Jennifer Bondurant

Director of the Counseling Center
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
jbondurant@randolphcollege.edu
BS, Roanoke College; MA, Marymount University

Jennifer Bondurant is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has been in the Behavioral Health field since 2002. Jennifer has a BS in Psychology from Roanoke College and a MA in Community Counseling from Marymount University.

She began her career with the Fairfax County-Falls Church Community Services Board and focused her clinical energy on families impacted by Domestic Violence. She moved back to Lynchburg in 2007 and worked under the clinical supervision of Dr. Stephen Greenstein and immersed herself in the practice of using the Family Systems model. She joined Horizon Behavioral Health in 2011 and held various roles until she transitioned to her new role at Randolph College in August 2018.

Jennifer has completed training to obtain certification as a Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider and is passionate about teaching students how to improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and ADHD by focusing on the importance of diet, sleep, and exercise. Jennifer also completed the Brain Health Professional Certification Course and actively uses this knowledge to help students strengthen brain health to improve emotional well-being and academic performance.

Dylan Elliott

Resident in Counseling (LMHP-R)
delliott@randolphcollege.edu
BS, MEd, University of Lynchburg

Dylan received his BS in Psychology and Business Administration as well as his MEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Lynchburg. Outside of working in the Counseling Center, he is also a psychology lab instructor at the University of Lynchburg. He often brings in a variety of techniques and activities from his academic work into therapy. Dylan breaks down each coping skill to help clients understand how it works both mentally and physiologically.

His previous experience includes providing counseling services to high school and community college students. Dylan is interested in a wide variety of issues including relationship issues, anxiety, stress management, communication skills, and creative intervention strategies.

Dylan utilizes a person-centered and reality therapy approach to empower clients to make decisions that feel best given their situational factors. He seeks to see every client as an individual, noting their particular strengths and overcoming any difficulties they may face. Dylan has a special interest in working with LGBTQ+ clients where he is able to bring in past experiences of teaching diversity and equity-related topics. He believes that this population faces unique challenges and wants to create a space where all individuals in the community feel accepted. Dylan hopes to be an ally to any marginalized group and empower their voices to be heard.

Nicole Chalmers

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
nchalmers@randolphcollege.edu
BA, Lynchburg College; MA, Liberty University

Nicole Chalmers is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has worked in the Behavioral Health field for the past twenty years.  Nicole holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Lynchburg College and a MA in Professional Counseling from Liberty University.

She began her career with Central Virginia Community Service Board (now Horizon Behavioral Health) in Lynchburg, Virginia following her undergraduate studies providing services aimed at keeping at-risk youth in their home.

Nicole continued to realize the positive outcomes and benefits of Intensive In-home work and seized the opportunity to give back to her hometown of Danville, VA and began work with The Madeline Center in 2006. During her time, she served under many titles to include: Regional Director, Director of Intensive-In Home Services and Assistant Clinical Director

After completing her residency under Jon Winder, she decided to switch her focus and became Residential Manager for Horizon Behavioral Intermediate Care Facilities (Timothy/Bethany Homes, Powell/Pearson Homes). During her tenure she successfully opened two forever homes for individuals living at the Central Virginia Training Center for most of their lives, giving them the opportunity to live, work and interact within a community setting.

Nicole decided to return to the mental health field to prepare for her rigorous licensure exam and next 4 years was spent running crisis level programs to include: Crisis Stabilization, Crisis Intervention and Intensive-In Home Services. There was always a desire to bridge the ever-growing gap between schools and mental health; Nicole was afforded the perfect opportunity to work for Campbell County Schools as Licensed Professional Counselor in 2015, where she continues to serve on a full-time basis.

Nicole is currently a Certified Trauma Specialist and a Nationally Certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer.

LaShanta Smith

Resident in Counseling (LMHP-R)
lsmith@randolphcollege.edu
BA, Randolph-Macon Women’s College; MEd, University of Lynchburg

LaShanta is a Licensed Mental Health Profession and Resident in Counseling and has been in the Behavioral Health field since 2005. She received her BA in Psychology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (Randolph College) and MEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from University of Lynchburg.

LaShanta began her career working with families in their homes providing intensive services and crisis stabilization services. Since then, LaShanta has provided services in the school and residential settings. Her most recent role was a program director at Kids’ Haven: A Center for Grieving Children, where she provided grief and loss support to the youth, their families, and the community.

LaShanta’s therapeutic approach is meeting the client where they are and working with them to get them where they would like to be.

LaShanta utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, as well as solution-focused interventions, trauma-informed, and person-centered approach throughout the therapeutic process.

Baylee Leazer

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
bleazer@randolphcollege.edu
BA, Sweet Briar College; MEd, University of Lynchburg

Baylee Leazer is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a diverse background in mental health counseling since 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Psychology from Sweet Briar College and a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Lynchburg. Her extensive experience includes providing care across child, adult, and geriatric acute psychiatric units at Centra Health’s Virginia Baptist Hospital and completing her counseling residency at Johnson Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to serving often-overlooked populations, including those facing financial barriers.

Baylee has clinical interests in trauma, somatic responses, and the nervous system. She is passionate about psychoeducation, believing that understanding mental processes fosters self-compassion and helps individuals navigate life’s stressors. Additionally, she enjoys innovating therapeutic approaches to make therapy more accessible for those who may not feel comfortable with traditional talk therapy. As a Certified Yoga Teacher, she integrates mindfulness techniques and somatic awareness to assist clients dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, and ADHD.

Her approach to counseling is rooted in the belief that the therapeutic relationship is a profound and transformative journey. Baylee honors the vulnerability of this process, emphasizing the importance of connection as a core component of healing. With a focus on co-creating meaningful therapeutic plans, she meets each student as a unique individual, tailoring her approach to their specific concerns. While she may be direct at times, Baylee is always approachable and affirming.

Committed to creating a welcoming and empowering environment for all clients, Baylee ensures that everyone feels supported and valued on their journey. She finds immense fulfillment in this challenging yet rewarding field, believing that every interaction is an opportunity for growth.

Aaron Barksdale

Graduate Student Intern
abarksdale@randolphcollege.edu
BS, Longwood University

Aaron Barksdale is a graduate student in the mental health counseling program at the University of Lynchburg. He first realized he wanted to be a counselor in his Junior year of college at Longwood University when conversing with his fellow students of color and the women of the Longwood Basketball team whom he befriended by being a practice player for two years. With an understanding of the lack of education and clarity of mental health in the Black community and the sports world, Aaron decided to pursue a master’s degree in counseling after graduating in 2022 from Longwood University with his BS in communication studies.

For the past six months, he has been honing his skills as a counselor at Kairos Counseling in the fall of 2024 where he worked with clients who have dealt with addiction, anxiety, depression, grief, and sports-related experiences from injuries to mental struggles. Aaron uses a mix of person-centered and narrative therapy approaches that he developed during his practicum and now here at Randolph College to develop his skills even more. As one of the new interns, he works with the student-athletes here at Randolph College.

Upon completing his master’s degree in counseling this May He plans to work as a counselor for student-athletes at the University level before transitioning to work with professional athletes in either the National Basketball Association (NBA) The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) or the National Football League (NFL).

Taylor Meadows

Graduate Student Intern
tmeadows@randolphcollege.edu
BS, University of Lynchburg

Taylor Meadows is a Graduate Student Intern and an Associate Mental Health Professional and has been in the Behavioral Health field since 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Services and is in her final year of her Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at the University of Lynchburg. Her time in the field has been spent working with child, adult, and geriatric inpatient psychiatric populations at Centra’s Virginia Baptist Hospital.

During the therapeutic process, Taylor utilizes dialectical behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, expressive techniques, and a person-centered approach. Taylor seeks to support students in feeling confident in their abilities to cope with their lived experiences by providing psychoeducation and space to practice coping skills and mindfulness techniques.

Taylor aims to create a welcoming, safe, and supportive space for all students to share their lived experiences along with their current worries and stressors.