Shelena Clay

(she/her)

LPC, 10 years of experience
Solution oriented
Authentic
Direct
VirtualAvailable

Shelena is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. She has worked in the field of mental health for 10 years and in private practice for the past 5 years. She has experience working with individuals, couples, and families. She received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry and her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She loves working with individuals to help them reframe negative thinking and behaviors. She utilizes treatment modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person Centered Therapy, and Reality Therapy. She believes that given the right tools we all can become the best version of ourselves.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

For a first session, clients can expect a safe space to express themselves while working on the therapeutic relationship by establishing and building rapport and trust. Clients will leave their first session feeling a sense of relief and hope toward meeting there therapeutic goals and starting their therapy journey.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

My therapeutic approach centers around building trust and actively listening to create a safe environment. I believe building trust helps clients become more open minded to making a change and learning how to heal themselves. In addition, trust helps with the therapeutic method of applying CBT therapy to assist clients with restructuring and reframing their maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that is preventing them from healing their traumas. The results from this approach has shown attachment to past traumas and the different stages of change.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

African American men and women who are struggling with the full variety of life's worries and stressors. I like to help client's learn, unlearn, and relearn skills to help them develop a realistic mindset for their past, present, and future self.

Specialties

Top specialties

Anxiety

Depression

Other specialties

Self Esteem

I identify as

Serves ages

Licensed in

Illinois

Accepts

Location

Virtual

My treatment methods

Existential

Existential therapy is a form of talk therapy that helps you understand how you fit into the world. We will explore how your choices influence your future. A client may choose this type of therapy if you experience anxiety, fear or depression. Furthermore, this treatment is most helpful for client's looking to gain more insight into their emotions while using techniques and coping skills used in Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective means of treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders.

, 322 ratings

24 ratings with written reviews

April 15, 2026

She has been really impactful in helping me become more confident in myself and finding different ways to deal with conflict in my personal and professional life. She is very kind and uses CBT and humanistic therapy in such an authentic way that it encourages me to use these methods outside of our sessions. I have so much respect for her and truly don't know what I would do without her!

Verified client, age 25-34
Review shared after session 23 with Shelena

April 1, 2026

I absolutely love Shelena. She is understanding, honest, solution oriented, and definitely challenges my emotions in a great way.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 6 with Shelena

February 23, 2026

She was very attentive and a great listener. The guidance that she has was really helpful in getting you to open up about your life.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 1 with Shelena