Austa Murray, LCSW

Licensed in Illinois · 22 years in practice

Austa Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 22 years of experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and relationship struggles.

License and registration

LCSW, Illinois: 149.010100 · expires November 2027
NPI: 1932750775 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 22
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Austa

Austa Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 22 years of experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and relationship struggles. She works with clients facing parenting challenges, intimacy concerns, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and identity-related issues within the LGBT community. Her goal is to begin where each person is and move at a pace that feels manageable.

Austa keeps sessions straightforward and practical. She focuses on listening, building connection, and teaching skills people can use right away.

Background and approach

She blends clear explanations with chances to practice new ways of handling problems. Her tone is compassionate and non-judgmental. Her methods draw from attachment-based ideas, cognitive behavioral techniques, and client-centered ways of working.

That looks like talking through patterns in relationships, naming thoughts that fuel anxiety or depression, and trying small behavior changes between sessions. She also uses strategies from dialectical behavior therapy and the Gottman Method when relationship goals call for them. Austa has worked in a range of mental health settings over two decades.

That background informs how she tailors plans to each person’s needs. She aims to help people develop insight while also building everyday coping tools. Sessions are collaborative.

Together the therapist and client make a plan that fits the person’s goals, priorities, and comfort level. Austa emphasizes steady progress rather than quick fixes.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Austa lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Trauma and abuse
Self esteem
Depression
LGBT
Relationship issues
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Parenting issues
Anger management
Bipolar disorder
Coping with life changes
Coaching
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
Abandonment
Adoption and foster care
Attachment issues
Blended family issues
Caregiver issues and stress
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Control issues
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
Dissociation
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Emptiness
Family of origin issues
Family problems
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Impulsivity
Infidelity
Isolation / loneliness
Jealousy
Mood disorders
Narcissism
Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Paranoia
Personality disorders
Phobias
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Postpartum depression
Post-traumatic stress
Pregnancy and childbirth
Self-harm
Self-love
Sexual assault and abuse
Sexuality
Social anxiety and phobia
Trichotillomania
Women's issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Austa names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Therapeutic approaches that translate to online care

Austa uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationship patterns shape current connections and emotional responses. This approach can help people understand recurring trust or intimacy problems and change how they relate to others.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and mood regulation because it breaks problems into concrete thoughts and actions to practice between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals and comfort level. That may mean combining attachment ideas with CBT skills or adding DBT techniques when emotion regulation or distress tolerance are priorities.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video meetings allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions are a good option when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is preferred. Live chat and text messaging support shorter check-ins, ongoing coaching, or follow-up between longer sessions. Together these options offer flexibility so therapy can fit into a busy life.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does Austa address?

She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship issues, plus parenting, grief, ADHD, and identity-related concerns in the LGBT community.

What is her style and approach in sessions?

She works in a compassionate, non-judgmental way that combines listening, education, and skill building to help people manage problems and gain insight.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She brings 22 years of experience in a variety of mental health settings to her work with clients.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, listed as an IL LCSW, and practices with an Illinois location on record.

In which languages can sessions be held?

Sessions are offered in English.

Which session formats are available?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How does pricing and payment work?

Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are involved to begin therapy?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.

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