Tolana Murphy

Tolana Murphy is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LCPC) with ten years of experience. She practices in Arizona and brings a calm, practical approach to people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, depression, and anger.

She has worked in intensive outpatient programs, inpatient detox units, and community mental health settings. That work included supporting people with severe mental illness, first psychotic breaks, and medication assisted treatment. She has also led group work alongside individual counseling.

Her style is flexible and person-focused. She draws on methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing when appropriate. Sessions aim to make coping skills clearer and more useful in daily life.

Clients can expect practical steps alongside emotional support. Tolana emphasizes understanding each person's situation before choosing how to proceed. She helps people talk through parenting strain, relationship stress, sleep and eating difficulties, career concerns, ADHD challenges, and other life changes.

Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The University of Toledo and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Spring Arbor University. She combines that training with hands-on experience to guide people through grief, trauma, addiction recovery, and rebuilding routine after major changes.

How her approaches work in online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that reflect their values. It often helps with anxiety, stress, and motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and testing small behavioral changes to reduce symptoms like worry, low mood, and sleep problems. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) concentrates on understanding emotions and improving emotional connections, which can help with relationship and intimacy-related struggles.

Tolana treats the choice of approach as a team effort. She listens to what matters most, tries methods that fit a person’s goals, and adjusts the plan over time. The goal is to find practical strategies that feel useful and doable for daily life.

Confirm the current online session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. In general, online work can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy schedule, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Therapists can use talk-based work, guided exercises, and homework tools that translate well to remote sessions. Ask about which formats are available when you schedule so you can pick what fits your routine.