- Strength-focused support
- Visual metaphors used
- Practical action plans
About Jonathan
Jonathan 'Riley' Murdock is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who listens without judgment and helps people take small, steady steps toward change. He aims to be fully on a client's side and creates space to look honestly at why habits and reactions feel stuck. Riley writes plainly and uses visual images to make ideas easier to remember and act on.
Riley emphasizes strength-focused work. He talks through how stress, shame, and self-sabotage develop. Then he helps people build new habits in manageable stages, comparing growth to strengthening a muscle with repeated, small challenges and planned recovery time. This keeps change from feeling overwhelming.
He draws from motivational interviewing to help clients decide what they want to try and then follow through. He also uses cognitive behavioral and narrative approaches to spot unhelpful patterns and rewrite the stories people tell themselves. Mindfulness practices are woven in to help with anxiety, sleep, and emotion regulation.
Riley has four years of formal experience as an LCSW and has a longer background in social work earlier in his career. He works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, LGBT issues, relationship and family concerns, sleep problems, parenting, anger, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
He also addresses related issues such as abandonment, attachment, body image, chronic illness, codependency, communication and control issues, dissociation, and separation. People who prefer visual metaphors, a direct but warm style, and a step-by-step plan often find his approach accessible.
Riley emphasizes strength-focused work. He talks through how stress, shame, and self-sabotage develop. Then he helps people build new habits in manageable stages, comparing growth to strengthening a muscle with repeated, small challenges and planned recovery time. This keeps change from feeling overwhelming.
He draws from motivational interviewing to help clients decide what they want to try and then follow through. He also uses cognitive behavioral and narrative approaches to spot unhelpful patterns and rewrite the stories people tell themselves. Mindfulness practices are woven in to help with anxiety, sleep, and emotion regulation.
Riley has four years of formal experience as an LCSW and has a longer background in social work earlier in his career. He works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, LGBT issues, relationship and family concerns, sleep problems, parenting, anger, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
He also addresses related issues such as abandonment, attachment, body image, chronic illness, codependency, communication and control issues, dissociation, and separation. People who prefer visual metaphors, a direct but warm style, and a step-by-step plan often find his approach accessible.
Approach and what online work looks like
Jonathan 'Riley' Murdock combines clear, practical methods when working with clients online. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person's experience and building a supportive relationship so people feel heard and can explore change at their own pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to find small, testable changes that reduce distress and improve day-to-day functioning. Motivational Interviewing helps people clarify what they want and make concrete plans to follow through, which is useful for habit change and addictions.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Riley treats approach selection as a conversation. He collaborates with clients to match methods to their goals, preferences, and what feels doable in their life right now.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Remote work also lets the therapist use visual aids, metaphors, and homework tools directly during sessions, which supports the step-by-step, practical style he favors.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemBipolar disorderCoping with life changes
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBody imageChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
4+ years
Credentials
Idaho
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Riley help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, LGBT concerns, relationship and family issues, sleep problems, parenting, anger, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
What is his general therapeutic style?
Riley emphasizes a strength-centered, nonjudgmental style and uses visual metaphors. He focuses on small steps and practical plans rather than sweeping changes.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He holds an LCSW and has four years of experience under that credential, plus additional prior work in social services.
Where is he based and licensed?
He practices with an LCSW credential and is located in Idaho.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English, and he accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with him?
Click the continue button on this profile, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.