Janine Murphy-Neilson, LPC

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Services and Specialties

I specialize in relationship and couples work, using evidence-based approaches including Emotionally Focused Therapy. Whether you're navigating marital conflict, infidelity, grief, early motherhood, or LGBT-related stress, I bring both specialized training and genuine care to every session.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

Do you long for the days when you and your partner seemed happy, when not every conversation left you feeling angry, sad, or misunderstood? I am a certified EFT couples therapist, and EFT gives us a clear, well-researched roadmap for breaking the cycle of the same old fight and rebuilding real connection. Even after an affair, relationships can heal and come out stronger for having worked through it.

  • Certified EFT therapist with a structured, research-backed roadmap

  • Focus on emotional connection and attachment

  • Build deeper trust, intimacy, and emotional connection

  • Improve communication patterns and conflict resolution skills

Happy mother holding her baby outdoors

Support for Young Mothers

Becoming a mom changes everything, and loving your child doesn't make the exhaustion, the worry, or the loss of your old self any less real. I offer support for women navigating early motherhood and the stress of becoming a mom: a place to say the hard parts out loud without judgment and to feel like yourself again.

  • Support through pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood

  • Room for the exhaustion, the worry, and the loss of your old self

  • Reconnect with who you are beyond being "mom"

  • From a therapist who knows the ups and downs of pregnancy and parenting firsthand

Grief Counseling

Grief & Loss

Losing a loved one can be the most difficult time in your life, and grief takes far longer than most people around you realize. You never get over the loss of someone you love deeply, but you can learn to live with it, and you can feel good again. The way through grief is through it, not around it, and you don't have to walk through it alone.

  • Process complex grief, loss, and life changes

  • Navigate grief while maintaining responsibilities

  • Honor your experiences without suppressing emotion

  • Extensive grief training, including workshop study with grief expert Therese Rando

Hands holding a rainbow Love is Love poster

LGBT Counseling

Are you spending your life afraid to admit who you really are? It can be exhausting to feel you have to pretend to be something other than who you are with the people you care about most. I've heard so much pain from my LGBT clients, but I have also seen people move to a place of self-acceptance, and seen couples work through difficult times and come to a better place. LGBT counseling offers a safe, non-judgmental space, with no agenda other than helping you find peace for yourself.

  • A safe, non-judgmental space with no agenda other than your peace

  • I don't practice any type of reparative therapy and am not affiliated with any church

  • Support for individuals and couples, including relationship issues

  • Help through coming out, family reactions, and self-acceptance

Couple holding hands

Premarital Counseling

Starting a marriage or preparing for parenthood? Premarital counseling is a chance to clarify expectations, strengthen communication, and build a solid foundation before life's big transitions arrive. As a certified EFT couples therapist, I help you understand the patterns each of you brings to the relationship so you can start from a place of connection and confidence.

  • Clarify expectations and communication patterns before marriage

  • Strengthen conflict-resolution skills early

  • Support for the transition to marriage or parenthood

  • Grounded in the same EFT approach I use in all my couples work

Individual Therapy

Individual Therapy

A space where you don't have to hold it all together. One-on-one support to help you cope with depression, anxiety, grief, or a season of transition, tailored to what you actually need right now.

  • Personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs

  • Safe, confidential space for open exploration and healing

  • Evidence-based therapeutic approaches and techniques

  • Ongoing support for lasting personal growth and change

Virtual Therapy Sessions

Virtual Therapy Sessions

Most of my clients meet with me online. Secure, confidential video sessions with the same quality of care and flexible scheduling, from the comfort of your home.

  • Convenient therapy sessions from the comfort of your home

  • Flexible scheduling to fit your busy lifestyle

  • Secure, confidential video sessions with same quality care

  • Accessible mental health support wherever you are

Ready to strengthen your relationship?

If you're feeling stuck in the same patterns and want real change, I'm here to help. With specialized training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, I work with couples to rebuild connection and understanding.

Call to schedule: (703) 596-4205

Get in touch