Hi, my name is Ben Murphy, I am a licensed psychotherapist and life coach. My story of developing a love for psychology and personal development has a painful beginning. I had very little knowledge of therapy, emotional health or self-inquiry prior to the age of 27. I certainly had no interest in becoming a helping professional prior to then. I grew up heavily involved in athletics and unknowingly my entire identity was tied to my athletic performance. In college I suffered a career ending injury that sent me into what, in hindsight,I view as a full identity crisis. I eased my personal suffering with alcohol and drugs, not knowing how to handle the mental, emotional and physical pain that I was going through. This self-destructive pain avoidance but ultimately pain creating behavior continued until I was 26 years old when I was able to quit drinking, get involved in therapeutic support groups and begin working with a personal therapist. I was able to integrate the trauma’s I had suffered and develop the life skills required to get back on my feet. It was at age 28 that I decided I wanted to become a therapist and help people work through their suffering to find happiness and health in their lives. I am a lover of stoic philosophy, solution focused therapy, gestalt therapy, emotionally focused therapy, spirituality, dance, bodywork, and many other forms of healing and self-inquiry. I see physical health as being critical to emotional and mental health and talk with all my clients about their sleep, food, water and exercise. I love seeing people heal and grow which is the fuel that keeps me going in such an emotionally demanding line of work. I am not a therapist that will just sit there taking notes as you disclose your struggles and ask, “how does that make you feel.” I’ve had therapists like that in the past and I never trusted them. I give my honest opinion of what I am hearing from my clients then use my knowledge and tools to co create a plan to address the problems that are being presented. I honestly see myself more as a life coach than a psychotherapist for that reason. If you are suffering please keep hope alive in your body, please understand that we can get through the darkest times in life and come out the other side wiser and more grateful. Those dark times can be so difficult, thank God we do not have to go through them alone. Please find people you trust and get the assistance you need to heal. Life can be very challenging at times but with some help we can turn those trials into building blocks of our character, that’s my belief anyway. Much love, I am here if you would like to talk – Ben