Marva Burks

I'm Marva, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas, and I work with adults who are carrying more than they let on — the grief that hasn't eased, the anxiety that keeps you up at night, a relationship that feels stuck, or the quiet exhaustion of holding everything together for everyone else.

Many of the people I see are moving through a hard season: the loss of someone they love, a major life transition, depression that has dimmed things that used to bring joy, or stress that's spilling into their sleep, focus, and how they show up at home and at work. Women in particular often come to me feeling stretched thin — balancing caregiving, career, and their own needs that keep landing at the bottom of the list.

Across many years of practice, with people of all ages and walks of life, I've learned you don't need to have it all figured out before you reach out. You just need a place to start. My role is to help you understand what you're feeling, build practical skills to manage it, and move toward steadier, more confident days.

My approach is collaborative, structured, and built around skills you can actually use between sessions. I rely heavily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you notice the thoughts and patterns driving anxiety, low mood, and stress — and to replace them with responses that serve you better. I pair this with Person-Centered therapy so the work always stays rooted in your goals, your values, and a pace that feels right for you.

Depending on what you bring in, I also draw on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to build momentum quickly, Motivational Interviewing to work through ambivalence about change, and Cognitive Behavioral and Psychoeducational Family Therapy when relationships or family dynamics are part of the picture. For some clients, Art Therapy and play-based techniques help give shape to what's hard to put into words.

Early on, we'll clarify what brought you in and set concrete goals together. From there, each session blends insight and practice — understanding the "why" while building real tools for the "what now." I believe people change when they feel genuinely understood and leave every session with something they can use.

Over time, the people I work with tend to feel more in control of their emotions and less controlled by them. The anxiety that once ran the show becomes more manageable. Grief softens into something you can carry. Communication in your closest relationships gets clearer, and the boundaries you've struggled to hold start to feel within reach.

You can expect me to be warm, direct, and fully present — someone who listens closely, takes your goals seriously, and gently keeps us moving forward. I'll meet you with practical tools and steady encouragement.

You don't have to keep white-knuckling your way through this alone. If you're ready to feel more like yourself again, I'd be glad to help you take that first step.