About Stephen
Stephen Murphy is a licensed clinical social worker with ten years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. He holds LICSW, MD, and LCSW-C credentials and practices from Maryland while working with people across several states. He aims to create a steady, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk about what matters to them.
His style is direct and compassionate. He uses clear, practical steps and helps clients build skills they can use between sessions.
Background and approach
Conversations focus on real-life problems such as workplace stress, relationship struggles, grief, addiction, and challenges related to identity and parenting. Stephen draws on a range of approaches to match what each person needs. He integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Attachment-Based ideas depending on the issue.
Sessions often combine skill-building, problem solving, and reflection to help clients move forward. He also supports people coping with ADHD, trauma and abuse, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue. Additional focus areas include adoption and foster care issues, caregiver stress, attachment challenges, and communication problems.
These topics are handled with patience and attention to practical tools. Stephen works with adults who want a collaborative partner in therapy. He encourages active participation and sets attainable goals together with each client.
The work is paced to fit daily life and the stresses people face now.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify their values and make small, committed changes even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on practical skills to change unhelpful thinking and behaviors, useful for anxiety, depression, and daily coping. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people build more supported ways of relating and communicating.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made, so therapy stays collaborative and personalized.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit into busy lives. Video works well for deeper conversations and skill practice. Phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for simpler check-ins. Chat and text messaging allow brief check-ins, follow-up, or coaching between longer sessions. These options give flexibility so people can match format to their schedule and needs.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, District of Columbia, Maryland
- Languages
- English
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