SPRING 2021 In the Spotlight: Amy Murphy, Intake Care Coordinator
Welcoming Our New Intake Care Coordinator: Amy Murphy
In Fall 2020, the Center welcomed Amy Murphy to our team, to join us in the role of Intake Care Coordinator. When a family calls the Center seeking support, her’s is the voice on the other end of the line that greets you. We know how hard it can be to make this call, and we couldn't be happier than to have Amy with her gentle and accepting presence be the one who initially asks, "How can we help?" Meet Amy:
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Amy and her adorable dog, Morty.
I was born in Seattle and then my family relocated to Baltimore when I was in second grade. I grew up there and began dating my husband when we were in high school. Later, when he attended Georgetown Law, we moved to DC and just fell in love with the city. After some time in New York, where my two sons were born, we moved back to DC where we've been ever since, and that was 20 years ago! Before I had my own, I always worked in settings with kids; but the job I’ve always wanted was to be a mom, and I was lucky to be able to do that full time, get really involved in their schools, and I’ve found it super rewarding. This year was always going to be a transitional one for us with my oldest graduating college and stepping out into the world, but that was put on hold and we ended up getting this gift of all four of us being back in the same house together again. That’s something we would have never had again otherwise. Our relationships deepened and took on a different flavor than maybe we’ve ever had, so in some ways this crazy time has given me and my family a wonderful gift. As we transition out and discover what the next phase will be like, with just me and my husband (and our two dogs!), this job is one of the really exciting parts and I’m excited to see what comes.
Q: What drew you to this work? And what experiences prepared you for this role?
Quite literally it was one of our therapists, Lisa Oakley, whom I’ve known ever since I settled in Chevy Chase. I’ve loved watching her evolution through graduate school and into her professional life as a social worker in schools and in private practice, so I’ve been aware of the Center for some time. So when she let me know of this position, I was immediately intrigued. I’ve always been a caretaker, and have taken on roles where I’ve been a mentor, or a guide, helping to make people more comfortable as families and kids enter a new school, for example. And I was drawn to working with therapists in such a lovely and nurturing environment, so that’s a bonus, too!. More than anything it is my experience as a parent that helps me feel like I can relate with the families who are calling in.
Q: Asking for help can be so hard-- what advice do you have for families as they ready to make the call? What can they expect from their call with you?
My first question is going to be, what made you pick up the phone and call today, what is prompting you to reach out? And since I’m not a therapist, I’m not diagnosing or interpreting, I’m just here to really listen. There’s no need to come up with the correct clinical terms. Rather, if someone tells me they’re seeing their child present as anxious, I’ll ask, “What does it look like, what are you actually seeing and experiencing?” I’m hopeful I help create a process that’s not intimidating— It’s just a first step and we’re here to help.
Q: What are the steps that happen next?
After we talk I have a conversation with Kate Kelly, our Director, and we brainstorm based on the observations that you’ve shared, age, special interests a child [or other prospective client] might have, and we go through our therapists to consider who would be the best fit. Then we overlay schedules, between the therapist and the client, and that’s the jigsaw part. The next step is connecting the therapist with you, we send out intake forms, and things can get started. In the instance that we cannot meet the timeframe you desire, we offer referrals and other sources of information, whatever we can do.
Q: What have you learned in the past few months in the role? What has surprised you?
It strikes me that a world crisis is an intense time to come to a role like this. Even if individuals are not experiencing a crisis themselves, the number of families that are really struggling right now is just overwhelming and heart wrenching, honestly. It’s such a unique and challenging time in every possible way, and for me it’s been such a great opportunity to be able to feel like I’m helping. I’ve observed so much strength— there’s clearly been a lot of challenges, but families are figuring it out. And I believe that just because families are calling and looking for support doesn’t mean that they’re not doing— asking for help when you need it is a major step.
I have also been struck by the resilience that our therapists have shown, and the way they have become so creative in the virtual space. From jumping right into telehealth, to opening our outdoor living room, to walk and talk therapy— that’s all something I like to point out when people call.
Q: At the Center for Family Well-Being, we're all committed to mind-body practices that help us remain grounded, especially in chaotic times such as these. Can you share a little bit about your practice?
I would describe mine as continually evolving. My favorite thing to do is to go outdoors for a walk in nature. Being in the sun is very nurturing for me. I’ve also been practicing yoga for 10 years. I’ve been a little inconsistent lately, which I think a lot of us have been in our various practices over the past year. Before this time period I was just starting to work with teaching yoga and mindfulness to kids, and that’s something I hope to get back to at some point after the pandemic to complement my work at the Center. When I started yoga, I was a little intimidated at first, but I was lucky enough to have a friend who was a new teacher and took on a bunch of us newbies at the time and I felt a really good, strong foundation in the basics with her. I will never forget rushing in one day and saying, “Sorry I’’m late!” and the teacher said, “You’re never late to yoga.” She made it very approachable. In terms of mindfulness, I wonder if the word has taken on a little too much weight recently. At some point throughout every day, we’re all being mindful whether we realize it or not. When we take a minute to admire a bird flying across our window, we’re being mindful. To me, it’s really just about pausing, and being present.
Thank you, Amy! We’re so very grateful to have you present with us :)