A place to be understood.
Thoughtful, individualized psychotherapy for adults in Illinois.
We begin with the person, not the category.
I'm Kevin Murphy, a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience accompanying people through the challenges, relationships, responsibilities, and transitions of their lives.
I believe good psychotherapy begins with careful attention to the person, not simply the problem that brings them into the room.
My approach is personal, collaborative, and grounded in the understanding that each of us carries a history worth knowing, patterns worth understanding, and possibilities that may not yet be fully recognized.
I offer a selective private practice where there is time for thoughtful conversation, honest reflection, and the kind of understanding that makes meaningful change possible.
Individual psychotherapy · Telehealth appointments · Illinois
Beginning TherapyMore than the difficulty that brings you here.
People come to therapy for many reasons: a relationship that has become difficult, an unsettled season of life, a persistent emotional burden, or questions that are difficult to answer alone.
Sometimes there is a clear problem to address. Sometimes there is simply a growing recognition that something deserves attention.
Every life deserves to be received before it is interpreted.
Careful listening creates room for understanding, and understanding can open possibilities for change.
Life transitions
Making sense of changes in work, relationships, identity, family, or direction.
Relationships & emotional life
Exploring recurring patterns, emotional difficulties, and the ways we connect with others.
Responsibility & inner life
A private place for people who carry substantial responsibility and seldom have space to attend to themselves.
Curiosity before conclusions.
I approach psychotherapy as a collaborative process of careful attention, thoughtful conversation, and growing understanding. The aim is not to reduce a person to a diagnosis, nor to overlook the very real symptoms or difficulties that may need treatment.
Our work begins with your experience: what is happening, what it means to you, how it may connect with patterns in your life, and what may help you move forward.
Therapy can involve both compassionate understanding and the difficult work of change. It proceeds at a pace and in a manner attentive to your needs and goals.
About Kevin
A thoughtful approach to understanding people
I've spent much of my professional life listening to people, helping them understand themselves, their relationships, and the circumstances that shape their lives.
As a clinical psychologist, I've worked with adults navigating personal difficulties, significant responsibilities, complicated relationships, and important life transitions.
People are rarely as simple as the difficulties they bring to therapy. Behind a particular concern is a person with a history, temperament, relationships, loyalties, disappointments, strengths, and hopes. I believe psychotherapy works best when we make room for the whole person.
The therapeutic relationship
The relationship between psychologist and client is central to my work. I want our conversations to be thoughtful, candid, collaborative, and genuinely human—with room for seriousness, uncertainty, humor, and discovery.
Good therapy involves more than careful listening. It also calls for clinical judgment, noticing patterns, asking difficult questions respectfully, and remaining curious when an easy explanation presents itself. My role is to help you understand yourself more fully and work toward meaningful change, not to tell you who to become.
Experience and perspective
My professional background includes clinical psychology, psychotherapy, executive coaching, leadership consultation, and adult development. These settings have deepened my appreciation for the relationship between our inner lives and the roles we carry in the world.
Some people have achieved a great deal while privately wrestling with questions about relationships, emotional well-being, identity, or loss. Others come during a period of distress or uncertainty. Whatever brings someone to therapy, I begin with the same commitment: to understand the person before assuming I understand the problem.
My psychotherapy practice is distinct from executive coaching and organizational consulting, with the professional responsibilities and boundaries of clinical care.
What you can expect
I bring experience, curiosity, clinical judgment, and a collaborative spirit to our conversations. We work together to determine what deserves attention, which approaches may help, and how the work is progressing.
A little more about me
Outside my professional work, I enjoy family life, creativity, building things, good conversation, and the humor that so often finds its way into ordinary moments.
I've come to appreciate that a full human life makes room for seriousness and playfulness, responsibility and rest, difficulty and delight. I bring that appreciation for the whole of life into my work as a psychologist.
Illinois Licensed Clinical Psychologist · License 071-007923 · NPI 1134424146
How to BeginBeginning Therapy
A thoughtful beginning, at a comfortable pace.
Deciding to begin psychotherapy is personal. You may have a particular concern or simply recognize that something in your life deserves greater attention. Here's what to expect.
Reach out
Begin with a brief inquiry expressing your interest. You don't need to share your personal history or sensitive health details in an initial message. Call (224) 331-3866 to inquire about availability or a complimentary introductory conversation. Please avoid sharing sensitive clinical information in voicemail.
An introductory conversation
We'll arrange a complimentary 15-minute telephone conversation to introduce ourselves, discuss your needs in general terms, review availability, and consider whether the practice may be a fit. This is not a clinical evaluation or therapy session.
Secure intake
If we proceed, you'll receive intake documents and practice policies through a secure process, including informed consent, confidentiality, telehealth, fees, and relevant clinical history. You'll have an opportunity to ask questions before treatment begins.
Your first video appointment
Our initial clinical evaluation is a 60–75-minute video appointment. We'll explore your concerns, relevant history, current circumstances, and goals. There is no expectation that you tell your whole story in one meeting.
Continuing our work
Subsequent individual psychotherapy sessions are generally 50–55 minutes. We'll develop a meeting schedule and approach appropriate to your needs, reviewing progress as we go.
Therapy or Coaching? Finding the Right Starting Point
Our personal and professional lives are rarely separate.
Responsibilities at work can affect our relationships, emotional well-being, and life outside the office. Personal concerns can influence how we lead, make decisions, and relate to others.
Psychotherapy provides a confidential clinical relationship for understanding and treating psychological and emotional concerns. It offers professional care when distress, persistent patterns, or difficulties in daily life deserve clinical attention.
Executive coaching offers a developmental partnership focused on leadership, judgment, relationships, professional effectiveness, and important decisions. Coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy when clinical care is needed.
Sometimes the needs that bring someone into one kind of conversation reveal concerns better addressed through another.
We can begin by understanding what brings you here and considering which kind of professional relationship would best serve your needs.
If those needs change, we can revisit the purpose and arrangements of our work together.
We begin with the person, not the category.
For executive coaching and leadership consultation, visit Kevin C. Murphy — Leadership & Coaching.
Professional fees
$275
Initial clinical evaluation
60–75 minutes
$225
Individual psychotherapy
50–55 minutes
Complimentary
Introductory telephone conversation
15 minutes
Private pay & insurance
My practice is private-pay. Payment is due at the time of service. I do not bill insurance directly. Upon request, I can provide a detailed receipt (superbill) for you to submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Reimbursement is not guaranteed; please check your plan's benefits and submission requirements in advance.
A superbill submitted for insurance reimbursement may include a clinical diagnosis. We can discuss privacy implications before you request one. A Good Faith Estimate of expected charges will be provided when required by law.
Telehealth in Illinois
Appointments take place by secure video for adults physically located in Illinois at the time of service. You'll need a private location, reliable internet, and a device with a camera and microphone. We'll discuss whether telehealth is appropriate and establish procedures for technical interruptions and emergencies.
Ready to begin?
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Part of psychotherapy is discovering what deserves attention.
Please avoid leaving sensitive clinical information in voicemail. Calls and messages are not monitored for emergencies. To inquire about availability or arrange an introductory conversation, please call (224) 331-3866.
This website provides general information and does not establish a therapist–patient relationship. Website inquiries are not monitored for emergencies. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. In the United States, call or text 988 for mental health crisis support.