- Warm collaborative care
- Practical coping skills
- Art-informed options
About Anna
Anna Murphy is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Iowa with nine years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, grief, codependency, and life changes. Her style is warm and interactive, and she focuses on helping each person find practical ways to cope and move forward.
Anna draws on a mix of approaches to meet individual needs. She uses client-centered care to make space for each person’s story. She also applies cognitive behavioral techniques to help shift unhelpful thinking and dialectical behavior strategies to build emotion regulation skills.
Her background includes work in psychiatric hospitals, schools, community mental health centers, and private agencies. That range means she has experience supporting people across many situations and stages of life. She has worked with clients dealing with persistent mental illness, mood disorders, and substance use, among other challenges.
Anna earned 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. She incorporates expressive therapy options when clients are open to them, such as art-based activities to complement talk therapy.
In sessions she focuses on practical coping tools and strategies tailored to the person’s situation. She aims to empower people to use strengths they already have while building new skills. Prospective clients should confirm current session options before booking.
How Anna integrates different approaches for online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) invites people to notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and to choose actions that match personal values. It can help when someone feels stuck by worry, avoidance, or shame. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. It is useful for changing repetitive thoughts and building step-by-step habits. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches skills for managing strong emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness, which can help with mood instability or intense reactions.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to identify goals, try methods that fit their needs, and adjust the plan based on what helps. This makes therapy a shared process rather than a one-size-fits-all program.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around school, work, or caregiving because it reduces travel time and can allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people continue therapy after a move or during life transitions while keeping the same clinician. Licensed professionals typically adapt their approaches so tools and exercises translate well to a virtual setting.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
9+ years
Credentials
Iowa
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Anna address?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, codependency, and related issues such as self-esteem and relationship challenges.
What is her general therapy style?
Her approach is warm and interactive with a client-centered focus. She works collaboratively and helps people learn practical strategies that fit their lives.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
Anna has nine years of experience in settings like psychiatric hospitals, schools, community mental health centers, and private agencies, working with a broad range of concerns and ages.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds the LMHC credential and practices in Iowa.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current session options with the provider before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.