A Heart for Helping Families Thrive.
Parents play the most important role in a child's emotional growth. When you feel equipped, supported, and confident, the changes you make at home reach further than any hour spent in a therapy office ever could.
Lasting change doesn't come from fixing the child. It comes from steady, well-supported parents — parents who understand what their child needs, respond without burning out, and lead a household that finally feels calm enough to grow in.
The name Shepherd's Heart reflects the philosophy at the center of our practice.The therapist isn't the shepherd — parents and caregivers are. Our role is to come alongside families, helping them better understand what their children need, respond with confidence, and build an environment where growth, healing, and connection can flourish.
John Murphy, MA, LCMHC
Parent Coach, Family Therapist, and Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
I've spent more than a decade working with children, teens, parents, and adults — and along the way I've become convinced that the most meaningful, lasting change happens when parents have real support of their own. That's where I focus most of my energy today: alongside overwhelmed parents who are ready to lead their homes differently.
My approach is informed by attachment theory, family systems thinking, trauma-informed care, emotional regulation strategies, and current child development research. In practice, that means we look at what's actually happening in your home, why it keeps happening, and what to try instead — with tools you can use on a Tuesday night, not just in a session.
My clinical background spans private practice, family-focused programs, behavioral health settings, and long-standing partnerships with schools and community organizations. I've worked in the harder corners of this field, and I bring that steadiness into every room.
- John C. Murphy, MA, LCMHC
- NC LCMHC · License #15133
- Trained in EMDR
Support for the people at the center of the home.
- Children and teens with behavioral, emotional, or developmental challenges
- Parents navigating complex family dynamics
- Adults living with anxiety, depression, life transitions, or unresolved trauma
- Individuals seeking faith-informed counseling from a Christian perspective — never imposed, offered only when requested
Helping Parents Break Unhelpful Family Patterns.
Many of the parents I work with are quietly carrying the same thought: I want something different for my kids than what I grew up with. That desire is honest, and it's powerful — but on its own, it isn't enough to change what actually happens at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday.
Together, we look at the patterns driving conflict in your home — the ones you inherited, the ones you're stuck in, and the ones you don't even realize are running the show. From there we build better communication, clearer boundaries, and the kind of steady connection that lets everyone in the house settle.
You are not the problem. You are the person with the most leverage to change what happens next.
NC Educators & State Employees
Shepherd's Heart is in-network with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and many North Carolina educators and state employees are covered through an Aetna-administered plan. John has worked closely with school systems and youth-serving organizations across North Carolina and brings firsthand understanding of the pressures teachers, faculty, and juvenile-justice professionals carry — both into the office and back home to their own families.