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Therapist profile

Stephen Murphy

LICSW, LCSW-C Maryland 10 years of experience

Calm, practical help for life transitions

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Stephen Murphy
  • Person-centered
  • Practical tools
  • Collaborative

About Stephen

Stephen Murphy is a licensed therapist who brings ten years of clinical experience to his work. He practices as an LICSW and LCSW-C and sees clients from Maryland and beyond. He focuses on common struggles like stress, anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.

He uses straightforward, person-centered methods in sessions. He helps people talk through relationship and communication problems and addresses issues like addiction, grief, and career strain. Sessions aim to build everyday skills that make life easier.

Stephen draws on practical approaches such as cognitive-behavioral techniques and acceptance and commitment strategies to help clients shift unhelpful patterns. He also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how past relationships affect current ones. These methods are presented in clear, step-by-step ways during work together.

Clients can expect a calm, respectful space to sort out priorities and set realistic goals. Stephen pays attention to how identity, life stage, and caregiving roles influence stress and resilience. He also works with concerns like ADHD, compassion fatigue, and blended family challenges.

His style is collaborative and paced to what each person needs. He encourages small experiments and concrete tools that people can use between sessions. The focus is on steady progress through manageable steps rather than quick fixes.

How specific approaches shape online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then take steps that match their values. It can help with anxiety, stress, and transitions by teaching practical exercises for daily life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses specific techniques to change patterns that cause distress; it often helps with depression, anxiety, and behavior change. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships influence current connections and communication, and it is useful for addressing relationship patterns and trust issues.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Sessions are collaborative, and the plan can change as needs evolve so the best methods are tried and refined over time.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also lets people practice new skills where they live and test small changes between meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and attachment-based ideas to remote sessions so clients get practical tools that fit into their everyday routines.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsDepression

Also works with

AddictionsTrauma and abuseGriefParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

10+ years

Credentials

Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, District of Columbia, Maryland

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does this therapist help with?

He works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and communication issues, grief, addiction concerns, parenting strain, and coping with life changes among other topics.

How would you describe his therapeutic style?

His style is person-centered and practical, focusing on clear steps, skill-building, and collaborative goal setting rather than abstract theory.

What is his background and experience?

He has ten years of clinical experience working with a wide range of emotional and interpersonal challenges.

Which credentials and location apply to this therapist?

He holds LICSW and LCSW-C credentials and practices in Maryland while also holding licenses in other states.

Are sessions available in languages other than English?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are offered?

The original biography does not specify session formats; confirm current session options before booking.

How does billing and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with this therapist?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

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