Dr. Michelle Burns, LPC - Therapist in South Carolina

About Michelle

Dr. Michelle Burns is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with two decades of experience in clinical work. She practices in South Carolina and focuses on family dynamics and parenting concerns alongside a wide range of emotional and life challenges.

She aims to provide a calm, straightforward presence for people who are feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about next steps. Her style is practical and direct. Sessions focus on clear steps clients can try between meetings.

Background and approach

She invites honest conversation and works to make space for difficult feelings without judgement. The goal is to help people feel more capable in daily life and in relationships. Dr.

Burns uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice and change unhelpful thinking patterns. She draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Solution-Focused Therapy helps keep work goal-oriented and action-based.

She has worked for many years with stress, anxiety, anger, grief, trauma and abuse, and issues like self-esteem, intimacy, sleep and eating concerns. Additional attention is given to life transitions such as divorce and coping with serious illness, plus topics like career direction and compassion fatigue. Sessions may include short coaching-style tasks, skill-building exercises, and plainspoken feedback.

Dr. Burns encourages clients to set small, realistic goals and to track progress over time.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and trying small changes in thinking and behavior to reduce distress. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, teaches practical skills for managing strong emotions, tolerating crisis moments, and improving relationships. It can help when emotions feel overwhelming or when reactions cause conflict.

Solution-Focused Therapy centers on identifying clear goals and building on what is already working. Sessions tend to be forward-looking and produce specific tasks clients can try between meetings.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose strategies that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That plan can be adjusted as progress is tracked.

Online therapy makes it easier to fit sessions into busy family schedules. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, while phone, live chat, and text-based messaging offer flexible alternatives for check-ins and skill practice. These options let people use different formats for different needs, such as longer video sessions for teaching skills and brief messages for quick coaching between meetings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Solution-Focused Therapy

Rather than examining the problem at length, this looks at what is already working and builds on it. Sessions tend to be practical and forward-looking, with small achievable steps, which translates readily to shorter online conversations.

Frequently asked questions

What topics does she address most often?

She helps with relationship and family concerns, parenting challenges, anger, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping problems, career questions, and coping with life changes.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her approach is practical and goal-focused, combining skill teaching with short coaching tasks and direct conversation to help people manage emotions and solve problems.

What is her clinical background?

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 20 years of experience working with a range of emotional and life issues.

Where is she licensed and based?

She practices in South Carolina and holds licensure details including SC LPC 8902 and GA LPC LPC013642.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are offered?

She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as options for meeting with a therapist.

How is pricing handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions operate through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I start working with her?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Relationship issues
Family conflicts
Parenting issues

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 20 years
Licensed: Georgia, South Carolina
Languages: English

Next step

Talk to Michelle

Takes a few minutes
Nothing to set up just to look
Stop at any point

Book with Michelle