https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/762514

Dr. Bernell Elzey Jr., LPC, NCC, 3300 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA (2025)

09/11/2025

🕊️ Remembering 9/11 24 years later!!!

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the communities reshaped by the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

I still remember where I was, a 3rd grader in social studies at McDonogh 42. Our teacher rolled in the box television, and what we thought was going to be “movie day” quickly shifted into something unimaginable. We watched the news in silence as the events unfolded, not fully able to understand the weight of what we were witnessing. That day became etched into my memory, shaping my understanding of grief, resilience, and how collective trauma can alter the fabric of a nation.

As a Black psychotherapist, educator, and owner of Conscious Therapy and Wellness, LLC, I hold space not only for the lives lost on that day but also for the ripple effects of trauma that continue. The aftermath of 9/11 also revealed inequities in how grief, patriotism, and belonging were defined, too often excluding Black, Brown, Muslim, immigrant, and marginalized communities. Our remembrance must hold both compassion and truth: honoring the victims, supporting survivors, and challenging the injustices that followed.

🕊️ To the families who lost loved ones, we honor your grief.

💚 To the survivors and first responders, we honor your courage.

🌍 To our communities, we commit to building a world where healing, justice, and belonging are possible for all.

Today, let us recommit to the words “never forget,” not as a slogan, but as a practice of remembrance, compassion, and a more profound commitment to justice in how we care for one another.

09/08/2025

📚 September 8 – International Literacy Day
Empowering Minds. Transforming Futures.

As a Black psychotherapist and educator, I recognize literacy as more than reading and writing; it is liberation. Literacy opens doors to education, opportunity, self-expression, and healing. It equips individuals not only to succeed academically but also to advocate for themselves, navigate systems, and tell their own stories.

For children, teens, and adults, literacy is directly tied to mental health. The ability to understand and articulate thoughts reduces shame, builds confidence, and fosters resilience. In our communities, where systemic barriers too often limit access to equitable education, promoting literacy is a form of justice and empowerment.

On this International Literacy Day, let us remember:
🧠 Literacy strengthens mental health and identity.
📚 Inclusive education must affirm all cultures, languages, and voices.
🌍 Literacy is a human right and a tool for social change.

Every book read, every journal entry written, every story told is an act of growth and power. As we celebrate this day, let’s continue building communities where literacy is nurtured, access is expanded, and every person can thrive.

09/08/2025

As a Black psychotherapist and educator, I hold this month with deep reverence. Su***de is a public health crisis that touches every community, but its weight is especially heavy in Black and Brown communities, where stigma, systemic inequities, and lack of access to affirming care often silence our pain.

Su***de prevention is not just about intervention; it’s about connection, compassion, and creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and safe.

In my work with students, clients, and families, I’ve learned that silence can be deadly, but conversation can save lives. This month is a reminder that we all have a role to play:

🧠 Normalize talking about mental health; it is health.
🤝 Check in on one another, even when everything seems “fine.”
💬 Challenge stigma in our communities by centering love, not shame.
🌱 Advocate for access to culturally responsive, trauma-informed care.

In today’s social and political climate, conversations about race, identity, and mental health are too often silenced; this work is even more urgent. Our survival depends on being able to tell the truth about our struggles and to receive care without fear or judgment.

To anyone carrying the weight of despair: You are not alone. You are worthy of life, healing, and hope.

📞 If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 for the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available.

This month and always, let us commit to building communities rooted in care, connection, and justice, because prevention begins with belonging.

***dePreventionMonth ***dePreventionWeek

08/13/2025

✋🏾 August 13 – National Left-Handers Day
Celebrating Uniqueness, Creativity, and Perspective

As a Black psychotherapist, educator, and proud left-hander, today I celebrate the uniqueness of those of us who navigate a world built for the right-handed.

Being left-handed is more than a fun fact; it’s a daily reminder that difference shapes perspective. Research shows that left-handers often develop heightened creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills from learning to thrive in spaces not designed for them. For me, it’s also been a metaphor for my work: honoring and uplifting those whose voices and experiences are often overlooked.

In mental health and education, we talk about meeting people where they are—and being left-handed has taught me that “where they are” sometimes means adapting, innovating, and finding new ways to succeed. That same principle applies to creating inclusive, affirming spaces for students, clients, and communities.

Today, I honor all the left-handers, past and present, who’ve embraced their difference as a strength. And I invite everyone to reflect on how we can better celebrate and accommodate the diversity in how we think, create, and move through the world.

To my fellow lefties: Keep leading from the left; you bring a unique light to the world.

08/13/2025

💚 August is Teen Mental Health Month
🌍 August 12 – International Youth Day

As a Black psychotherapist and educator, I know firsthand that our teens are navigating a world more complex than ever, balancing school pressures, identity exploration, social media influence, and the weight of today’s social climate. For many, especially Black and Brown youth, these challenges are intensified by systemic inequities, cultural stigma around mental health, and a lack of safe, affirming spaces.

Teen Mental Health Month is a reminder that our young people’s emotional well-being is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. International Youth Day calls us to celebrate the brilliance, resilience, and creativity of our youth while committing to the work of dismantling barriers to their success and healing.

In my roles, as an educator in classrooms, a counselor in therapy spaces, and a mentor in the community, I have seen the transformation that happens when young people are believed, affirmed, and equipped with tools to manage life’s challenges.

Supporting teen mental health means:

🧠 Normalizing conversations about mental health in schools, families, and communities
🤝 Creating access to culturally responsive counseling and resources
💬 Listening without judgment so teens feel safe to share their truths
🌱 Investing in prevention and wellness—not just crisis intervention

This month, let’s remember that protecting teen mental health is protecting our collective future. And on International Youth Day, let’s honor our responsibility to nurture, advocate for, and walk alongside the young people who will lead us forward.

To our teens: You are seen, valued, and deeply needed.
To the adults in their lives: Your empathy, presence, and advocacy can change everything.

07/29/2025

Yet, another humbling moment. I am incredibly honored to be named among the 2025 40 Under 40 cohort by Xavier University of Louisiana, especially as the University celebrates its historic 100th anniversary. To be recognized alongside so many trailblazers who are shaping our world across industries, from education and medicine to entertainment and advocacy, is both humbling and inspiring.

As Shirley Chisholm once said, “Service to others is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.” I carry these words with me daily in my work as an educator, counselor, and advocate. This recognition is not just a personal milestone; it's a reflection of the communities, students, mentors, and colleagues who continue to fuel my purpose.

To my Xavier family: thank you for planting seeds of excellence, justice, and Black brilliance. I’m proud to walk in the legacy of an institution that has cultivated generations of leaders committed to service and equity.

Here’s to 100 years of impact and to the next 100 of transformation. 💛💚

07/27/2025

I’m deeply humbled and honored to share that I’ve been selected as a 2025 honoree in Gambit Weekly’s 40 Under 40 cohort, which celebrate individuals under 40 who are making meaningful contributions to the New Orleans community.

As someone who is rooted in service, advocacy, and education, this recognition is not just a personal milestone; it’s a reflection of every student, client, colleague, and community member who has poured into me and allowed me to do the same in return.

In the words of W.E.B. Du Bois, “Education must not simply teach work—it must teach life.” I carry this truth with me daily as I strive to create spaces where equity, healing, and hope are possible.

Thank you to Gambit Weekly for this incredible honor, and congratulations to the fellow changemakers in this year’s cohort. I’m inspired by your work and look forward to continuing the collective journey of impact and transformation.

With gratitude,
Dr. Bernell Elzey, Jr.

07/14/2025

🌈 July 14 – National Nonbinary People’s Day
Honoring Identity. Defending Dignity. Centering Humanity.

As a Black psychotherapist and educator, I stand in full solidarity with nonbinary people, especially Black and Brown nonbinary youth and adults, whose identities, truths, and lives deserve to be affirmed, protected, and celebrated every single day.

National Nonbinary People’s Day is more than a moment of recognition. It’s a declaration: you exist, you matter, and you belong.

Yet in today’s national and Louisiana political climate, we see a troubling rise in anti-LGBTQ+ policies and efforts to restrict gender-affirming care, erase inclusive education, and suppress authentic self-expression in schools and public life. These attacks are not just political; they are personal. They place lives at risk and silence the voices of those already navigating systemic oppression.

As a clinician, I witness the emotional weight nonbinary individuals carry from being misgendered and invalidated to navigating families and institutions that do not yet understand them. As an educator, I’ve seen how affirming environments can be life-changing how language, support, and visibility can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

This day calls us to do more than acknowledge—it calls us to advocate.

🌱 Create trauma-informed, affirming spaces in classrooms and clinics
💬 Normalize pronoun respect and inclusive language
🏳️‍🌈 Confront policies and practices that erase or endanger nonbinary people
🤝 Support families and communities in learning, unlearning, and loving more fully

To all nonbinary people: You are seen. You are valid. You are powerful.
And to allies and professionals: the time to speak up, support, and stand firm is now.

07/04/2025

🇺🇸 July 4th: Reflection, Celebration, and the Ongoing Pursuit of “Justice for All”

As a Black psychotherapist, educator, and proud Louisianan, I hold space for both the pride and the paradox of Independence Day. I love the fireworks, cookouts, and community;but I also recognize that the words “liberty and justice for all” remain an unfulfilled promise for many.

In 1852, Frederick Douglass asked, “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?” He called it a celebration that revealed the “gross injustice and cruelty” of a nation that claimed freedom while denying it to millions. That question still resonates today as we reflect on the realities of race, equity, and belonging in America.

Across the nation, and here in Louisiana, political and social climates remain charged. Legislative attacks on inclusive education, the banning of DEI efforts, anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and mental health stigma disproportionately harm marginalized communities—especially Black and Brown youth.

As someone who works with students, families, and clients, I see daily the effects of these disparities. In classrooms, we must create safe, affirming spaces where truth is taught and identity is honored. In counseling sessions, we hold space for the grief, rage, and resilience shaped by systemic oppression. In our communities, we uplift healing, dialogue, and collective action.

This July 4th, let us both celebrate the freedoms we’ve gained and recommit to the fight for those still denied. Let’s move beyond performative patriotism and ensure that “justice for all” is not just recited but realized.

Freedom without justice is unfinished work. And the work continues; with us.

06/21/2025

Come on in the wellness room, and let's heal together!!!

I am waiting!!!

06/19/2025

🖤❤️💚 Honoring Juneteenth
A Celebration of Freedom, Reflection, and Collective Healing

As a Black psychotherapist, educator, and advocate, Juneteenth is both a sacred celebration and a solemn reminder. It marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom; two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth is not only a historical milestone—it is a living call to remember, resist, and rise. In the context of today’s social and political climate, in Louisiana and across the nation, this day holds even deeper meaning. We continue to witness efforts to restrict the teaching of Black history, limit equity-centered education, and politicize the mental health and identity of our most vulnerable communities.

And yet, we continue to thrive. We continue to tell the truth. We continue to heal.

In my roles as counselor and educator, I’ve seen how intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression, and cultural erasure affect the minds, hearts, and spirits of Black individuals and families. But I’ve also seen the power of culturally grounded healing, of education that liberates, and of communities that refuse to be silenced.

🧠 Juneteenth calls us to prioritize Black mental health.
📚 Juneteenth reminds us that education must tell the full story.
🖤 Juneteenth invites us to celebrate Black resilience, joy, and brilliance.

This is not just a day of remembrance—it is a day of action, reflection, and reclamation.

Let us continue the work of our ancestors with vision, love, and fierce commitment to justice. Because our freedom was delayed; but it will not be denied.

06/12/2025

🏳️‍🌈 June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month: A Time to Honor, Affirm, and Advocate

As a Black psychotherapist, educator, and advocate, Pride Month is not just a celebration; it is a call to courage, compassion, and collective care.

In a time when national and Louisiana policies increasingly target LGBTQ+ individuals, banning affirming curricula, restricting access to healthcare, and silencing q***r voices in classrooms and communities, I stand firmly with those whose identities are under attack. These laws do more than politicize identity; they endanger lives, especially the lives of LGBTQ+ youth navigating fear, isolation, and rejection.

In my work with teenagers and adults, whether as students in the classroom or clients in the counseling space, I have seen firsthand the resilience it takes to be your authentic self in environments that often fail to understand or embrace you. I’ve also witnessed the healing that becomes possible when people are seen, affirmed, and supported, not just tolerated, but celebrated.

I also hold space for the families—the parents, siblings, and caregivers, who are learning, growing, and sometimes struggling to support their LGBTQ+ loved ones. I remind them: Acceptance is protection. Unconditional love is powerful medicine.

This Pride Month, I reaffirm that:

🌈 Q***r and trans youth deserve safe schools and safe homes.
🧠 Mental health care must be inclusive, trauma-informed, and affirming.
💬 Educators and counselors must be equipped to advocate without fear.
❤️ Families can be places of healing, not harm.

To every LGBTQ+ person: You are seen. You are worthy. You are not alone.
And to my fellow educators, clinicians, and community leaders: Now is the time to speak up, stand tall, and create spaces where all people, especially those most marginalized, can thrive.

Dr. Bernell Elzey Jr., LPC, NCC

09/11/2025

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