https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/home daily 1.0 2026-01-15 https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/about daily 0.75 2026-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6130586c075cb07a2ae73f5b/d6054782-cb50-4c4c-b9cf-25e081895fc6/image0+%283%29.jpeg About Marina I am first and foremost a trauma therapist. My life’s passion has been to understand and heal the trauma we go through as people. When we experience incredibly hard or overwhelming things, we often are faced with a choice of repeating patterns or healing and growing from them. Post traumatic growth is a well-researched theory that shows that through overcoming trauma, we can actually live more deeply meaningful, empathetic, and connected lives. I see it as my mission to help you do exactly this. I work to heal the whole person, including your relationships with others. Bell Hooks said it best when she said, “rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” Whether that person you entrust on your journey is me or your loved one, my goal is to work with you to rebuild connection and navigate the challenges that keep you stuck— whether that is anxiety, relational conflict, or intimacy struggles. I bring a relational, practical, and embodied approach, combining evidence-based methods with real-world strategies that create lasting change. I work with couples in high-conflict relationships, LGBTQIA+ partnerships, and anyone who feels disconnected or overwhelmed. I also help individuals process trauma, manage anxiety, and reclaim a sense of safety in their minds, bodies, and relationships. I aim to meet you where you are, honor your story, and provide tools and support to help you move toward healing, closeness, and fulfillment. Meaningful change is possible and I’m here to guide you through it with empathy, insight, and a focus on what actually works in your life and relationships. https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/offerings daily 0.75 2026-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6130586c075cb07a2ae73f5b/1687216052719-DDXSOGAKH98Z0IETVWNI/image-asset.jpeg Offerings - Trauma Therapy & EMDR for Lasting Healing Trauma can shape how we think, feel, and react long after the difficult experience is over. Whether the impact shows up as anxiety, emotional overwhelm, low self-esteem, shutdown, physical symptoms, or relationship patterns that feel hard to break, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Trauma Therapy Trauma work understand their inner world, strengthen emotional resilience, and shift long-standing patterns Explore the different “parts” of you that show up during stress or conflict — the protector, the critic, the overwhelmed part — and help them feel calmer and less reactive. Understand how past relationships and experiences shape your reactions today, so you can navigate connection, boundaries, and communication with more ease. Gently face fears or situations you’ve been avoiding, so they lose their intensity and you regain confidence and control. Build practical tools for managing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and big emotions in real time. Strengthen emotional regulation skills so you feel less overwhelmed and more steady in your daily life. Work through intimacy or sexual concerns tied to trauma or anxiety, creating safety and reconnection at a pace that honors your body and nervous system. EMDR is a neuroscience-based therapy designed to help the brain process and release trauma that has become “stuck.” When overwhelming events occur, the brain doesn’t always file them away like it would with other experiences. EMDR uses gentle bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess these memories, reduce emotional intensity, and shift the negative beliefs tied to them. Throughout EMDR sessions, you’re fully awake, grounded, and in control. We stay connected and communicate the entire time, working with only what feels manageable for you. EMDR sessions are offered in both 50-minute and 90-minute formats with extended sessions allowing more space for deeper processing and integration when needed. Together, we choose the approach that fits you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6130586c075cb07a2ae73f5b/1765474173623-LNBWPVRN095CVEAK416R/unsplash-image-wBBxAdtBvb8.jpg Offerings - Couples Therapy Sessions Whether you’re feeling worlds apart, stuck in exhausting conflict, navigating deep hurt, or unsure if your relationship can continue, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I work with: LGBTQIA+ partnerships Couples on the brink of separation High-conflict couples Partners who feel emotionally or physically disconnected Relationships impacted by trauma or painful relational patterns Couples struggling with intimacy impacted by trauma or anxiety A Trauma-Informed, Relational Approach Your personal history including trauma, attachment wounds, or earlier relationship experiences shapes how you communicate, how you argue, how you protect yourself, and how you reach for your partner. Together, we’ll make sense of these deeper layers so you can change the patterns that keep you stuck. Therapy Approaches You Can Actually Understand I draw from several powerful, research-backed methods, explained in everyday language: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Helps you understand the emotional cycles you get stuck in and teaches you how to turn toward each other instead of pulling away. Internal Family Systems (IFS): Helps you recognize the “parts” of yourself that get reactive, shut down, or overwhelmed — and learn how to stay connected even during conflict. Gottman-informed tools: Practical, straightforward skills for communication, conflict management, and rebuilding trust. Relational Life Therapy: Honest, direct guidance to shift long-standing patterns and help both partners show up with clarity, accountability, and care. Sex Therapy for Trauma and Anxiety When intimacy becomes difficult because of trauma, anxiety, or past experiences that make physical closeness feel overwhelming or unsafe, therapy can help. Understanding the roots of fear, shutdown, or avoidance Rebuilding safety and trust within the relationship Slowing down physical and emotional intimacy so it feels grounded and consensual for both partners Helping partners communicate needs and boundaries without shame This isn’t performance-based sex therapy. This approach is about truly healing, safety, and reconnecting with your partner at your pace. You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Healing a relationship takes courage and support. 90-minute sessions create the time and safety you need to truly be seen, hear each other differently, and begin rebuilding a relationship that feels secure, connected. If you’re ready to begin, I’m here. https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/insuranceandpricing daily 0.75 2025-12-11 https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/contact daily 0.75 2026-01-09 https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/book-a-class daily 0.75 2025-03-17 https://www.hydrangeahousecounseling.org/professionals daily 0.75 2026-01-09