Anna Murphy , LMHC

Anna Murphy is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Iowa. She focuses on helping people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, mood shifts, and issues tied to identity and recovery. Her style is warm and straightforward and aims to help people find tools that fit their life.

She has worked for nine years in a range of settings, including psychiatric hospitals, schools, community mental health centers, and private agencies. That mix of work means she has experience with long-term mental health conditions, trauma and abuse, substance use, and caregiving strain. She also supports people facing life changes like divorce, adoption and foster care questions, cancer, or career shifts.

In sessions she treats each person as the expert on their own life. She uses practical skill-building alongside reflective conversation so clients can try different ways to manage emotions and stress. She also offers expressive approaches when someone wants to work with art or creative techniques.

Her clinical work draws from approaches such as cognitive behavioral methods, dialectical behavior ideas, acceptance and commitment perspectives, and EMDR for trauma processing. The goal is to teach coping strategies and help people make choices that match their values.

Anna speaks English and practices throughout Iowa. She can meet by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Therapy sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time, and scheduling begins by completing a short matching questionnaire and choosing a time that fits the client.

How Anna Brings Evidence-Based Care Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most and take small committed steps toward those values. It often supports folks dealing with stress, anxiety, and life transitions by focusing on action more than on getting rid of every difficult thought. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and changing behaviors that keep problems going. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and mood regulation because it teaches concrete coping skills and problem-solving techniques. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused approach that can help people process distressing memories and reduce the intensity of traumatic reactions when both client and therapist agree to use it.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose which methods to try based on needs, goals, and comfort level. That decision is revisited as therapy progresses so treatments stay practical and relevant.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls are good for deeper conversation and visual connection. Phone sessions can fit a break at work or use less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging allow brief check-ins and ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep progress moving forward.