CAPS and students mourn death of intern

Juana Wu left a hole in the Richmond community when she died three weeks ago.

Wu was a counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services as a practicum student under Elizabeth Stott while studying doctorate-track counseling and psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. She died from asphyxiation after hanging herself, according to a coroner's report.

"She was the most gifted young therapist that I have ever worked with, which makes this a very sad loss," Stott said. "Several of her student clients said that they'd talked to other counselors before and she was the first one that really understood them."

Wu earned her master's degree in biochemistry at the Ohio State University before deciding she wanted to work more with people. She came to VCU, joining the same program Stott had studied in, Stott said. Wu was close to completing the program, and was getting ready to start her dissertation.

"I really had an utter feeling of confusion," said sophomore Joe Cutrona, who had four or five counseling sessions with Wu, and was scheduled for another the Thursday morning she died. Several students that Wu had been counseling and other people that were close to her attended a meeting at CAPS the Friday after her death. Her roommate, who found her body, attended the meeting, Stott said.

"We can't know the answer to why this happened," Stott said. "People know bits and pieces, like I know that being between two cultures is stressful. You can see where there were stresses in her life, but her personality was so cheerful."

A Facebook group, "In Memorial of Juana J Wu," was filled with sadness and condolences from people who knew her. Numerous posts praise Wu for being consistently positive, warm, friendly and selfless.

"She encouraged us to come talk to her and she would understand coming from a different culture," said freshman Karyn Wong of Hong Kong.

"She was a very good listener," said one student Wu had counseled, who asked not to be identified. "She was very kind and empathetic, which I guess makes sense if she was having issues of her own, but I would never have expected that, because a counselor is somebody who already has everything together, in my mind."

The student continued: "I feel a little bit betrayed ... I know that she was a good counselor, and that what she said was probably true, but it's hard when I know she wasn't living it for herself, then how can I believe it?"

Stott said Wu had hidden any signs of depression from the CAPS staff, but friends closer to her had noticed her struggle. Stott said she was told that Wu had been seeing a private counselor for this, and that she had been in a long session the day before she was found dead.