About Anna
Anna Murphy is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Iowa. She focuses on helping people who struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and relationship concerns. Her style is warm and interactive, aimed at helping clients learn practical coping skills that fit their lives.
Murphy draws on nearly nine years of clinical experience in settings such as psychiatric hospitals, schools, community mental health centers, and personal agencies. That background means she has worked with people facing persistent mental health challenges as well as shorter-term life transitions.
Background and approach
She uses everyday language and direct tools during sessions so people can try strategies between meetings. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Studio Arts from the University of Iowa and a Master of Science in Art Therapy and Counseling from The College of New Rochelle.
Murphy blends several therapeutic ideas when planning treatment, tailoring methods to each person rather than following a single formula. In practice she uses approaches like cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior strategies, acceptance and commitment ideas, and eye movement work when appropriate. She also offers expressive therapy options for clients who want to include art-based work in sessions.
Sessions focus on skill-building, emotion regulation, and small steps toward goals. People who prefer online connections can work with her through video, phone, live chat, or text messaging. Murphy invites clients to describe what feels most useful and then collaborates to build a practical plan that fits daily life.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and then choose actions that match their values; it can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and practicing new skills to change behavior and mood, which often works well for anxiety, depression, and ADHD-related challenges. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused approach that uses structured processing to reduce the hold of traumatic memories and related symptoms.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what feels manageable, then try methods that match those needs. Adjustments are made over time so sessions remain practical and relevant.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video lets people use visual cues and a fuller session experience, phone works when bandwidth is limited or a quieter check-in is needed, live chat is helpful for brief check-ins or when typing feels easier, and text messaging supports ongoing reminders and short reflections between sessions. These options help fit therapy into busy lives and different routines.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- Iowa
- Languages
- English
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