- Attachment-based work
- CBT strategies
- DBT skills
About Austa
Austa Murray is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 22 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, parenting challenges, trauma and anger. She also supports people dealing with grief, intimacy issues, ADHD, and LGBT concerns.
Her approach is rooted in attachment and trauma-informed thinking. Sessions begin where the client wants to start and move at a pace that feels manageable. Austa focuses on building a professional connection so people can explore what led them to seek help.
In practical terms she combines listening, teaching skills, and helping people develop insight. Cognitive behavioral tools are used alongside client-centered and attachment-based ideas to address thoughts, behaviors, and relational patterns. Dialectical behavior strategies and elements from the Gottman Method can be part of the work when useful.
She has worked in individual and group settings and has experience with developmental issues and trauma. That background informs how she helps people handle anger, control issues, communication problems, and codependency without rushing the process.
People can expect sessions that aim to increase understanding and develop concrete coping skills. Austa frames the work around strengths and problem solving. She helps people make a clear plan for the concerns they bring and adjusts that plan as needs change.
How therapeutic approaches are used in online sessions
Austa draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how past relationships shape current patterns. That approach helps when anger, trust issues, or attachment concerns affect close relationships.She also uses client-centered methods, which focus on listening and building a collaborative conversation. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is used to identify unhelpful thinking and to practice different responses to stress and anger.
Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist and client review goals, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. Your preferences, daily routines, and the problems you bring guide the selection of methods.
Confirm the session formats offered before booking so they fit your schedule. Online therapy can make it easier to fit work on skills into everyday life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Some approaches lend themselves to homework and skills practice between sessions, which many people find practical when managing anger and stress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
22+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
Which problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and anger along with relationship and parenting concerns.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered and insight oriented, using listening, skill teaching, and step-by-step planning.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 22 years of clinical experience working in a range of mental health settings.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing from Illinois.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.