I speak kid + teen. I want my clients to go from a place of surviving to thriving. I’m here to help them uncover how to find joy and perseverance in life by connecting deeper with themselves and others through the use of therapeutic strategies and interventions that they can carry with them forever. I have my masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialty in children and adolescent development. I am trained in play therapy and utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) modalities to provide an individualized approach to therapy.
My promise is to allow clients and their families to feel valued and heard while motivating them to become the best versions of themselves! I am dedicated to celebrating clients' individuality and allowing clients the space to explore their story and in return gain confidence, awareness, and self-acceptance.
I would be honored to walk alongside your child and your family during this time. After all, we are each unique and worth celebrating! I am also a 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher and love to incorporate mind + body awareness in my sessions. I wasn’t kidding when I said "I speak kid and teen." *I do take college aged and adult clients based on referral.

Michelle works with adolescents and adults to help them achieve the emotional and personal growth they want to see in their lives. Michelle specializes in helping teenagers and young adults navigate transitions and establish a strong sense of self. She also helps those struggling with fertility journeys and pregnancy loss, military families with their unique lifestyle struggles, and parents establishing healthy relational patterns. She creates a safe, non-judgmental space for individuals to process their emotions, understand themselves, and further develop skills that help them heal and achieve their therapeutic goals.

I consider it a gift to help individuals and couples meet their goals and work towards becoming their most authentic selves. I have expertise and experience treating depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, trauma, family and relational issues, marital concerns including infidelity, and more. My therapeutic approach is fairly simple: I believe you are the expert in your life and I am here as a partner and sounding board to help you make real positive changes. My therapeutic style takes into account my training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Gottman therapy for couples, in conjunction with my belief in the resilience of the human spirit. I tailor my methods to suit the unique needs of the couples and individuals I serve. I understand how daunting it can feel to reach out for help, but you don't have to face this alone. Together, we can embark on a journey toward a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

In 1997, I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University where I was trained in the use of Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral therapies with adults and adolescents. My post graduate training includes EMDR and Internal Family Systems therapies. I draw on all of these approaches in my work to help people create happier, more fulfilling lives for themselves and their families.

My therapeutic focus includes transitions in adolescence and adulthood, trauma, navigating divorce and post-divorce relationships, and the anxiety and distress that accompany these experiences. I also help mothers and fathers navigate the difficult job of raising children, from infancy through young adulthood, in all types of family configurations. Together, with compassion, we can understand the origins of your distress, what keeps it present in your life, and what changes need to be made to let it go.

In addition to relying on traditional talk therapies, we can draw upon my non-traditional training. I offer EMDR therapy, a highly effective treatment for trauma that can also be helpful when you feel stuck after trying talk therapy to manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. And we can choose to use mindfulness techniques drawing upon my decades of practicing and teaching yoga and meditation.

If you are seeking help with any stage of divorce, my training as a divorce mediator may also be helpful in understanding and navigating the process you are going through.

I have a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and work with adults, teens, children, and couples. I am a person -centered and strengths based counselor, which means that I see you as the expert on you and will use my skills to help you find the solutions to your problems that are best for you. During our work together I will draw from various counseling theories including: solutions focused brief therapy, psychodynamic, CBT, and attachment theory. I have a certificate in child and adolescent therapy and specialized training in play therapy that I will use with my younger clients.

Telemental Health
Serving clients with Trauma, Complex Trauma, PTSD, Bipolar D/O, Anxiety, Depression and Gender issues

In my role as counselor I am honored to support individuals who are struggling with various aspects of life. Perhaps dealing with strong anxiety or depression, negative self talk, relationship issues, work or school pressures, unhealthy habits and poor self care. Does any of this sound like you? I will work with you to understand what is happening, design strategies to address your specific issues, and work step by step with you as we remove the barriers and build new and better ways of being you. Healthy, happy and connected to the world around you.
Encompassing compassion and practicality, I use cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, and short-term solution-focused therapies, often in my practice. I am EMDR trained, but prefer to use EFT (a cognitive somatic tapping technique), shown to help individuals integrate and heal from past traumatic events, life experience, difficult memories, present food cravings, stress, anxiety, and phobias. I also use cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients process certain issues and find solutions. My blending of cognitive and mind-body practice creates a unique healing experience for clients.
I am eager to help you thrive in all areas of your life, and will offer you the tools to make effective and lasting changes. I look forward to working with you towards the peace and health you desire. For clients who prefer speaking Spanish, I have a good command of the language. I am licensed in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Maryland and Vermont.

Melissa Murphy, LCSW-C, LICSW, LCSW, C-DBT, is a seasoned therapist and clinical director at Bethesda Therapy, licensed in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. Specializing in anxiety, depression, trauma, and OCD, she employs ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) and Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), recognized as leading treatments for OCD. Melissa's expertise extends to managing mood disorders, sexual dysfunction, and pelvic pain disorders. Her approach is collaborative and strengths-based, focusing on developing personalized strategies for each client.

As a Gottman-trained couples therapist, Melissa is adept at addressing the complexities of relationships affected by ADHD and OCD. She also treats Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) and finds profound fulfillment in supporting therapists and those in helping professions. Her work is underpinned by advanced training in both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over seven years of experience working with children, teens, and parents. "Enter into children's play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet." -Virginia Axline. I specialize in Child-Centered Play Therapy, a developmentally appropriate treatment modality for children that utilizes their natural mode of communication, play. I also utilize Expressive Arts, Family Systems, Strength-Based, and CBT.
I work primarily with children, teens, and young adults experiencing stress and anxiety, executive functioning deficits, identity confusion, mood disorders, grief and loss, and life adjustment challenges (i.e. separation/divorce). By providing a safe, non-judgmental environment, clients can effectively express, explore, and process their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I believe every client is equipped with a unique set of strengths and skills that can help them overcome adversity. By helping clients rework negative perceptions of events in their lives or of themselves, clients can move to a more regulated state.