01 · Who Steven works with

Steven works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and trauma and abuse

Steven lists 15 specialisms and 10 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Steven chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Steven's own words

What Steven says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hi, I am Dr. Steve Murray, a licensed Clinical Psychologist and licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Michigan. I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit. I have worked in the field of mental health for 48 years in various settings (hospital, clinic, group home, school). I have provided therapy to all ages, diverse socioeconomic status, and to individuals with a wide range of mental health issues ranging from stress reactions, adjustment life change issues, mood and anxiety issues, trauma, intellectual concerns, criminal forensic matters, and individuals with very serious chronic mental illness diagnoses. My training has been diverse, including psychodynamic, behavior modification, and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). My current theoretical approach is CBT generally, with a mix of other points of view. I view myself as a coach and cheerleader to provide support, encouragement, new perspectives, and at times, direction. I view therapy as a means for people to make progress in the areas of their life which they choose and not for the purpose of judgement and/or embarrassment.

I like to think I have a great sense of humor and believe that positive humor is a great means to achieve a more healthy outlook and better health. I love science and technology, which is especially personal for me as I am blind and would never want to part with my computer and smartphone as they allow me independence. I have an undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music from Central Michigan University. I promote music for pleasure and health. Nature walks and reading are high on my list of healthy activities. I also have an active interest in current events of all sorts.

Steven Murray, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Steven works

The 6 approaches Steven lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Steven lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Steven's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Steven runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Steven practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Steven's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Steven at this point.

2. Naming Steven specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Steven is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Steven.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Steven

Built from what Steven actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Steven's - Steven has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 50 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMSW

Licensed in

Michigan

Licence

MI LMSW 6801011723, MI Psychologist 6301003778

Licence number

6301003778

Licence expires

4 Sep 2027

NPI

1912190737

Years in practice

50

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Steven's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Steven. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.