Dr. Michelle Clay, LPC, PhD, Columbia, SC

About Dr. Michelle Clay

Focus areas

Addiction / Substance Abuse

Childhood Trauma

Eating Disorder

Anxiety

Couples Therapy

Gender Affirming Counseling

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Depression

Clientele seen

Children (<13)

Adults (25-64)

Families

Teenagers (13-17)

Seniors (65+)

Young adults (18-24)

Individuals

Treatment approaches

Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)

Intervention

Christian Counseling

Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

Parent-Child Interaction (PCIT)

Identity

Gender

Female

Languages spoken

English

Getting to know Dr. Michelle Clay

Michelle Clay, LPC, Ph.D., helps individuals and families build insight, resilience, and meaningful change through compassionate, evidence-based care. Serving patients across South Carolina, she offers a grounded, supportive presence for children, adolescents, teens, and adults navigating emotional, relational, or behavioral challenges. At LifeStance Health, she creates a safe and structured therapeutic space where clients can explore concerns, strengthen coping skills, and move toward healthier patterns in daily life. Michelle is particularly passionate about supporting individuals facing ADHD, PTSD and trauma-related symptoms, and alcohol or drug use issues. She integrates these specialties with a deep understanding of how these conditions affect functioning at home, school, work, and within relationships. Her clinical approach is tailored to help clients reduce the intensity of distressing symptoms, repair disrupted connections, and regain a sense of personal agency. She also provides care for anxiety and couple's issues, using research-supported treatments to help families and partners restore communication, decrease conflict, and develop long-term tools for emotional wellness. Michelle works extensively with children and adolescents experiencing behavioral concerns, school avoidance, and developmental challenges, and she offers additional specialties beyond those highlighted here. Michelle's clinical work draws on interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness-based strategies, along with couples and family counseling. She also supports populations including individuals in adoption or foster care, people with developmental disabilities or autism spectrum disorders, first responders, military members and veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community. Outside the therapy room, Michelle enjoys dancing, reading, watching documentaries, helping people in her community, and spending time near the beach or mountains

Is this doctor in your insurance network?

Enter your insurance carrier and plan

choose insurance

In-network insurances

Aetna

Cigna

UnitedHealthcare

200+ more in-network plans

Popular visit reasons

Depression

New Patient Visit

Nightmares

Pediatric Sexual Abuse Counseling

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit

Sleep Problems

Young Adult Issues

Depression

New Patient Visit

Nightmares

Pediatric Sexual Abuse Counseling

Office locations

Dr. Michelle Clay, LPC, PhD also offers online video visits for patients

LifeStance Health - South Carolina (1 of 2)

115 Atrium Way, Bldg, Columbia, SC 29223

Get directions

LifeStance Health - South Carolina (2 of 2)

2000 Center Point Rd, Columbia, SC 29210

Get directions

1 of 2

Education and background

Practice names

LifeStance Health - South Carolina

Education and training

Capella University, PhD in Advanced Behavior

NPI number

1962789875

Patient reviews

Help Dr. Michelle Clay build an online reputation by being the first to leave a review after having an appointment.

Frequently asked questions

How soon can I make an appointment with Dr. Michelle Clay?

Generally, Dr. Michelle Clay has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Dr. Clay's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.

Is Dr. Michelle Clay accepting new patients?

Dr. Michelle Clay generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Dr. Clay's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.

Does Dr. Michelle Clay accept my insurance?

Choose your insurance plan to verify if Dr. Clay is in-network.

Can I make an appointment with Dr. Michelle Clay online?

Yes, you can make an appointment online with Dr. Clay using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.

What practice does Dr. Michelle Clay work with?

Dr. Michelle Clay works with LifeStance Health - South Carolina.

Where is Dr. Michelle Clay's office located?

Dr. Michelle Clay has 4 office locations in Columbia, view full addresses on Dr. Clay's profile.

What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. Michelle Clay?

Dr. Michelle Clay frequently sees patients for Depression, New Patient Visit, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Sleep Problems. You can see other visit reasons for Dr. Michelle Clay on their profile.