Dr. Johanna Murphy, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY 20386)
I am a licensed psychologist in private practice in Berkeley and Lafayette, with 25 years of clinical experience and extensive training in psychodynamic psychotherapy. I currently work with individuals and couples, specializing in the areas of spirituality and creativity, loss and grieving, life transitions, and women’s health (including perinatal adjustment and perimenopause adjustment).
I take a developmental approach to understanding the root causes of the patient’s difficulties and then understanding the problem within their given context. A developmental approach helps people choose how best to relate to their problems, empowering them to see that they are separate from the issue at hand, not one and the same. I believe in the innate resilience of all people to heal if given the space and time. I facilitate a deep inquiry into what has blocked the healing process and help people recognize how to create the life they desire. All of my training and clinical experience inform my work and allow me to use an integrative style adapted to each patient’s individual needs.
My pre-doctoral training at Stanford University included a mindfulness-based integrative approach to psychotherapy that has continued to influence my work today. My post-doctoral training at the California College of Arts strengthened my interest in the creative, expansive aspects of the therapeutic process. I have a warm and empathic style.