Inspiring Conversations with Victoria Murray of Root to Rise Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Murray.

Victoria, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My career as a therapist began over 10 years ago. After obtaining my Master’s in Clinical Social Work, I began working in various mental health settings throughout New York City – inpatient hospitals, outpatient mental health settings, doing community home visits, you name it. After years of this work and observing gaps in our mental healthcare system, I eventually moved to Colorado and decided to start Root to Rise Therapy to help women and mothers dealing with anxiety, people-pleasing and perfectionism who struggle to put their needs first. Women in today’s world face so many competing pressures that it can feel incredibly overwhelming – society expects us to do it all, and we internalize that. I’m trained in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International, and specialize in treating postpartum depression, anxiety, helping women heal from pregnancy loss and fertility challenges, and overall learning how to be kinder to themselves. As someone from a multicultural and multiracial background, I also enjoy working with women of diverse cultural backgrounds and children of immigrants. I see clients online through secure video sessions.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not, we all deal with challenges in life! During the pandemic I was working at a group practice and had just started seeing some of my own clients on the side. Like everyone, I was feeling completely terrified and unsure of the future – what would all of this mean for my job? My livelihood? But because of these collective fears, the need for mental providers skyrocketed – so many people were struggling with how to manage their anxiety in such an uncertain time. I saw so many clients who realized for the first time they had ADHD as they transitioned from office work to working independently at home. I saw so many mothers who struggled with postpartum mental health, exacerbated by isolation, fear of leaving their homes and separation from friends and family. Working as a therapist during COVID helped give me a sense of purpose, and also helped me zero-in on what kind of treatment I wanted to specialize in, and what kind of work fulfilled me the most.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Root to Rise Therapy?
My therapy practice, Root to Rise Therapy provides psychotherapy to women wanting to heal from anxiety, perfectionism and people-pleasing behaviors that are no longer serving them. I specialize in perinatal mental health and helping women adjust to motherhood, learning to embrace their strengths and let go of their inner critic. The name Root to Rise Therapy comes from the belief that we need to build a strong, secure foundation before we can rise and grow to recognize our full potential. In therapy, we do the work together to heal from past experiences and give you that sense of safety, groundedness and confidence to live the life that you’ve always wanted.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As the oldest of 4 children, I was both a leader and caretaker from a young age. My experience gave me a sense of responsibility that I think has overall served me in life, but at times the weight of meeting everyone else’s needs and setting a positive example felt like a lot. I had to do a lot of my own work to heal from people-pleasing and perfectionism, and I’ve become passionate about helping other women do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.victoriamurraylcsw.com