Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danielle Murphy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Danielle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

Our bodies are intrinsically made to heal from stress and trauma. It’s pretty incredible how much stress a person’s nervous system can manage, while keeping a person healthy. When life becomes too stressful or traumatic events happen, it can throw this natural process off, but we still have the ability to prompt it to resume healthful functioning.

I give this advice to clients all the time. Most people come in feeling very beaten down and lacking hope. They hear about somatic therapy and are deeply hoping it will help them more than the many other things that they have tried. So this information is often a first step towards rebuilding a sense of hope and belief in their own capacity to heal. Restoring hope is often a very important part of healing in and of itself.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Danielle Murphy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of Somatic Freedom Psychotherapy in the state of New York and Pennsylvania. She holds a Masters in Social Work from New York University. Danielle has been in private practice since 2014. She incorporates different treatment modalities into her work, with an emphasis on body-oriented techniques.

Danielle started Somatic Freedom Psychotherapy in 2019, which is a group practice that focus’ on providing therapy to all people, with special consideration and skillfulness around those who have not historically or presently been able to find a safe place to heal.

Danielle is an avid learner and often is studying new and innovative therapeutic techniques. One of the most profound areas of her study has been the work of Dr. Peter Levine who is the founder of Somatic Experiencing. This is a body-based naturalistic approach to healing trauma. Danielle is an active member of the Somatic Experiencing community, where she assists widely and is approved to provide Personal Sessions and Consultations.

Danielle serves on the board of the United States Association of Body Psychotherapy. USABP is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to developing and advancing the art, science, and practice of Body Psychotherapy.

Danielle deeply believes in the inherent wisdom and knowledge of our bodies. She believes that our bodies hold all of the capacity that one needs to heal and be whole, no matter the stress, traumas and troubles experienced in life. Supporting clients in discovering their innate wholeness, the tools to reclaim ease in their life and the power to live out their dreams is Danielle’s greatest passion.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building my reputation has been primarily about providing high quality and effective services. Once word of mouth began to spread, my referral rate significantly climbed. Additionally, I established expertise by teaching in various places like continuing education programs and volunteering my time in professional organizations. This allowed me to network more often and to demonstrate my experience and expertise.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think that other than training and knowledge, the most helpful thing for success is a person’s willingness to keep learning skills that are outside of their comfort zone. Running my business requires many skills that are not taught as a part of my professional education. While I have been in business for almost 10 years, I continuously come up against new learning edges. The more that I am willing to research and learn, the more that I can succeed. This also means recognizing when I come up against something that needs outside expertise and appropriately getting that help.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.somaticfreedomtherapy.com

Image Credits
Jude Valentin