Sarah DuVall Murray, LCSW

Sarah DuVall Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years of clinical experience in New Jersey. She creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where adults can talk about stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and life changes. She listens closely and works with each person to set practical goals that fit their life. Sarah uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and psychodynamic ideas to help people understand patterns and try different ways of coping. She shares useful reading and practical tools when helpful. Sessions focus on improving day-to-day functioning rather than eliminating all discomfort. Her approach is collaborative. She respects each person’s values and helps them make choices that feel right. Sarah aims to help people tolerate hard feelings, find meaning in struggle, and build more balance in daily life. Her background includes a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She has experience in outpatient and inpatient settings and has worked in psychiatric emergency services and community mental health. In typical sessions she mixes talk, skills practice, and gentle reflection. She may suggest articles, books, or exercises to support progress between meetings. The emphasis is on steady, manageable steps toward clearer thinking and better coping. People come to her for help with parenting strain, caregiver stress, chronic illness or pain, communication problems, family of origin issues, and finding life purpose. Sarah aims to match therapeutic tools to what each person needs and prefers.

How CBT, DBT, and Online Sessions Work Together

Sarah uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice thoughts and behaviors that keep problems in place and to try small, testable changes that can improve mood and functioning. CBT is practical and problem-focused, often helpful for anxiety, depression, and stress.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving communication. DBT techniques are useful when feelings feel overwhelming or when someone wants clearer ways to manage strong reactions.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and daily routine and together decide which methods to try first. That plan can change as progress is made and new issues arise.

Online sessions offer flexibility for people with busy schedules or limited travel options. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low, live chat works for shorter check-ins, and text messaging lets someone send notes or questions between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or health-related constraints while using CBT and DBT skills in everyday life.