Gender Identity
You will love again the
stranger who was your self
- Derek Walcott
In the ancient wisdom of alchemy, the hermaphrodite symbolizes the sacred union of opposites - the blending of masculine and feminine into a greater whole. This archetype holds a deep truth that those who live beyond the limits of simplistic gender definitions are engaging in a profound and transformative journey.
Yet this is a challenging path! In a world still bound by rigid gender norms, this journey is often met with misunderstanding, resistance, and hostility.
My practice is dedicated to supporting individuals who are expanding, exploring and expressing their gender in diverse ways. Whether you identify as intersex, non-binary, transgender, or describe your experience in another way, your journey reflects courage and strength.
Group therapy provides a unique and empowering space for connection and healing. Groups provide the opportunity to share your experiences with others on similar paths and feel seen and understood in ways that only a supportive community of peers can offer.
In this safe and affirming therapeutic space, you can build meaningful connections, foster resilience, and be reminded that you are not alone on your journey.
Individual therapy provides focused, one-on-one support for your journey of self-discovery and growth. Psychotherapy offers a space to delve into your inner sense of self, explore questions and challenges related to your gender identity and expression, and process the emotional, social, and practical aspects of your experience.
Together, we move at your pace, addressing fears, overcoming doubts, and building confidence as you step into your authentic self.
Meet Sophie Murphy
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, with over two decades of experience as a psychotherapist. I’ve trained at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, the Gottman Institute, IITAP, the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago, IPI and MAPS.
As a trans gender woman, I have firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of living into an authentic gender expression in today’s world. I am dedicated to creating a safe and supportive space where individuals of all gender expressions can freely explore and embrace their true selves.
Shall we begin?
Wisdom Sayings
Love After Love
Derek Walcott
The time will come when with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door
in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome and say
sit here
Eat
You will love again the stranger who was your self
Give wine
Give bread
Give back your heart to itself
to the stranger who has loved you all your life
whom you have ignored for another
who knows you by heart
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf
the photographs
the desperate notes
peel your own image from the mirror
Sit
Feast on your life
The Road to Oz
Frank Baum
‘You have some queer friends, Dorothy,' she said.
‘The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends,' was the answer.
‘This is the Cowardly Lion, who isn't a coward at all, but just thinks he is’
Wild Geese
Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine
Meanwhile the world goes on
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes
over the prairies and the deep trees
the mountains and the rivers
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air
are heading home again
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely
the world offers itself to your imagination
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things