Dr. David Rosenberg,
Professor of Psychology

Email:  [email protected]
Phone: 434-791-5768
Office: Frith Hall 313

All it takes is a moment — simply watch Dr. David Rosenberg walk across campus, notice how often he’s stopped by a variety of students, observe how he interacts with them all personally, sincerely … obviously interested in their concerns. That’s all it takes to know that Rosenberg is a born teacher.

A natural teacher who was born, interestingly enough, in Mexico City. “On occasion I’ll speak Spanish with my mother,” he says, “but I don’t have a strong command of the language so I don’t feel like I’m truly bilingual. I was also raised in northern Virginia.”  Rosenberg was teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University when he saw an opening at Averett, seeking a psychologist with clinical experience, someone to focus on the applied (not experimental) side of psychology. He visited, got the job and is now the Chair of the department..

“Honestly, I knew I wanted to be in a place that valued teaching, not where the professor’s entire life centers around research,” he says. Licensed as clinical psychologist in 1996, he feels strongly that his private practice (he holds a quarter-time position with Counseling and Psychological Services) keeps him current: “When I teach abnormal psychology, for instance, I’m able to use real issues, real [anonymous] case studies. It makes a big difference.”

Rosenberg is a tireless health and wellness advocate; a nonstop teacher. He is a certified T’ai Chi Fundamentals instructor, a certified Reiki (Japanese Relaxation Therapy) master instructor, an Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner (integrating energy medicine with other practices, including psychotherapy) and a certified Equine Assisted Psychotherapist, just to mention a few.

“It’s all about wellness,” he says. “Psychology in the 21st century continues to evolve as a health profession, and my passions are health and teaching. The goal, of course, is to combine those every day with as many students as possible. If one twenty-something person gets it — that is, understands the relationships among therapies, energy, spirituality, intuition, physical and emotional health— you see the awareness of healing revealed in their eyes. That’s fantastic. That’s huge.”

Credentials:

• Doctor of Philosophy, Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Master of Science, Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Virginia

Dr. Jenny Wagstaff
Associate Professor of Psychology

email: [email protected]
PhoneL 434-791-5753
Office: Frith Hall 319

Dr. Wagstaff joined the Averett Faculty in August, 2021 as the Program Director for Averett Online Psychology and Associate Professor of Psychology. Previously, she taught in Graduate Counselor Education programs at Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC, Virginia Tech, and Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, IA. Her primary teaching responsibilities included Group Counseling, Multicultural Counseling, Lifespan Development, Evidence Based Practices, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addictions Counseling. In addition to teaching, she provided clinical supervision for the student in their Practicum and Internship courses. Before transitioning to the faculty role, Dr. Wagstaff worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Hokie Wellness Center at Virginia Tech for seven years and as the Assistant Director for Student Support Services for the Cranwell International Student Center at Virginia Tech for two years. In addition to working on the college campus, she also worked as a mental health counselor in community agencies while living in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Her research interests are in the area of Brief Motivational Interventions to Address Substance Use Disorders, Mental Health First Aid, and Wilderness/Adventure Based Counseling. To maintain a work/life balance, Dr. Wagstaff enjoys spending time being creative in the kitchen, knitting, and gardening.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy, Counselor Education and Clinical Supervision, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
• Master of Science, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Radford University, Radford, VA
• Master of Education, Counseling Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
• Bachelor of Science, Psychology, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Credentials

• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor -Supervisor (LCMHC-S) – North Carolina
• Licensed Professional Counselor – Virginia

Selected Publications

• Wagstaff, J & Welfare, L.E. (2021). Brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students on campus: Lessons from experienced practitioners. Journal of College Counseling, 24, 115-131. DOI: 10.1002/jocc.12180
• Schmid, D. & Wagstaff, J. (2019). Are they ready? Senior housing officers’ perceptions of entry-level housing professionals’ proficiency with helping skills. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 45(2), 68-89.
• Wagstaff, J. (2019). Family Considerations. In Anderson, D. S. (Ed.) Leadership in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Insights from Long-Term Advocates. New York: Routledge.
• Wagstaff, J. & Ripley, D. (2019). The Opioid Epidemic: How Did We Get Here? In Anderson, D. S. (Ed.) Leadership in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Insights from Long-Term Advocates. New York: Routledge.
• Ripley, D. & Wagstaff, J. (2019). Medication-Assisted Treatment….A Drug to Treat a Drug? In Anderson, D. S. (Ed.) Leadership in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Insights from Long-Term Advocates. New York: Routledge.
• Welfare, L.E., Wagstaff, J., Haynes, J. R. (2017). Counselor education and Title IX: Current perceptions and questions. Counselor Education and Supervision, 56(3), 193 – 207. DOI: 10.1002/ceas.12072
• Wagstaff, J. & Welfare, L. (2016). Brief alcohol screening and intervention for college students (BASICS) with the mandated student: Some practical considerations. The Journal of Campus Behavioral Intervention, 4, 22-33.
• Wagstaff, J. (2013). Make a Difference in Minutes. Published in Recovery Campus Magazine, Fall, 2013

Presentations

• Wagstaff, J.F. (June, 2018). An Introduction to Wilderness Therapy and Adventure Based Counseling. Presented at the 1^stTaiwan Wilderness Education International Conference. Taipei, Taiwan.
• Wagstaff, J.F. (February, 2018). Establishing a System of Care to Address High Risk Drinking on Campus. Presented at the American College Counseling Association, Charlotte, NC
• Wagstaff, J.F. & Hanke, E. (February, 2018). Counseling FIRST: A Closer Look at First-Generation College Students and Their Needs. Presented at the American College Counseling Association, Charlotte, NC
• Wagstaff, J.F. (February, 2018). Ethics and Substance Abuse Screening: Are We Asking the Right Questions? Presented at the North Carolina Counseling Association, Durham, NC
• Wagstaff, J.F. (January, 2018). Facilitating BASICS with Mandated Students: Some Practical Considerations. Presented at the NASPA Strategies Conferences, Portland, OR.
• Welfare, L. & Wagstaff, J.F. (October, 2016). Title IX and Counselor Education. Presented at the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision: Celebrating Resilience, New Orleans, LA.
• Wagstaff, J.F. & Clarke, S.W. (August, 2016). Party Positive: A Comprehensive Harm-Reduction Program Targeting High-Risk Drinking. Presented at The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery (HECAOD) National Conference, Columbus, OH.
• Clarke, S.W. & Wagstaff, J.F. (August, 2016) A Comprehensive Model of Stepped Care for Substance Abuse Prevention. Presented at The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery (HECAOD) National Conference, Columbus, OH.

Trainings

• Trainer: Motivational Interviewing and BASICS Training for Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC November, 2016
• Trainer: Motivational Interviewing and BASICS Training for the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, August, 2015
• Trainer: A Refresher to the Basics of Counseling for the Student Affairs Professionals for the Health and Wellness staff at Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA, May, 2015
• Trainer: Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for the Department of Housing and Residence Life, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, March, 2015
• Trainer: Brief Interventions for College Students for the Washington and Lee University Student Affairs Staff, Lexington, VA, August, 2014