Bio

Alex Becnel, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Counseling and Counselor Education programs at North Carolina State University. His research agenda focuses on preparing modern school counselors to work with suicidal youth, especially in rural communities. As youth suicide continues to be a major public health issue, Dr. Becnel hopes to protect K-12 students by ensuring that school counselors are appropriately trained for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention in schools. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as The Professional Counselor, Counselor Education and Supervision, and Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling. Dr. Becnel was named a 2021-22 Emerging Leader by the North Central Association for Counselor Education & Supervision. Prior to becoming a counselor educator, Dr. Becnel worked as both a high school counselor and a clinical counselor specializing in the treatment of adolescents.

Funded Research

Principal Investigator
Project: Protecting our PK-12 students from suicide: A statewide assessment of prevention policy implementation in NC schools
Funding Agency: North Carolina Collaboratory, Research on Select K-12 Priorities
Grant Amount: $211,972
Period of Performance: January 1, 2027-December 31, 2028

Co-principal Investigator
Project: Building community resilience to prevent suicide in vulnerable rural communities in Kansas through evidence-based mental health education
Funding Agency: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Rural Health and Safety Education Program
Grant Amount: $349,946
Period of Performance: September 1, 2022-December 31, 2024

Selected Publications

Becnel, A.T., Fergel, H., & Griffard, M. (2026). The experiences of rural school counselors during mental health referrals. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2025.2586443

Becnel, A.T. (2026). Youth suicide: Lessons learned from a school counselor. In Corey, G. (Ed.) Counseling Journeys: Reflection and Voices from the Field. San Diego, CA: Cognella.

Becnel, A.T. & Pistorius, J. (2025) Supervising school counselors through student suicide. Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, 7(3), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.7290/tsc07aqdi

Becnel, A.T. (2024) Addressing suicide in the workplace. NBCC Visions, September 2024. https://nbcc.org/resources/nccs/newsletter/addressing-suicide-in-the-workplace

Becnel, A.T. (2024). Helping a school community heal in the aftermath of a suicide. Counseling Today, September 2024, 44-45. https://www.counseling.org/publications/counseling-today-magazine/article-archive/article/counseling-today–september-2024/helping-a-school-community-heal-after-suicide

Becnel, A.T. (2024). Working ethically with at-risk adolescents. In Corey, G., Corey, M.S., Corey, & Corey, C. (Eds.) Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (11^th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Becnel, A.T. & Corey, G. (2023). Teaching group counseling in an online intensive format. Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision, 3(2), Article 2. https://digital.sandiego.edu/tces/vol3/iss2/2

Gantt-Howrey, A., Becnel, A.T., Shi, Y., & Lau, J. (2023). Use of the MSJCC: A content analysis of ACA journals. Counselor Education and Supervision, 62, 40-51. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceas.12259

Becnel, A.T., Irvin, S., & Remley, T. (2023). Practicum & internship coordinators’ experiences amid COVID-19 emergency remote teaching. Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, 5(1), 40-52. https://doi.org/10.7290/tsc0550qh

Becnel, A.T., Range, L., Remley, T. (2021). School counselors’ exposure to student suicide, suicide assessment self-efficacy, and workplace anxiety: Implications for training, practice, and research. The Professional Counselor, 11(3), 327-339. https://doi.org/10.15241/atb.11.3.327