Can I receive trauma therapy if I live in rural Idaho?

Yes, I provide telehealth therapy to adults anywhere in Idaho. Whether you're in Boise, North Idaho, or a small rural community, you can access specialized trauma treatment without long drives through mountain passes or closed winter roads.

How does online therapy work for Idaho residents in areas with limited internet?

Telehealth sessions work with standard internet connections. Many Idaho clients successfully connect from rural areas. We can discuss technical requirements and solutions during our initial contact.

Is my privacy protected in a small Idaho community?

Absolutely. Online therapy provides complete privacy - no waiting rooms where you might run into someone you know, no explaining absences to employers, and no one in your community needs to know you're seeking support.

Do you understand Idaho's unique culture and challenges?

Yes. I understand Idaho's culture of self-reliance, the challenges of geographic isolation, limited mental health resources, and how asking for help can feel like weakness in communities that value independence. My approach respects these realities while providing effective treatment.

What if I'm a veteran and the Boise VA has long waitlists?

I work with many Idaho veterans who need trauma treatment sooner than the VA can provide or who prefer private therapy. While I don't accept VA insurance directly, I can provide documentation for potential reimbursement.

Do you offer appointments that work with farming or shift work schedules?

Yes. I offer early morning appointments before work, evening sessions after kids are in bed, and weekend availability to accommodate Idaho's agricultural schedules, shift work, and real life demands.

Find Relief from Trauma

in Idaho

Online in all of Idaho with Summer Verhines, LCSW

Contact Me or Schedule Here

Sometimes the Best Therapy Happens Far Away from a Traditional Office

Living in Idaho means understanding isolation: not just geographic, but emotional. Whether you're in Boise's suburbs or a town of 500 people, trauma can make you feel utterly alone, especially when the nearest specialist is hours away through mountain passes that close in winter.

I'm Summer Verhines, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, bringing specialized trauma therapy to Idahoans wherever you are. No more choosing between a three-hour drive to Boise or settling for whatever counseling is available locally.

Idaho License: Mental or Behavioral Telehealth - Social Worker #9371387

The Reality of Trauma in Idaho

Idaho's culture of independence often means you're expected to handle everything yourself. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Don't complain. Be grateful for the beautiful scenery and tight-knit community. But trauma doesn't care about mountain views or small-town values.

Maybe you're a veteran who moved here for peace and quiet after deployment, only to find the isolation makes the memories louder. The VA in Boise has long waitlists, and if you're in North Idaho, that drive feels impossible when you're already struggling to leave your house.

Maybe you're a first responder or medical professional where you know your patients personally. You've pronounced time of death on your neighbor's teenager after an accident. You've worked codes on people you see at the grocery store. There's no anonymity in your trauma, and nowhere to process it without everyone knowing your business.

Maybe you're dealing with traumatic loss: a farming accident that took your spouse, suicide in a community where mental health struggles stay hidden, or pregnancy loss when everyone expects you to "just try again."

Maybe you're an adoptive or foster parent trying to help a child heal from trauma while navigating a system with minimal support. The closest adoption-competent therapist is in another county with a three-month waitlist.

Maybe you've experienced trauma that doesn't fit the mold: childhood abuse you've never told anyone about, a sexual assault in a small town where speaking up would upend everything, or struggles that feel too complicated to explain.

**What Healing Can Look Like For You**

You wake up without your mind immediately racing through all possible dangers for the day. Your brain has finally stopped treating your own bedroom like a threat zone that needs constant monitoring. You can just wake up normally, maybe think about coffee, instead of instantly cataloging everything that could go wrong.
You drive past the accident site on Highway 21 without your hands gripping the wheel until your knuckles turn white. It's just a stretch of road now, not a portal to the worst day of your life.
You attend the town’s Friday night football game and watch your kid play instead of scanning the crowd for threats or exits. You even chat with other parents without a constant buzz of anxiety underneath.
You can hunt or hike in the backcountry again without every snapped twig sending you into hypervigilance. The woods feel peaceful again, not like a potential ambush.
Your family stops walking on eggshells around you. Your spouse mentions they haven't seen you zone out mid-conversation in weeks. Your kids ask you to do things with them again because you’re emotionally present, not just physically there.

**Trauma Treatment That Fits Your Idaho Life**

I use methods that work whether you're in downtown Boise or rural Lemhi County:

EMDR and ART – Process traumatic memories without having to describe every detail, perfect for those who value privacy or come from "keep it to yourself" backgrounds
Brainspotting – Let your brain do the healing work while you stay in control, no endless talking required
Somatic Therapy – Release trauma your body has been carrying since that accident, assault, deployment, or loss
Internal Family Systems – Make peace between the part that needs to be strong for everyone and the part that's exhausted from carrying everything alone

This is practical, effective treatment that respects both your privacy and your time.

Telehealth That Works for Idaho

Meeting online means:

No losing half a day to drive to Boise, Spokane, or Missoula
No cancelled appointments because mountain passes are closed
No sitting in a waiting room where you might run into someone you know
No explaining to your employer why you need Tuesday afternoons off
Complete privacy in communities where everyone knows everyone

Sessions available mornings before work, evenings after the kids are in bed, or weekends around your schedule.

You’ve Already Survived the Hardest Part

You survived whatever brought you here: the deployment, the accident, the loss, the years of accumulated stress from helping others. You've been strong for everyone else. Now it's time to let someone help carry the weight.

Idaho shaped you into someone who can handle almost anything. But you don't have to handle trauma alone. Not anymore.

Working with Idaho Clients Online

I understand what it means to look for a therapist in Idaho, where asking for help can feel like admitting weakness, where your therapist might be your kid's teacher's spouse, and where the nearest trauma specialist might be a four-hour drive through mountain passes that close from November to May.

I work with:

Veterans and military families dealing with deployment trauma, reintegration challenges, and the isolation that comes from feeling like civilians don't understand
First responders and rural healthcare workers who've responded to accidents involving people they know, made life-or-death decisions with limited resources, or carry the weight of being their community's only medical provider
Adoptive and foster parents navigating Idaho's overwhelmed child welfare system with minimal support services and few adoption-competent therapists
Those experiencing traumatic grief after sudden losses: car accidents on rural highways, farming accidents, suicide in communities where mental health struggles are hidden, or pregnancy loss in a culture that expects large families
Anyone whose trauma feels too big to carry alone, especially when "getting help" would normally mean everyone in town knowing your business

The combination of geographic isolation, limited mental health resources, and a culture that values self-reliance over asking for support makes trauma particularly isolating here. Online therapy changes that, giving you privacy, accessibility, and specialized care without leaving your home.

Meet Summer

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing specialized trauma therapy throughout Idaho via telehealth. With over 15 years of experience and advanced training in EMDR, ART, Brainspotting, and somatic therapies, I help people heal when traditional talk therapy hasn't worked.

I provide specialized trauma therapy to Idahoans who've had limited access to trauma specialists due to geography: those living hours from Boise, professionals who can’t take time off for appointments, and anyone who values privacy in small communities where everyone knows everyone.

I offer sessions in the early mornings, evenings, and on weekends to work around work schedules and real life. You don't have to drive through Idaho’s mountain passes or explain to anyone why you need to take a long lunch. Private, effective trauma therapy from wherever you are in Idaho.

Learn More About Me Here