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LCSW

Austa Murray, LCSW

  • Experience22 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Family
  • Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Austa

Austa Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 22 years of experience supporting people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, and ADHD.

Background and approach

She draws on training in attachment and trauma to understand how past experiences shape current feelings and patterns, and she brings an educational, insight-oriented stance to therapy. Murray emphasizes building a strong therapeutic connection and moving at a pace that feels comfortable to each client so progress is collaborative and individualized.

Her work blends evidence-based techniques with a compassionate, nonjudgmental style. She integrates cognitive behavioral strategies and elements of dialectical and client-centered practice to teach skills, explore expectations, and foster greater self-understanding.

Murray also uses approaches informed by attachment theory and the Gottman Method to address relationship dynamics and communication. Across 22 years in a range of mental health settings she has worked on issues such as parenting concerns, caregiver stress, adoption and foster care topics, codependency, anger, bipolar disorder, and a variety of developmental and co-morbid presentations.

Evidence-Informed Approaches for Online Support



Austa Murray draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and mood regulation. She also uses attachment-based therapy to explore how early relationships influence current relationship dynamics and emotional responses, making it easier to address topics like intimacy, abandonment, and caregiving stress. Occasionally she integrates dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills to help with emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness when those needs arise.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with clients to understand their goals, preferences, and presenting concerns, and then tailor interventions accordingly. That collaborative planning helps ensure techniques and pacing fit each person's situation and comfort level.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which can make scheduling more flexible and reduce travel time. These formats allow licensed professionals to provide consistent care across different circumstances, support skills practice between sessions, and make it easier to maintain continuity during life transitions or busy periods.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
Austa Murray works with a broad set of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, ADHD, and caregiving or parenting challenges.
How would you describe the therapeutic style and approach?
The style is compassionate, nonjudgmental, educational, and insight based, blending strengths-focused work with practical skill building and trauma-informed perspectives.
What level of experience does the therapist have?
She brings 22 years of experience across individual, group, and family therapy settings and has advanced training in attachment and trauma-informed approaches.
What credentials and location are on record?
The therapist is an LCSW licensed in Illinois with license number IL LCSW 149.010100 and practices from an Illinois location.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are conducted in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for appointments?
Clients can connect through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on their needs and scheduling.
How is cost and payment handled for therapy?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule appointments based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSelf-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Gottman MethodNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

22+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English

What Austa can help with

Austa Murray works with clients on stress and anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, self esteem, and depression.

Austa works with clients facing depression, anxiety, stress, and career difficulties.

How Austa approaches therapy

Austa's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Gottman Method, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Austa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Illinois.