Dr. Murphy graduated summa cum laude  from SUNY College at Fredonia, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in English. She was inducted into the Psychology Honor Society.  That summer, she headed off to Ohio to begin a combined MA/Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Akron.

Dr. Murphy received her Master of Arts degree in Psychology, after completing a master's thesis focused on women's self-objectification and body dissatisfaction.  She then began her doctoral level coursework, completing classes in 2003.

After moving to Massachusetts in 2004 for  a pre-doctoral internship at UMass Amherst, Dr. Murphy began working full-time at a community mental health center.  She provided psychotherapy to a diverse range of clients and completed her dissertation (also focused on women's body dissatisfaction).  She graduated in 2008 and began her post-doctoral training year.

Dr. Murphy finished all requirements and exams to become a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts.  She began taking the steps to build a private practice in East Longmeadow, MA.

A busy year! Dr. Murphy gave birth to a daughter and started her private practice while on maternity leave.  In 2015, she left community mental health  completely for her private practice. In 2016, she had a second daughter.  Now, in spare time. she enjoys playing with her girls, reading, baking, writing, and just about any kind of artsy-craftsy thing you can imagine.