Anna Murphy , LMHC

Anna Murphy is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Iowa with nine years of clinical experience across inpatient, educational, community, and private practice settings. She has worked in psychiatric hospitals, schools, community mental health centers, and private agencies, supporting people from early childhood through older adulthood and addressing a wide range of challenges. Her training and experience include work with persistent and chronic mental illness, trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use concerns, involvement with child welfare systems, codependency, grief and loss, and difficulties managing strong emotions.

Anna earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa in 2012 with majors in Psychology and Studio Arts and a minor in Sociology. She completed a Master of Science in Art Therapy and Counseling from the College of New Rochelle in 2015. As an LMHC, she draws on both clinical training and expressive modalities to help clients explore experiences and build practical coping skills.

Her approach is warm, interactive, and client centered. She emphasizes collaboration, viewing individuals as the experts on their own stories, and focuses on tailored strategies that fit each person’s situation. Therapeutic methods she integrates include trauma-informed care, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused techniques, and expressive therapy when clients are open to creative interventions. Anna works with issues such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, depression, addictions, relationship and family concerns, ADHD, bipolar mood disorders, caregiver strain, and many other life transitions and challenges.

Approaches for Online Healing and Growth

Anna integrates several evidence-informed approaches to meet a range of concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and building practical skills to change behaviors and emotional responses, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills, helping people who struggle with intense emotions or relationship challenges. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience, offering a supportive, nonjudgmental space where the therapist follows the client’s lead and helps them discover their own solutions.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Anna works with clients to understand their goals, preferences, and life context, and she adapts methods over time to find what fits best. That partnership helps shape treatment in a way that feels relevant and sustainable.

Online therapy options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging make it easier to access consistent care while balancing work, family, and other commitments. These formats offer flexibility in scheduling and allow clients to engage in therapy from locations that are convenient for them, while still working with licensed professionals who tailor treatment to each person’s needs.