About
Dr. Michelle Murray
Psychotherapy | Assessment | Case Consultation & Supervision
Dr. Michelle Murray believes in a strengths-based approach to treatment and strives to create a sense of safety and agency in the therapy room. She has an engaging, thoughtful, active, and transparent therapy style, and uses the therapy relationship to promote insight into client's attachment styles and relational patterns. While she primarily has a relational psychodynamic approach, Dr. Murray is always viewing the work from an anti-oppressive social justice lens. She often integrates somatic and parts work into therapy as a way to encourage curiosity and enhance what client's bodies are trying to teach them. She believes in the power of therapy to foster growth and diminish suffering. She is advocate for her clients and holds them to the same high standards that she has for herself.
Dr. Murray was born in Southern California, and while she misses surfing, she has a new found love for experiencing ACTUAL seasons. She is a cinephile and enjoys classic horror films. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, baking, gardening, and spending time with her chosen and blood-related family. She tries to find time to be creative and enjoys painting, drawing, and fiber arts. Dr. Murray loves learning and always strives toward growth.
Dr. Murray has been providing psychotherapy for over 15 years. She is a credentialed Health Service Psychologist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (I & II). She also holds a certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy and constantly strives to integrate somatic practices into her work.
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Prior to starting her private practice, she has worked in college counseling centers for several elite universities providing individual psychotherapy, and developing and co-facilitating process groups for survivors of sexual trauma. Additionally, she has worked in the VA healthcare system providing short-term trauma focused therapy for survivors of combat and military sexual trauma (MST), as well as assisting with research studies looking at the prevalence and treatment of MST. Dr. Murray has provided supervision to colleagues on complex trauma cases, and trained Masters' level clinicians in advanced therapy techniques as an adjunct professor. Her varied professional experiences have strengthened her expertise in treating diverse populations and working with trauma. Dr. Murray particularly enjoys working with creatives, neurodivergent, and queer identifying individuals.
Specialty Areas
Complex Trauma & PTSD | ​​​Gender and/or Sexual Identity Development
Relationship Issues | Life Transitions | Career Indecision
Anger | Mood Disorders | Dissociation
LGBTQIA+ | Transgender, Non-binary, & Gender Expansive Individuals
Early Career Professionals | College students
Clientele
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you."
- Dr. Maya Angelou
