Dr. Cara Murphy
Psy.D., Clinical Director
My Approach
You do not have to accept that you are feeling misunderstood, guilty, alone, stuck, angry, sad, or anxious. Life is not easy in today's world. Dr. Murphy will work with you on developing a deeper understanding of what is keeping you from living the life you want to live and will guide you toward feeling more connection, joy, and acceptance. Dr. Murphy believes positive outcomes in therapy require a strong connection, where patients feel heard and empowered. The therapeutic relationship is instrumental in fostering self-awareness and change. Dr. Murphy’s style is open, non-judgmental, warm, and informal. She is a trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapist, who often incorporates dialectical behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing techniques. Her approach is collaborative and compassionate in order to foster hope, healing, and resilience. You and Dr. Murphy both bring to a therapeutic relationship your identities, privileged and marginalized statuses, and cultural values, beliefs, and biases. She brings her whole, authentic self into the room and will create a safe space for you to do the same. Taking the first step toward therapy can be daunting, and finding the right therapist is not always easy, but Dr. Murphy would be grateful to be part of your journey toward a positive fulfilling life.
Ages Treated | Preteens, Teens, Adults, Elders
About Dr. Cara Murphy
My Experience
Dr. Murphy has 20+ years of experience working with pre-adolescents, adolescents, young adults, and adults from diverse backgrounds in various settings. She specializes in trauma, depression, and anxiety and often works with patients experiencing struggles in school/work, family/relationship conflict, identity issues, parenting difficulties, as well as grief and loss. She has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), Multisystemic Therapy (MST), and Family Integrated Transitions (FIT).
Dr. Murphy graduated from Evanston Township High School, earned her BA from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana and her PsyD from Argosy University – Chicago.
She is a skilled therapist, supervisor, trainer, advocate, mentor, program director, evaluator, and administrator. Building upon this solid foundation, Dr. Murphy used her leadership capabilities to develop a program for teens that attracted the attention of the U.S. Surgeon General’s office which prompted a Chicago visit from Dr. Vivek Murthy and his team to learn from the young people and hear about her work with them. As a respected team member and clinical supervisor, she utilizes a collaborative feminist and relational approach focused on empowering clinicians to grow both clinically and personally. Dr. Murphy has a versatile skill set with a passion for wellness and considers herself a life-long learner.
In her current role as the Clinical Director, Dr. Murphy provides leadership and supervision to clinical staff and is involved in quality assurance and training to ensure Courage to Connect Mental Health Center offers excellent support to patients of all ages.
Education
University of Illinois,B.A.
Psychology
Argosy University, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychology
Languages Spoken
English
Gender
She/Her
Location
Treatment Modalities
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Family Systems Therapy
- Humanistic Therapy
- Integrative Therapy
- LGBTQ Affirmative Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Motivational Interviewing
- Multicultural Therapy
- Person-Centered Therapy
- Relational Therapy
- Trauma Informed Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy