Marina Burkhardt
Are you feeling overwhelmed by a recent life transition, carrying the heavy weight of grief, or simply exhausted by daily stress and anxiety? Whether you are entering therapy for the first time or returning after a major shift, navigating these seasons can feel isolating and exhausting. You don't have to figure it all out alone.
Clients often appreciate my ability to bring organization to overwhelming experiences while still honoring their autonomy, strengths, and lived experience.
In our work together, I provide a grounding, warm, and structured space where you can catch your breath and feel truly heard. My approach combines practical coping tools with holistic, compassionate guidance to help you build clarity, confidence, and emotional stability. We will focus on helping you move through meaningful change with direction and resilience—at a pace that feels completely safe for you. Taking the first step toward support takes courage, and I am honored to help you navigate what comes next. Reach out today to schedule a session, and let's start building a clearer, more grounded path forward together.
First session
In our first session, my primary goal is to help you feel grounded, oriented, and heard. We’ll start simply by talking about what brought you to therapy and what you are hoping to understand or change. I will ask questions at a comfortable pace to learn about your stressors, your strengths, and the specific transitions or challenges shaping your day‑to‑day life. Together, we’ll identify a few core focus areas—whether that is managing daily anxiety, processing grief, or navigating a major life change—so you know exactly what we’re working toward. I will also explain how our therapy process will support you, which is especially helpful if you are new to counseling. You can expect a calm, structured conversation with plenty of space to pause, reflect, or take things slowly. I’ll walk you through what future sessions will look like and offer practical, grounding tools you can begin using right away to find relief. There is never any pressure to share more than you’re ready for; our work starts exactly where you are, at a pace that feels manageable and safe.
Strengths
My greatest strength as a therapist is offering a steady, grounding presence and a structured approach that helps you feel fully supported as you navigate major life transitions, process grief, or manage chronic stress and anxiety. I am highly skilled at helping you make sense of what is happening beneath the surface—clarifying unhelpful patterns, identifying hidden stress points, and breaking overwhelming challenges into manageable steps. I focus on creating a space where you can move at a pace that feels sustainable, providing clear goals and practical tools you can actually use between sessions. My approach blends deep empathy with proven, practical strategies, always explained in everyday language so you understand exactly what we are doing and why. Clients often appreciate my ability to bring a sense of organization and calm to their most overwhelming experiences, while always honoring their autonomy, strengths, and unique lived experience.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are individuals navigating significant life changes, feeling unsure where to start, or beginning therapy for the first time. Many are looking for clarity, stability, and a space where their experiences are taken seriously without the pressure to “have it all figured out.” I’m especially well-positioned to support individuals who feel overwhelmed by daily stress, are moving through grief or identity shifts, or are navigating recovery and want a thoughtful, structured place to sort through what’s happening beneath the surface. I work best with clients who value collaboration, appreciate transparent guidance, and want practical tools they can use between sessions. Whether you’re hoping to understand unhelpful patterns, manage anxiety and intense emotions, or regain a sense of direction, I offer a grounding therapeutic environment where you can move at a pace that feels sustainable while building awareness, confidence, and steadiness in your daily life.
Treatment methods
Existential
My existential approach helps clients explore meaning, identity, and the internal shifts that arise during major life transitions. I support you in understanding how your experiences, values, and choices influence your direction. Together, we create space to examine what feels important, clarify what you want to move toward, and build a sense of steadiness and purpose that aligns with your lived experience.
Mind-body approach
With a mind‑body lens, I help you notice how stress, emotion, and physical sensations interact. We use grounding strategies, breath‑based tools, and awareness practices to support regulation and reconnect you with your internal cues. This approach strengthens your ability to understand what your body is communicating and use that information to feel more centered in daily life.
Reality Therapy
Using reality‑based strategies, I help clients explore what they can influence right now and identify choices that support their goals. We look at patterns, needs, and available resources, then work together to build practical steps that move you toward greater stability. This approach emphasizes personal agency, clarity, and intentional action without pressure or judgment.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
With solution‑focused work, we identify what’s already helping you cope and build on those strengths. Instead of dwelling on what isn’t working, we highlight small, achievable steps that bring relief or momentum. This method is collaborative, goal‑oriented, and helps you notice progress, even in difficult periods, while keeping the pace manageable and grounded.
Strength-Based
With a strength‑based approach, we begin by recognizing the skills and resilience that are already part of your story. Together, we identify the skills and internal resources you already use—even when things feel overwhelming—and build on them intentionally. This method supports confidence, self‑understanding, and sustainable growth by honoring what you bring into the therapeutic space.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Hispanic / Latinx
LGBTQ
Person of Color (POC)
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Grief
Life Transitions
Other specialties
Addiction
Coping Skills
Depression
Family Conflict
Insomnia/Sleep Issues
LGBTQ
Peer Relationships
Self Esteem
Women's Issues
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Licensed in
DelawareLicense MI-0000451
PennsylvaniaLicense PC011251
VermontLicense 068.0137269