About Summer
Specializing in adoption and pregnancy loss therapy, with nine years of experience working inside the child welfare and adoption system.
Before private practice, I spent nine years working in child welfare and adoption.
I worked directly with adoptive families, birth parents, and children in the system. That experience shaped everything about how I practice now, because I came into this work already understanding what adoption does to everyone involved, not just the child.
I'm C.A.S.E. certified in adoption competency through the Center for Adoption Support and Education, and I completed the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative.
My practice is focused on four populations: adoptive parents, adult adoptees, birth parents, and people grieving infertility or pregnancy loss.
How I work
I use EMDR, Brainspotting, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). These approaches work with your nervous system directly rather than relying on talk alone.
For many of my clients, that distinction matters.
They’ve already spent time in therapy understanding their story, and they’re looking for something that helps the understanding actually translate into feeling different.
Most clients start noticing real shifts within the first few sessions, and the work tends to move faster than traditional talk therapy.
The goal is always concrete: help you get to a place where what happened in the past stops interfering with how you live today.
My Specialties
Who I work with
Adoptive parents dealing with the stress and grief that came with adoption, and looking for a therapist who already understands what that means.
Adult adoptees working through identity, relationships, reunion, DNA discoveries, and grief.
Birth parents carrying the weight of a placement, whether it happened recently or decades ago.
Anyone grieving infertility or pregnancy loss, including failed IVF, miscarriage, stillbirth, and TFMR.
Education & Training
The specific training I’ve pursued allows me to work with trauma and grief at a nervous system level, which is where they’re stored. This allows our work to address the root cause faster and more completely.
Below is a summary of my background.
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Master’s Degree: California State University, Fresno. Graduated 2008.
Bachelor’s Degree: Dominican University of California. Graduated 2002.
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2015
California LCSW #68507
Maryland LCSW-C #34104
Idaho Telehealth Registration #9371387
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C.A.S.E. Certification in Adoption Competency
National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI)
EMDR, including protocols for acute stress and critical incidents
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Brainspotting, Phases 1 and 2
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Self-Schedule or Contact Me Below
For the quickest and most confidential option, you’re encouraged to book directly into my calendar by clicking the Self-Schedule Here button below. That button will take you to my HIPAA-compliant calendar where you may request an appointment. Once I confirm your appointment request (typically within 24 hours), I will email you the new client forms to digitally sign. Then, we will meet on your scheduled day.
If you have questions prior to scheduling, you can also use the contact form below, and I’ll reply within 48 business hours. If you don’t see a reply, please check your junk/spam folder.
I look forward to hearing from you!
— Summer Verhines, LCSW
Logistics
50-minute Sessions are $250.
I also offer 90-minute sessions for $375 and intensive sessions (2-4 hours) ranging from $500 to $1000 for people who want to work intensively.
I don't take insurance directly, but I can provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement if your plan covers that.
I am available early mornings, evenings, and weekends. I provide services online only.