Profile / United States
Austa Murray, LCSW
Illinois
Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Anxiety and Trauma
See online therapy options- CBT strategies
- Attachment work
- Communication skills
About Austa
Austa Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Illinois with 22 years of clinical experience. She helps people managing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting challenges, and issues related to LGBT identity. She also supports people dealing with grief, anger, ADHD, bipolar symptoms, and life transitions.
Her approach is practical and conversational. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) along with attachment-based and client-centered methods to notice unhelpful thoughts and habits. Sessions focus on clear skills, problem-solving, and understanding patterns that keep problems going.
She has worked across multiple settings and with people who have faced sexual assault, emotional abuse, and other trauma. That background informs how she looks at both current problems and earlier relationships that shape how people cope today. Developmental factors and attachment patterns are part of the lens she uses in sessions.
In conversation she emphasizes education, skill practice, and building insight rather than long lectures. She draws on DBT strategies and elements of the Gottman Method when communication skills or emotion regulation are a core issue. Therapy moves at a pace the person finds manageable and focuses on concrete changes.
People who choose her can expect a structured but person-focused process: identify goals, try specific skills, track what helps, and adjust as needed. Before booking, readers should confirm session formats and scheduling details.
How her therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships influence current emotions and behavior. Online sessions using this lens focus on recognizing patterns in relationships and trying new ways of connecting or responding. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing behaviors. In online CBT sessions people learn specific skills, practice them between sessions, and review what helps. Client-Centered Therapy centers on the person’s goals and pace. The therapist listens, reflects, and supports clients in making choices about which skills or ideas to try.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide which methods to emphasize based on the client’s goals, symptoms, and preferences. That choice can shift as progress is made or new needs show up.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking, since session types are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, shorten commute time, and allow sessions when travel or childcare would otherwise be a barrier. It can also let people focus on building skills in their usual environments and use shorter check-ins when needed. Ask about session length and scheduling when completing the matching questionnaire to match the practical format to daily life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
22+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, grief, anger, bipolar symptoms, ADHD, and related areas.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and to teach practical skills for changing them. Sessions often include skill practice and homework to test new ways of responding.
What is her clinical style in sessions?
Her style is educational and insight-oriented with attention to skills and problem-solving. She combines listening with concrete strategies and tracks what is working over time.
What are her qualifications and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in Illinois and has 22 years of experience working in a range of mental health settings.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what does cost look like?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.