Marina Berkman

I am Marina Berkman, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Los Angeles, CA. I specialize in working with adults dealing with relationship challenges, stage of life issues, depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, and grief.

My approach to therapy varies based on the personality of each client I work with. We are all different, and what works for one person might not be useful for another. Together with my client we build a path to approaching the goals identified at the beginning of the therapeutic relationship. I have a lot of experience working with adults who may be dealing with life transitions and traumatic losses. Among my clients were those who were traumatized by being raised by emotionally unavailable parents; Holocaust survivors and their adult children; immigrants dealing with adjustment challenges to new life and losses related to their pre-immigration status. My preferred modalities are psychodynamic psychotherapy and existential psychotherapy.

A trauma-informed care approach is essential to my work because it emphasizes creating safe, trustworthy, and empowering environments for healing. It is a strength-based approach which promotes positive outcomes.

My communication style is calm, friendly, and supportive, while also being appropriately direct when needed. Clients often tell me they feel comfortable opening up because I listen with genuine interest and without judgment. Through our work together, they feel understood, supported, and empowered—and become more connected with their own thoughts, feelings, and inner strengths.