Grace Murray, MFT

Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years as a therapy client. I sat through sessions that ranged from deeply meaningful to frustratingly stuck. That experience shaped how I work. My approach is client-led and consent-focused. You shouldn’t leave a session confused about what we’re working on or why.

I work with individuals who are struggling with a history of trauma, and/or a harsh inner critic and are seeking tools to understand and navigate triggers and emotional dysregulation. I see clients facing problems with sexual functioning, sexual shame, or exploring their gender identity and sexual orientation. I also work with partners who want to increase their communication, coregulation, and connection.

I strive to foster a collaborative space where you are safe to feel, grow, and witness the full range of your resilience and vulnerability. We’ll explore how your past impacts your present and identify patterns in your relationships. I hope to make therapy a place where we prioritize connection, joy, and meaning alongside the hard work.

How I Work With Complex Trauma

C-PTSD manifests uniquely in everyone, but often involves a harsh inner critic, rejection sensitivity, identity fragmentation, and relationally triggered emotional dysregulation. Starting from a place of curiosity, we’ll explore the origins of your symptoms and the emotional learnings beneath them. Rather than pathologizing or shaming your symptoms as maladaptive, I’ll challenge you to consider how they have helped you survive. I work to build an appreciation for the adaptive and protective nature of your symptoms, supporting acceptance of all your parts. Drawing from my own experience navigating C-PTSD, I believe healing comes from learning how to stay with yourself through difficult emotions and triggers, rather than trying to eliminate them entirely. My integrative, trauma-informed approach incorporates attachment theory, somatic work, Internal Family Systems, and DBT to support both deeper healing and day-to-day regulation.

How I Work With Sex Therapy

I provide sex therapy that is affirming of kink, relationship anarchy, body neutrality, and sex work. I center pleasure, cultivating connection, and mindful awareness rather than focusing on sexual performance or achieving a specific goal. I use humour and creative exploration to build comfort with discussing and processing topics we are often taught to feel ashamed of. I combine techniques from CBT, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy to understand how your experiences and the systems around you impact your sexual expression. All bodies, identities, kinks, and sexual expressions are welcome here!

Tools I Draw From

A variety of techniques and tools show up in my sessions including attachment work, parts work, and experiential exercises like art therapy, body mapping or role play.

I completed a Bachelor’s in English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2020. Throughout the pandemic, I struggled with existential doubt around my purpose and place in the world. I strove to find a career I enjoyed and that contributed positively to my community. I eventually moved to Philadelphia to work as a birth and postpartum doula. The bravery and passion I found in the work encouraged me to invest in myself through therapy and eventually a career change.

My existential worries and unresolved traumas turned into frequent emotional dysregulation that showed up in all my relationships. After a long bout of transformative self-work I pursued a master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University. I am grateful to have arrived at a career that feels deeply aligned with my values and aspiration. This work combines my passion for sexual health, relationship dynamics, and the profound emotional experiences of life.