Jonathan 'Riley' Murdock, LCSW

Jonathan 'Riley' Murdock is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who aims to be fully in a client's corner. He focuses on thoughts and everyday habits and helps people take small, manageable steps toward change. His style uses plain language, visual metaphors, and a strengths-based outlook to make progress feel doable.

Riley emphasizes starting small - baby steps that build capacity over time. He talks about stress and recovery in simple terms so people can see how push and rest affect mood and behavior. He frames change like building muscle: a little more challenge, then time to recover.

In sessions he blends client-centered conversation with practical tools. He uses cognitive-behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thinking and mindfulness methods to slow down intense moments. Motivational interviewing is part of how he helps people choose and commit to change.

He has four years of experience as an LCSW and works with concerns such as stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, LGBT issues, relationships, parenting, sleep, anger, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. He also focuses on areas like attachment, body image, chronic illness, codependency, and divorce and separation.

People can expect a direct but encouraging tone, visual explanations, and attention to practical next steps. Riley describes therapy as collaborative and, when ready, aims to move from understanding to action in ways that fit everyday life.

How Riley uses practical approaches online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening without judgment and following the client's lead, helping people talk through what matters most and decide next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and everyday habits, teaching simple tools to change unhelpful thinking and shift behavior in daily life. Mindfulness Therapy helps people notice their moment-to-moment experience and create space to respond rather than react, which can reduce intense anxiety and improve sleep.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Riley treats this as a collaborative process and will help figure out which method or mix of methods fits a person's needs, goals, and preferences. He starts with what the person brings and adjusts as progress is made.

The therapist's biography does not specify session formats here, so confirm which options are available before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and offer flexible ways to check in between commitments. Different approaches lend themselves to different rhythms - short check-ins can help maintain momentum, while longer sessions can focus on skill practice or processing difficult material. Discuss scheduling preferences when you sign up to find a practical arrangement that works.