-profit organization focused on the fair and just treatment of all people. From there, he worked with numerous Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACTT) and provided care for individuals dually diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders. Most recently, he spent a decade in senior leadership with the nation’s largest civil liberties organization before deciding to return to graduate school to once again pursue his calling of working in mental health. Throughout his career and in the Counseling Program, Kevin has remained passionate about helping close gaps in care that often occur for minoritized individuals and communities. As a social justice advocate, Kevin is committed to dismantling white supremacy culture and the foundations of racism & oppression that many of our institutions are built upon. Kevin enjoys spending time with his husband, two sons, and three (!!) Great Danes. Click here for Kevin's Professional Disclosure Statement.
Melinda Hobbs (she/her/hers)
Student Counselor
Melinda Hobbs is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student at North Carolina Central University. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Wesleyan College, an all-women college in Macon, Georgia. She is entering her third year in the program and is an aspiring Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in North Carolina. Growth is a journey that Melinda is ready to take step-by-step with every client using person-centered, trauma-informed, and cognitive behavioral approaches. Melinda believes in the collaborative and empowering nature of counseling, and she is mindful of which techniques or strategies would work best to help individuals reach their goals. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature, traveling to new places, and spending time with her loved ones. Click here for Melinda's Professional Disclosure Statement.
Chaundrea "Drea" Mason (she/her/hers)
Student Counselor
Chaundrea “Drea” Mason, is a graduate student at North Carolina Central University, pursuing her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Prior to discovering her purpose in mental health, she completed her Bachelors in Nutrition from Howard University. Having overcome her own childhood adversities, Drea knows how difficult it can be to express yourself with words alone. For this reason, she encourages each client to use multiple forms of creative expression to articulate their inner world. She considers her approach to counseling an integrative one. Therapy with Drea is a collaborative effort and she aims to match evidence-based treatments with each client's particular concern. In her ‘self-care’ time, Drea enjoys making new memories with her twins, crafting, and pamper sessions! Click here for Drea's Professional Disclosure Statement.
