Dr. MJ Raleigh

On June 1, Dr. Mary-Jeanne (MJ) Raleigh started work at High Point University as the Executive Director of Counseling Services

Dr. Raleigh brings 30 years of experience in college mental health and several other areas of student affairs. Twenty three of those years have been spent at four institutions of higher education as either a director of counseling services, director of health services or a director of a wellness center.

Dr. Raleigh, who earned a Ph.D. in environmental studies at Antioch University New England, has considerable experience in counseling and leadership in higher education.

“I’ve worked at universities large and small, urban and rural, public and private,” she said. “I’ve worked in student housing, health, wellness education and judicial services.” Dr. Raleigh has very diverse interests in the field of human-environment interactions, college mental health and higher education leadership.

A graduate of Castleton University in Vermont, Dr. Raleigh earned a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and another master’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook in 20th century Irish poetry.

Her research spans several areas, including the relationship between children’s exposure to nature and the development of coping skills for anxiety during college.

“My doctoral program was completed jointly in counseling and environmental studies,” she said. “My research focuses on childhood exposure to nature and its connection to the development of active coping strategies in adulthood.”

Dr. Raleigh’s other research and publications concern mental health ethics in higher education, threat assessment, and human development. She also has taught at Johns Hopkins and Antioch universities and at New England College, where she instructed graduate and undergraduate students.

Dr. Raleigh is active in professional organizations. A past president and national board member of the American College Counseling Association (ACCA), is presently the ACCA on the Governing Council of the American Counseling Association, she is also on the national board of Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education.

She is a nationally certified counselor with licenses in clinical professional and mental health counseling. Dr. Raleigh received a Presidential Honor in 2010 from the ACCA and an Outstanding Professional Leadership Award from the ACCA.

Updated 5/12/2018

MJ Raleigh completed a PhD in environmental studies at Antioch University, focusing on the interaction between environment and mental health. She is currently the CAS director representing ACCA at the national council and is a past ACCA president (2011-2012). ACA Governing council representative for college mental health.

MJ has over 25 years of experience working with college students on campus with 20 of those years as a director of mental health services.