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).

Marquita is a Licensed Psychotherapist serving residents of Colorado, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Maine in her virtual practice, Whole Heart Counseling. She serves individuals who desire healing from anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, life transitions, trauma, and work-life concerns.

My mode for counseling stems from the desire to find the place of compassion within everyone’s story. We are all broken people in need of healing, but often our own judgements of ourselves prevents us from seeing the places we need love and insight. Therapy offers a safe space to process emotions and thoughts. Here, we are all able to uncover the root cause for the issues in our lives.
I work from a trauma-informed perspective, working through current issues and the deeper beliefs, thoughts and emotions that influence our choices. I specialize in boundary work, anxiety, depression, relationships, life transition, death and grief, spirituality issues, substance use, adjustment to change and changing cultures. I enjoy working with clients of all ages and approach counseling from a multicultural perspective. I also provide counseling with christian values and provide counseling without based on client’s preference and value system. I look forward to meeting you!

Feeling anxious, stuck, or just in need of someone to talk to? You’re not alone. Deciding to find a counselor is an amazing and powerful first step. Let me help you with the rest. Each session with me is specific to who you are and what you need. I find joy in helping my clients discover who they are and achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

Available to New Clients! In-person Acworth office or virtually.
Who Am I? We all desire to be heard, to be seen, to have a purpose, to know the truth, to trust, to be trusted, and to be whole. The mind, body, & spirit need to be well; we work with all three parts. Having grown up overseas, I know acculturation into the home country is a struggle. I know what it's like to be hurt by religion or church. I know what it's like to live with a narcissistic leader or family member.
I've experienced divorce, remarriage, had single-parenting struggles, learned to rebuild a family. I know the challenges of aging parents. Life is hard at any age. I am also an LGBTQIA ally.
I offer a safe space of acceptance & kind confrontation. Our lives are impacted by trauma, whether a one-time event or a life pattern. Trauma can be one-time or long-term; religious, psychological, or physical abuse by people we trust. I will walk alongside you, working through the past, accepting the present, working toward whole wellness in your future.
As your therapist, I want to be present with you where your needs may be. If it's anxiety, depression, gender identity issues, church or religion mess, trauma, aging parents, difficult kids, troubled or at-risk-marriage, toxicity, or a career change, I will listen to you. I offer an open mind but I will challenge you when you need another perspective.

My goal is to help every client be the truest, healthiest version of themselves. Career challenges, stage of life transitions, relational conflict, and social circumstances can all be sources of stress and produce feelings of inadequacy and isolation. Addressing these challenges not only increases self-awareness; it bolsters self-esteem, fuels empathy and increases our capacity for healthy interpersonal connection. Ultimately, these are the elements that allow us to weather the challenges life sends our way and to thrive in both personal and professional settings.

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.

I have been supporting parents in every job or role I’ve had in adulthood whether I knew it at the time or not. My clinical work began working with teenagers in the inpatient setting. I noticed that there would be times where patients would become stable while in the hospital and then we would discharge them, only for them to return a short time later. I realized we needed to be working with the family as a whole. Then I began working with younger children, thinking if I intercepted my clients at a younger age, I could potentially prevent the struggles I saw on the inpatient unit. I slowly worked my way down in age, working in the infant and early childhood realm in mental health care. One day, I had a lightbulb moment. I noticed a trend in all of these settings: the most important and impactful work is done with parents. Most mental health difficulties in children (and even many adults!) can be traced back to early childhood. Those experiences either tend to help or hinder our roles as parents.

Megan received her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Certificate in Trauma Counseling from Richmont Graduate University. While obtaining her degree, Megan gained experience at Peachford Hospital in the Partial Hospitalization Program working with adults, adolescents, and children. At Hope Counseling Center, Megan worked with adults experiencing trauma, addictions, grief and loss, identity issues, relationship issues, and life transitions. Megan currently works at Grow Counseling and Fayette Accountability Counseling and specializes in the following areas:

Complex Trauma
Addictions (substance and process)
Grief and Loss
Body and Self-Image
Career Development