Best counselors in West Columbia, SC
Looking specifically for anxiety-focused or mental health counseling? See our best mental health & anxiety counseling list, ranked separately for that specialty. The list below covers general counseling practices ranked on overall composite score.
Picks are ranked by score and relevance to counselor, so a lower overall score can rank higher here.
At a glance
| # | Business | Score | Rating | From | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunset Primary Care | 90 | 4.9 (294) | — | Affordable primary care + mental health |
| 2 | Hopkins Counseling and Consulting, LLC | 83 | 5 (23) | — | Anxiety, trauma & life transitions |
| 3 | Pellicer Counseling LLC | 80 | 4.7 (51) | — | Direct, insight-driven personal growth |
| 4 | Bright Side Counseling - West Columbia | 74 | 4.2 (55) | — | Families needing a fast clinician match |
| 5 | Elizabeth Rummel Counseling LLC | 71 | 5 (5) | — | EMDR/DBT for life transitions |
| 6 | Foothold Counseling, LLC | 70 | 5 (4) | — | Somatic trauma & burnout recovery |
| 7 | Grief and Bereavement Resource Center Inc | 69 | 5 (14) | — | Grief & bereavement support |
| 8 | Jefferson Wellness and Consulting LLC | 69 | 5 (5) | — | CBT with telehealth flexibility |
| 9 | Mt Hebron Counseling Service | 67 | 4.7 (12) | — | Root-cause focused counseling |
| 10 | LifeChanges Family Guidance & Wellness | 63 | 3.7 (9) | — | Kids in family transitions & foster care |
| 11 | Macon Changes Professional Counseling Services | 61 | 3.7 (7) | — | One-on-one fit with Ashley |
| 12 | Susan W. Taylor, MSN | 51 | 5 (2) | — | Long-established, board-certified care |
| 13 | Chudney Gadson Counseling | 43 | 3.7 (3) | — | Adult crisis support |
| 14 | Hope Springs Counseling Services | 42 | 5 (1) | — | New listing, limited track record |
| 15 | Jennifer Miller | 42 | 5 (1) | — | New listing, limited track record |
Ranked picks
Sunset Primary Care
Why it ranks first
This practice posts the highest composite score in West Columbia, built on near-uniform five-star sentiment across 294 reviews. Patients say Scottie Shelley and Dr. Jannette Shelley treat mental health as seriously as physical complaints, and same-day $70 self-pay visits make care workable without insurance.
Pros
- Mental health addressed within same-day primary care visits
- Transparent $70 self-pay pricing for the uninsured
- Fast turnaround with minimal wait times
- Long-term patient loyalty; staff know patients by name
Watch out: One review alleges discriminatory treatment and disputes staff credibility, though it's an outlier among a large volume of five-star feedback.
Services: mental health counseling
Hopkins Counseling and Consulting, LLC
Why it ranks second
Every one of its 23 reviews is five stars, centered on Karon Hopkins, described as patient and practical with clients working through anxiety, trauma, and major life changes. Reviewers consistently leave with concrete coping tools, and evening and weekend hours make it workable for people with day jobs.
Pros
- Every review is five stars
- Practical coping strategies and homework, not just talk
- Flexible evening and weekend scheduling
- Over a decade of counseling experience
Services: mental health counseling, grief trauma counseling, substance abuse counseling, child adolescent counseling
Pellicer Counseling LLC
Why it ranks third
Patrick draws praise for direct, insight-heavy sessions that reviewers credit with real shifts in self-perception and relationships, backed by a large majority of five-star reviews. Billing complaints and a possible mismatch for complex PTSD cases are worth weighing before booking.
Pros
- Direct, accountability-focused therapeutic style
- 92% five-star reviews
- Reviewers describe lasting personal growth
- Welcoming office environment
Watch out: Multiple reviewers flag billing issues, including stored cards and unexpected charges, and the approach may not suit complex trauma or PTSD cases.
Services: grief trauma counseling, mental health counseling, child adolescent counseling, substance abuse counseling
Bright Side Counseling - West Columbia
Why it ranks fourth
A larger practice that repeat clients return to because staff make them feel heard quickly and the office pairs families with the right clinician for their needs. Billing and insurance verification have tripped some clients up, so confirming coverage before the first visit is worth doing.
Pros
- Matches clients to the right clinician for their needs
- In-house billing and scheduling
- Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and multiple insurers
- Short wait to first appointment
Watch out: Some reviewers report surprise account charges and slow therapist responses to messages, so confirm insurance details up front.
Services: grief trauma counseling, mental health counseling, child adolescent counseling, substance abuse counseling
Elizabeth Rummel Counseling LLC
Why it ranks fifth
Reviewers consistently describe Elizabeth Rummel as emotionally attuned and skilled at meeting clients where they are during hard transitions, with EMDR and DBT training behind the sessions. Review volume is still thin, so this reads as a well-regarded but emerging practice.
Pros
- Trained in EMDR and DBT
- Free first consultation
Watch out: Only a handful of reviews so far, so the track record is still building.
Services: grief trauma counseling, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, child adolescent counseling
Foothold Counseling, LLC
Why it ranks sixth
Sandy blends somatic therapy with functional medicine, and reviewers, including other mental health professionals among her clients, describe real progress on trauma and burnout. The review base is small, but feedback is unanimous and specific about individualized treatment.
Pros
- Somatic and functional medicine integration
- Specializes in trauma and burnout
Watch out: Reviews are few in number, so confidence in the pattern is still building.
Services: mental health counseling
Grief and Bereavement Resource Center Inc
Why it ranks seventh
Every one of its 14 reviews is five stars, with founder Sylvia Grant singled out for remembering personal details and letting grief work happen without rushing sessions. It's the clearest option in West Columbia built specifically around grief and bereavement, including family counseling.
Pros
- All 14 reviews are five-star
- Founder Sylvia Grant widely praised for compassion and expertise
- Family counseling available
- Non-profit model with scholarships and emergency assistance
Services: grief trauma counseling, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling
Jefferson Wellness and Consulting LLC
Why it ranks eighth
Dr. Jefferson and her team get consistent praise for capable, kind therapy delivered both in-person and via telehealth, with a licensed supervisor on staff for CBT and relational work. The review count is still small, so treat the pattern as promising rather than fully proven.
Pros
- Licensed supervisor on staff
- CBT and relational therapy approach
Watch out: Only a handful of reviews on record so far.
Services: mental health counseling
Mt Hebron Counseling Service
Why it ranks ninth
Most clients describe counselors who dig past surface complaints to find the underlying issue, in a practice where staff coordinate and share notes across cases. One reviewer's couples counseling experience turned sour after feeling their faith was dismissed, worth flagging for anyone seeking faith-integrated work.
Pros
- Counselors skilled at identifying root issues and trauma triggers
- Staff share information and coordinate across cases
- Clients report feeling genuinely heard
- Flexible pricing options
Watch out: One reviewer felt a counselor dismissed their faith during couples counseling, which they say contributed to the marriage ending.
Services: grief trauma counseling, mental health counseling, child adolescent counseling
LifeChanges Family Guidance & Wellness
Why it ranks tenth
Melanie Russell and the clinical team draw real praise for guiding children through divorce, blended families, and foster placements, with rapid intake and after-hours emergency support. Administrative friction around insurance processing, billing accuracy, and follow-up shows up often enough to confirm logistics before committing.
Pros
- Therapists skilled with child divorce and blended-family transitions
- Rapid intake for foster placements
Watch out: Reviewers describe insurance billing issues, administrative disorganization, and inconsistent follow-up communication.
Services: mental health counseling, child adolescent counseling
Macon Changes Professional Counseling Services
Why it ranks #11
Clients who click with Ashley describe attentive, practical sessions and real willingness to adjust scheduling around their lives. But the review pattern also shows a recurring issue with appointments cancelled without notice and missed-appointment charges applied without warning, so go in with clear expectations on the cancellation policy.
Pros
- Ashley's attentive, empathetic approach
- Flexible rescheduling for those it works well for
Watch out: Reviewers report cancellations without notice and missed-appointment charges applied without warning.
Services: mental health counseling, child adolescent counseling
Susan W. Taylor, MSN
Why it ranks #12
A practice established since 1983 with a board-certified clinician covering a range of mental health specialties. Available review evidence is limited to a single account from several years back describing meaningful crisis support, so there isn't much recent data to go on.
Pros
- Established practice dating to 1983
- Board-certified clinician
Watch out: Only one review on record, dating back several years, so recent experience is largely unknown.
Services: mental health counseling
Chudney Gadson Counseling
Why it ranks #13
One client credits her with restoring hope during a genuine mental health crisis, describing a fast connection and a real mindset shift. Another reviewer reports serious concerns about guidance given to a teen client, so this looks better suited to adult crisis support than adolescent care.
Pros
- Connects with clients quickly
- Helped restore hope during a crisis for at least one client
Watch out: A reviewer reports harmful guidance involving a teen client and advises looking elsewhere for adolescent care.
Services: mental health counseling
Hope Springs Counseling Services
Why it ranks #14
This listing has a single five-star review and not enough recent feedback yet to establish a reliable pattern. It's included on the strength of what's on record, but treat it as an unknown quantity until more reviews come in.
Pros
- Five-star rating on its one review to date
Watch out: Too few reviews to judge consistency; verify current details directly before booking.
Services: mental health counseling
Jennifer Miller
Why it ranks #15
Like others new to this list, Jennifer Miller has just one five-star review on record, which isn't enough yet to draw a confident conclusion about the typical client experience. Worth a direct inquiry to confirm services and fit.
Pros
- Five-star rating on its one review to date
Watch out: Too few reviews to judge consistency; verify current details directly before booking.
Services: mental health counseling