Emma Murray, LGMFT

Therapist at Bethesda Counseling Services

I specialize in working with children and parents who are dealing with a variety of life-stressors and changes. Whether it is behavioral problems in school, past trauma, divorce, death, etc., my goal is to help my clients feel heard and understood. I believe we all have a story to tell, and with the security and support of therapy, we are able to tell our stories with confidence. This process of “telling” can happen through conventional speech or through art and play. My goal is that all clients feel the safety in the therapy room to share their stories with me, their family members, and most of all, with him or herself.

Attachment theory drives my world outlook and my goal of therapy is for the children I work with to develop secure, nurturing relationships with their parents or caregivers. Parents must learn how to “be the hands” to hold and support their children in times of need and times of celebration. This includes discovering and improving the parent-child process and helping parents discover their own strengths and resiliency. I am of the belief and practice that change needs to be wanted and through self-discovery, empathy, and hope, I will help you come to a place where you want to make change for your family and yourself. Above all, as reflective in the parent-child relationship, I aim to provide you and your family with a sense of safety, security, and comfort. A wise mentor once told me that comfort resides in the ritual of care and where there is care, nurturance, attention, responsiveness, there is comfort. I want to help you and your family to discover, adapt, and thrive with your new rituals of care.

My “story” starts at the Jersey Shore where I was born and raised, then to College Park, Maryland where I completed both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy in the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Now I spend my time discovering different gardens and parks in the DMV area, spending quiet Saturday afternoons reading, and playing board games with my friends and family.