William & Mary Athletics

Zellessia Ejalonibu, MA, LCPC joined William & Mary Athletics as the department's Director of Mental Health and Performance in July of 2025. She will be responsible for enhancing the mental and emotional well-being and sport performance of the Tribe's 500+ student-athletes. 
 
Most recently Assistant Director of Psychological Resources for Student-Athletes at the University of Oklahoma, Ejalonibu is a licensed counselor with 15 years of experience working in the mental health and education field with student-athletes. 
 
As Director of Mental Health and Performance, Ejalonibu will provide counseling and consultation with individual student-athletes.  She will also work with coaches and student-athletes to provide them with performance and mental skills training, as well as conducting ongoing program evaluations.  A key part of her duties will be to act as a liaison to W&M's Counseling Center.
 
Previously, Ejalonibu worked as Assistant Director Counseling and Sport Psychology at Mississippi State University and before that she was a counselor at North Central College in Illinois.  From 2017-2024, she was the co-founder/therapist for L.E.A.D.O.F.F. Counseling and Consulting in Chicago where she provided individual therapy and group therapy for clinical and performance issues.
 
Over the course of her career, "Miss Z" as she is known to her student-athletes, has provided clinical services to over 900 individuals.  "When I work with student-athletes, I like being part of their complete stories.  It's important for them to be able to talk with me about personal things that may have nothing to do with their sport but are an important part of their past." She has also facilitated over 800 psychotherapy groups on topics such as depression, bipolar and other mood disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, living and coping skills. 
 
Ejalonibu has three sons, Ezekiel (10), Elijah (8), and Emmanuel (6). The Matteson, Ill., native has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Tougaloo College and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Governors State University.