About Our Therapists
Joanna Kelly, LMFT-S, RPT-S, DDP1 (she/her)
Owner Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist-Supervisor Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor
As a child, I wanted to be a train engineer when I grew up. There was just something incredible about standing on a station platform and feeling the sheer exhilaration as the powerful engine sped by. By the age of 23, with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in World Religions, engineer dreams yielded to more practical ones of understanding social challenges related to culture, race and identity. As "real life" evolved, with its unexpected complications, difficult parenting and relational struggles, I realized my ultimate goal was to be a therapist. I received my Masters degree and subsequent licensure in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am also a Registered Play Therapist and specialize in treating mental health issues in children. I have completed the rigorous program for Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification (PACC) through the U of MN. I have training in Theraplay-1, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)-1 and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)-1. I practice from a deeply collaborative, client-centered lens and use Narrative and Internal Family Systems to inform my work as both a therapist and supervisor.
I am the owner and founder of Willow Bay Therapy. I draw from my professional experience in private practice for 10 years and from the preceeding years as an Outpatient, School Based and Community based therapist. In my "spare" time, I enjoy walking, gardening, home projects, international cooking, sewing costumes, dog shows, mehndi, pen and ink, traveling and spending time with my family and my 4 devoted pups. I have 5 grown children (biological and adopted) and 3 sons-in-law and 2 grandsons. Incidentally, I still enjoy being stopped at railroad gate crossings...
Bridget Stevens-Murphy, LICSW (she/her)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker EMDRIA Certified Therapist
I’m a licensed clinical social worker who has spent more than twenty years listening closely to the stories people carry — the quiet ones, the heavy ones, the ones that shape how we breathe and move through the world. I earned my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2002, specializing in children and families, and my work has taken me across both domestic and international landscapes. Each place, each community, has taught me something about resilience, belonging, and the ways we learn to trust ourselves again.
In the therapy room, I aim to be a steady, grounded presence — someone who listens with warmth, curiosity, and respect. My hope is that you feel safe enough to slow down, to reflect, and to explore the parts of your life that deserve gentleness and clarity. I believe healing is both a quiet unfolding and a courageous act, and I work to create a space where you can reconnect with your most authentic self.
My practice is integrative and relational, shaped by strength-based, holistic, and person-centered models. I am an EMDR practitioner and incorporate EMDR therapy when it supports deeper nervous system healing and emotional release. My work is rooted in cultural competence and social justice, with a core belief that tending to the whole self — mind, body, and emotional experience — is essential for meaningful change.
I am a Trust-Based Relational Intervention practitioner, trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and hold a post‑graduate certificate in adoption and permanency competency from the University of Minnesota. My areas of focus include adoption-related experiences, relationship and intimacy concerns, infertility, anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, mindful living, and women’s issues. It is my passion to offer a culturally supportive, inclusive practice where individuals and families can move through life’s challenges with courage, connection, and dignity.
Outside of my professional world, I’m a mom, wife, and sister. I find joy in reading, exploring new places, practicing yoga, playing pickleball, and spending time outdoors — especially in those small, quiet moments when the light shifts, the air softens, and the world feels just a little more spacious.
Cynthia Phaerion, MS, LPC, ATR-P (she/they)
Art Therapist Mental Health Counselor
Creative work, intuition, and mind-body connection hold immense power in the journey of healing and transformation, as I have both experienced personally and witnessed in so many others. These act as guiding lights as I travel alongside my therapy clients on their own journeys, offering guidance and support as they carve their unique paths.
In therapy, I use a relational-cultural, attachment-based, trauma-informed lens with an emphasis on resilience, present-moment awareness, and growth. I incorporate both expressive and somatic (body-based) work into sessions, supported by parts work and mindfulness. This work is rooted in a strong belief in the importance of non-verbal communication in addition to talk-based therapy and insight.
I primarily work with adults who have experienced relational trauma or attachment wounds, those struggling with suicidality or self-harm, and anyone seeking more stable and meaningful relationships. Regardless of age, experience, or background, I love working with folks in fostering a sense of self and self-worth, developing ways of coping with difficult experiences and overwhelming emotions that better serve our current needs and desires, and in cultivating meaning in daily life.
Both in and out of the counseling room, I aspire to embody my deeply held values, including agency and empowerment, exploration and growth, creativity and insight, connection and community & equity and justice.
I hold a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in Somatic Counseling and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy from Prescott College.
I am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Provisional Registered Art Therapist, and I am pursuing further credentials as an LPCC and ATR. I am currently working under the supervision of Nikki Witt, LPCC, ATR-BC®.
Jennifer Berris Torres, LICSW (she/her)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Jennifer is a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an M.A. in Social Work from Hunter College at the City University of New York, as well as clinical training at the prestigious Ackerman Institute for the Family.
Utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma informed therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, Jennifer specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, chronic pain, adjustment to illness, bereavement, and family transitions. She has collaborated with healthcare providers and hospitals in New York, Minneapolis, Princeton, and San Diego. Jennifer has also assisted families dealing with losses from 9/11. She has presented at national conferences and provided clinical supervision for graduate students for more than 20 years. Her mission is to improve patients’ social functioning and empower them to lead balanced, mindful, and healthy lives. She practices exclusively virtually.
Lola Ruff (she/her)
MFT Practicum Student
I am currently completing my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at St. Mary’s University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 2024, where I played for the women’s soccer team for four years and served as team captain my senior year.
I have experience working in an inpatient behavioral health setting, an experience that has been both challenging and rewarding. This work has strengthened my appreciation for the importance of meeting each person with compassion, curiosity, and respect for their unique experiences. I strive to create a therapeutic environment that feels safe, authentic, and welcoming, where clients feel valued, heard, and supported. I am passionate about building genuine connections with clients.
and believe meaningful change can happen when people feel comfortable being their authentic selves.
I approach therapy from a collaborative perspective, working alongside clients to explore emotions, understand challenges, and identify meaningful solutions. I believe that individuals, couples, and families are the experts of their own experiences, and my role is to support and guide you as we work together toward your goals.
As a marriage and family therapy student, I recognize that challenges do not exist solely within individuals, but can also be shaped by relationships, families, communities, and the larger systems in which we live. I value understanding these broader influences and how they may impact each person’s experiences and relationships.
Outside of therapy, I enjoy taking long walks with my two dogs, traveling, reading, cheering on Minnesota’s sports teams, and spending time with my friends and family.