Michael McClay, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
About
Mike McClay, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow completing his final year of clinical training prior to licensure.
He recently finished his doctorate in clinical psychology at Texas Tech University after completing his internship by working on the adult inpatient program at the Brattleboro Retreat. He received his MS in Psychology from Western Kentucky University and his BA in Psychology from Gardner-Webb University.
Mike has performed therapy and provided psychological testing services in a variety of clinical settings, including community mental health clinics, medical centers, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and intellectual disability determination centers. He has experience working with adults and adolescents and providing therapy for caregivers of dependent adults.
Mike approaches clinical practice from a cognitive-behavioral framework, emphasizing collaboration with clients to accurately identify effective strategies for symptom reduction and management of concerns and problems contributing to diagnoses. He has received training in multiple evidence-based modalities, including third-wave cognitive treatments and mindfulness-based methods. In all of his professional activity, though especially in his work with clients experiencing suicidality, Mike is passionate about assisting in the development of a life worth living. His research activity centers around the reduction of mental health stigma and stigma related to suicide and self-harm. He is interested in understanding circumstances in which interpersonal relationships can be supportive in reducing internalized stigma and its consequences.