MEET MARINA:

TTherapy can be a place to feel understood, find your voice, and begin creating a life that feels more authentically your own. Marina Gerges warmly welcomes individuals, couples, and families into a compassionate, affirming space where they can explore difficult experiences without fear of judgment. As a Master's Candidate Therapist, Marina believes meaningful therapy begins with a genuine relationship—one where clients feel safe enough to be honest, brave enough to explore what hurts, and supported enough to imagine what could be different. Whether someone is navigating anxiety, grief, trauma, relationship difficulties, or simply feeling overwhelmed by life, Marina strives to meet each client with warmth, curiosity, and respect.

Marina's approach is person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and deeply collaborative. She integrates elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy to help clients understand unhelpful patterns, navigate changes they cannot control, and reconsider the stories they may have come to believe about themselves. Rather than viewing clients solely through the lens of symptoms or diagnoses, Marina is interested in understanding the whole person—their relationships, identities, experiences, strengths, culture, and hopes for the future. Her clinical interests include depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, healing from past relationships, family and relationship concerns, and supporting members of the LGBTQIA+ community through affirming care centered on belonging, self-acceptance, and empowerment.

Marina received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College, where she is completing her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling as well as a certificate in Trauma-Informed Counseling. Her graduate training in diagnosis and treatment, counseling theory, helping relationships, and crisis intervention has provided a strong foundation for understanding a wide range of emotional and relational concerns. Marina also brings valuable experience from her previous work as a Peer Helper in Lebanon Valley College's Counseling Center and as a behavioral health technician supporting children across school, home, and community settings. These experiences strengthened her belief that healing happens not only within individuals, but also within relationships, families, and communities.

Marina's interest in psychology began early and deepened as she witnessed how significantly mental health can shape people's lives and the lives of those around them. She was drawn to counseling because she wanted to turn that understanding into meaningful support for others. Marina recognizes that entering therapy—and talking honestly about painful experiences—can require tremendous courage. Her goal is to create a relationship where clients feel empowered rather than defined by what they have been through. She hopes to help individuals better understand themselves, couples find healthier ways of connecting, and families navigate challenges with greater understanding and compassion.

Outside of counseling, Marina's curiosity and appreciation for people's stories continue to shape who she is. She loves fiction, particularly science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian novels, with The Hunger Games series among her favorites. She enjoys open-world and story-driven video games, walking trails, and exploring gardens and arboretums. She was also deeply impacted by Everything Everywhere All at Once and its exploration of depression, regret, acceptance, generational trauma, and parent-child relationships. These interests reflect Marina's appreciation for the complexity of people's lives and the possibility of finding meaning even within difficult chapters. Marina hopes every individual, couple, and family who enters her office can find a place to be brave, feel genuinely supported, and become empowered to move toward healing and wellness.