Family Therapy in Austin, TX

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Texas. I have 8+ years of experience working with individuals coming from a range of circumstances and backgrounds. My formative work primarily involved working with adolescents, families, and couples dealing with crises in a social service setting. This laid a great foundation as I was able to develop new skills with each incoming client. Through that experience, I found that my true passion lies within a few specialties: couples & family counseling, adolescents & young adults, LGBTQI+, EMDR, stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma.

We all encounter major stress and loss and often we recover well on our own. Sometimes life becomes overwhelming, confusing and too big to process alone. You can reach out for support, and you don’t have to do it alone. Through therapy, you have the power to focus on what helps you learn and grow. I am passionate about helping clients connect to their core values in therapy. We'll use mindfulness-based therapies to help you become aware of thoughts and behaviors that prevent you from experiencing a joyful and authentic life. I enjoy using humor, creativity and self-compassion in my practice.

I have helped couples for 30 years to transform their relationship using Imago Relationship Therapy. I teach couples a communication skill set that foster emotional maturity and respect. This changes relationships. Being in relationship can be challenging during the second stage of relationship when the newness recedes and irritations begins. The Imago model increases consciousness and healing around the origins of conflict. This awareness empowers couples in their ability to change so they are no longer victims to dysfunctional patterns. I incorporate a psycho-spiritual approach in my Imago work as well as individual counseling.

Occasionally we need someone to help guide us back to ourselves and to ground in that inner knowledge. Whether it is mid-life transitions, loss, trauma, our past history, relationships, or simply the chaotic pace of our modern life that has caused us to lose touch, finding our way back helps us to find what we are seeking. Decisions and life transitions then feel a little less burdensome, our relationships less fraught with conflict, our lives a little more joyful. I think Jon Kabat-Zinn found the most eloquent way of saying it...

Hello! My Name is Emily McElmurry and I am a licensed professional counselor who specializes in working with teens, young adults and adults. I assist with addressing the various issues that many of us face including anxiety, stress, depression, grief, relationship difficulties, family conflicts, social struggles, self-esteem concerns, and life transition challenges.

I work with adolescents and adults of all identities who are open to trying new healing modalities. I enjoy using a variety of tools in sessions including oracle cards, tarot cards, journaling, and EFT or tapping. I have experience navigating and understanding for clients and myself what it is like to live with chronic illness and complex medical issues, particularly chronic pelvic conditions including endometriosis and PCOS. I am happy to see clients virtually or in-person for those fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Sometimes love isn't enough. It's not easy maintaining a long-term relationship, especially during big life transitions. Your relationship is not doomed if you and your partner aren't getting along or connecting like you used to, and it's ok if you need help with improving communication and/or better tools for resolving conflict. We are all lifelong learners when it comes to relationships. I find couples therapy to be the most effective way to make changes in the here-and-now, but if your partner won't come to therapy with you, you can still work on the relationship on your own in individual therapy!

Are you conflicted, unhappy, in crisis, in transition, struggling with mental health symptoms, or just feeling that something is off? Are you struggling with consistent conflict or miscommunication in your relationships and ready to do something different? Change isn’t easy and sometimes even scary. I offer non-judgmental support around the challenges and stressors you’re dealing with.

All relationships are hard, whether it is with a friend of 20 years, the family you grew up with, a marriage just starting off, or a recent breakup. Sometimes we can't find exactly the right words, or know how to bring up a difficult topic. And sometimes we just want everyone to be ok, even if we're not together. Navigating our relationships, romantic or otherwise can seem like a lot in light of all of our daily responsibilities. Whether you are looking to build connections, have better, more meaningful sex, or explore new paths for your relationship like polyamory, let's explore this together.

Complicated grief reactions, marital and family conflict, and managing major life challenges and change are the main issues I address in psychotherapy. Besides providing traditional office-based therapy, a special program combining office and remote sessions is available, to fit the schedules of Austin's frequent business travelers. An assessment is required before combination office/remote services can be offered, to insure the appropriateness of this offering for you. Please visit my website at http://psychotherapyonboard.com

Eating disorders are isolating. Your world has felt minimized to the endless loop of anxiety around what you eat and when. You’ve found yourself avoiding friends and family , canceling plans, and just struggling to get through the day. It feels hard to develop any sort of peace with yourself in a culture that is so intent on reminding you your body is wrong. It’s hard to even remember what it feels like to trust or respect your body.

Perhaps you’ve been struggling with a history of family trauma, or you are currently dealing with difficult and stressful relationship issues with a partner, family members or your children. Maybe you are going through a tough life transition and are trying to discover not only who you are, but why you feel so different or are filled with sadness or anxiety. Maybe you have a secret or are haunted by something from your past and you need a safe place/relationship where you can be your authentic self.

I use a variety of approaches developed over 40 years of clinical practice. Family systems approaches have been one of the main foundations of my work. I have extensively studied different hypnotic approaches to psychotherapy for 30 years. It is an invaluable aid for understanding my clients and helping those master new cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills. Especially important in my development is the work of Milton H. Erickson, M.D, who was a leader in conceptualizing and expanding the uses of hypnosis. I promise to help work on your problems in a comfortable atmosphere of respect, competence, and collaboration.

You may feel stuck and ready for a change. You may have used your intelligence, motivation or creativity to succeed in the past, but something isn't working as well right now. You may feel disconnected in your relationships and overwhelmed by your emotions. Maybe you're very hard on yourself or have difficulty making decisions. I can help you learn to trust yourself, increase self-compassion, and improve your relationships. Therapy is a process of getting to know yourself and your strengths. Together, we can help you get clear on what you really want and develop steps to meet your goals.

My approach is centered around helping you create wholeness within yourself. Once your goals for therapy are established, we will focus on achieving what you envision. We will identify and help you break through old patterns that hold you back in life. As you extricate yourself from past acculturation, you will get in touch with your beautiful core Self. At the end of therapy with me, you will feel a sense of restoration and experience freedom from your emotional baggage.