Panic & Perfectionism Therapy for Texas Residents
I provide specialized online therapy for individuals throughout Texas including Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Wherever you call home, you can access meaningful support without adding another commute to your already demanding life.
Andrea Marburger, LCSW
Psychotherapist & Founder of A Dash of MindfulnessI first found myself in Texas in 2012, after being accepted to the University of Texas at Austin's School of Social Work. My reasons for applying were both academic and romantic. A few months earlier, I'd met a guy in Seoul, South Korea, whose next duty station was Fort Hood. Turns out, he was a pretty good reason to move to Texas. He's my husband now.
I arrived when Austin still retained so much of its gritty shine. Over the years, I watched the city change, but I would change, too—developing as a clinician, building a career, and finding my way through a few things of my own.
My clinical work has taken me through some pretty intense settings. I've helped build outpatient programming in psychiatric hospitals, provided pediatric therapy in a fast-paced medical practice, and worked in a clinic specializing in dissociative identity disorder. I've sat with people navigating trauma, violence, loss, addiction, and experiences that are difficult to put into words. I've also witnessed something I don't think I'll ever take for granted: the determination to live that can emerge on the other side of a life-threatening experience, whether inflicted by someone else or by one's own hand. That doesn't make what happened any less terrible. It does, however, reveal something remarkable about the person who is still here.
I'm also a recovering perfectionist. I've spent plenty of time putting my best into work that was meaningful, demanding, and deeply rewarding in the moments spent with clients. I took pride in being dependable, taking initiative, and being the person who could figure things out. But I also learned that being good at what you do doesn't necessarily mean you'll be valued for it, and being capable doesn't mean you should have to carry it all. Sometimes, the systems where we invest the most of ourselves don't give that investment back.
Today, I work with adults navigating anxiety, panic, perfectionism, and trauma. I know that what brings someone to therapy is rarely the whole story. And when that story involves violence or violation, you won't find me rushing to make it more comfortable for everyone else. You don't have to protect me from the truth of what happened to you. We can talk about the ugly, complicated, infuriating, and just plain unfair parts, too.
Sometimes, the next step isn't doing more, trying harder, or getting better at holding everything together. Sometimes it's getting honest and curious about what is happening underneath the struggle.
Therapy that Helps You
Therapy isn't about becoming someone else or learning to keep everything under control. It's about understanding yourself more fully, recognizing the patterns that may be getting in your way, and discovering new ways to move through life.
Sometimes that means working through panic attacks, loosening perfectionism's grip, or finding relief from the effects of past experiences. Other times, it means getting curious about the beliefs, stories, and expectations you've carried with you and deciding whether they still fit the person you want to become.
Therapy is collaborative, active, and grounded in real life. I'll bring curiosity, honesty, compassion, and a little humor along the way. You don't have to have everything figured out before we begin. You just have to be willing to get curious about what's possible.
Service Offerings for Texas Residents
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Panic & Anxiety Therapy
What looks like ambition from the outside can sometimes be driven by anxiety, perfectionism, or the feeling that you're never doing quite enough. When the pressure to get everything right, keep everyone happy, and hold it all together becomes too much, anxiety and panic can take over. In therapy, we'll explore the patterns beneath that pressure and build a different relationship with yourself—one grounded in trust, curiosity, and compassion. Over time, you'll develop greater flexibility, find relief from symptoms, and make room for a life that isn't dictated by anxiety.
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Trauma Treatment
Trauma can turn your life upside down, changing how you see yourself, other people, and the world around you. You may feel disconnected from the person you once were, but that doesn't mean you have to stay there. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a structured, 12-session treatment that helps you examine the beliefs that developed around what happened, process the emotions that come with it, and develop a more balanced understanding of your experience. Together, we'll work toward loosening trauma's hold on your story so you can reconnect with yourself and move forward.
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Shadow Work Intensives
We spend years building identities that help us survive, belong, and succeed, but eventually some of those identities stop fitting. A Shadow Work Intensive offers a chance to explore what may be keeping you from becoming who you want to be—and what you're ready to leave behind. This three-hour, one-time therapeutic experience creates space for deeper self-exploration without committing to months of ongoing therapy. It's an opportunity to shed an old version of yourself and get curious about what you want to build in its place.
Considerations for Telehealth:
Telehealth is convenient. You can wear your comfy clothes, and grab your favorite beverage. But before we settle in, there are a few things worth considering.
Privacy: What Happens in Therapy Stays in Therapy
Find a private space where you can speak openly without an audience.
Roommates, coworkers, partners, and curious family members don't need a front-row seat to your therapy session. Honestly, it is kind of weird when I hear them chime in.
Tip: Headphones are your friend, especially if other people are nearby.
Exception: Pets are welcome and often look forward to their therapy time.
Safety: Please Don't Therapy and Drive
You must be physically located in Virginia or Texas during our sessions.
No driving, walking around town, grocery shopping, or operating heavy machinery. Therapy requires more attention than a podcast.
Please remain somewhere stationary and safe throughout our time together.
We'll confirm your location at the start of each session so I know where you are in case of an emergency.
Session Etiquette: A Few Dos and Don'ts
Coffee, tea, water, and snacks? Absolutely. A full dinner with a side of multitasking? Probably not.
Bathroom breaks are perfectly acceptable. You're a human, not a houseplant. But please don't take me with you.
Smoking and vaping can wait until after our session. Let's give your lungs and our conversation a break.
Technology: Because Wi-Fi Has a Mind of Its Own
Find a reliable internet connection and a device with a working camera and microphone in a well-lit spot where I can see and hear you.
Keep your phone nearby in case technology decides to test our patience and we need switch to a phone session.
The goal isn't perfection (we'll leave that for another therapy session). It's simply to create a space where you can feel comfortable, safe, and present enough to do the work.
