Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Art Therapist
Dr. Melissa Klay is a licensed clinical psychologist and a licensed, registered, and board-certified art therapist. She received her Masters in Art Therapy and Creativity Development at Pratt Institute and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Throughout her career she has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, private practice and in an alternative high school. She completed her psychology internship at the Child and Family Institute in St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and her post-doctorate at Metropolitan Center for Mental Health as a clinical psychologist and creative arts therapist.
Over the past 25+ years, she has been an adjunct associate professor in the Graduate Creative Arts Therapy Department at Pratt Institute. Currently, she is a full-time, tenure track associate professor at Pratt Institute. To support the integration of research to practice, she has received a grant from Pratt Institute’s Faculty Development Fund to conduct a study on the integration of Art Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with PTSD adolescent females in an alternative high school. She has also published an article on understanding the role of professional athletes in the Journal of Applied Sport Management. Besides her academic activities, her professional activities as an art therapist and psychologist have also included presenting at numerous conferences and workshops in and out of the NYC area. She is also trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Eating Disorders, and Depth Psychology.
When she is not providing therapeutic services or teaching, you can find Dr. Klay enjoying her other passions such as art, reading, exercising, and watching futbol/soccer.