Online Therapy for Infertility and Pregnancy Loss in Annapolis, MD
Therapy for the grief of infertility, failed IVF, miscarriage, stillbirth, and TFMR. Serving Annapolis, Severna Park, Crofton, Arnold, Edgewater, and throughout Anne Arundel County.
Infertility and loss have changed you in ways you weren't prepared for, and you're tired of carrying the grief the way you have been
You tracked your cycles, adjusted your diet, read the books, joined the forums, and asked the questions your doctor didn't bring up first. You showed up to every appointment, followed every protocol, and did everything you could to give yourself the best chance. And here you are.
Maybe the treatments haven't worked, and each failed cycle has left you more depleted than the last, not just physically but in the way you think about yourself and your future. Maybe you had a loss, a miscarriage that people brushed off as common, a stillbirth that shattered something you didn't know could break, a diagnosis that forced you into a decision you'll carry for the rest of your life. Maybe you're somewhere in the middle, not ready to stop trying but not sure how many more times you can pick yourself up and start again.
The hardest part might be that you can't outwork this. You're used to effort leading somewhere, and in every other part of your life, doing the right things at the right time has gotten you results. But this doesn't respond to discipline or planning, and the gap between how hard you've tried and where you are right now feels unbearable some days.
And the trying has changed you in ways you didn't expect. Hope used to feel like a good thing, and now it feels dangerous, like something that sets you up to fall. You've started to doubt yourself in areas that have nothing to do with fertility, second-guessing decisions at work, pulling back from friendships, feeling less capable than you know you are. The confidence you had before all of this has eroded quietly, and you're not sure when that happened or how to get it back.
You're looking for help, not the kind that tells you to stay positive or try one more thing, but the kind that actually addresses what this has done to you on the inside.
Specialized therapy for infertility and pregnancy loss
Infertility and pregnancy loss leave you grieving in a world that doesn't make room for your grief. You might be carrying the weight of years of negative tests, or a miscarriage that people called "early" as if that made it small, or a stillbirth that shattered everything, or a termination for medical reasons that you can barely talk about because you don't know who would understand. The people who love you want to help and mostly don't know how, so you get platitudes about timing and meant-to-be and trying again, and you've learned to nod and change the subject.
I've trained specifically in how reproductive loss affects the brain and body. You won't spend sessions explaining why you can't walk past the nursery you decorated and then disassembled, or why your best friend's baby shower invitation is still sitting unopened on the counter, or why the phrase "everything happens for a reason" makes you want to scream. That understanding is already in the room, which means your sessions go straight to what this grief is doing to your daily life and how to help it loosen its hold.
When understanding the grief hasn't changed what it does to your body
After enough loss, your body stops believing that anything good will last. That's why your stomach drops when the phone rings during a cycle, why you've started avoiding friends with young children because the ache afterward lasts for days, why you lie awake at night running through everything you could have done differently even though you know logically that none of it was your fault. Your body learned that wanting something this badly leads to devastation, and it's been trying to protect you by never fully letting you want it again.
You can see this clearly and still feel it happening. That's not a lack of self-awareness or willpower. It means the grief is living somewhere that understanding alone can't reach, and that's exactly what the therapeutic approaches I use are designed to work with.
How therapy for infertility and pregnancy loss can help
You get a call from your doctor's office about next steps, and instead of freezing or saying yes to whatever they suggest, you ask two questions you've been thinking about all week. You push back on a timeline that doesn't feel right. You hang up and text your partner the update, and your hands are steady.
A coworker announces she's pregnant at a team meeting, and you say congratulations and ask when she's due. The sting hits, but you finish the meeting, eat lunch at your desk, and get through a project you've been putting off. The announcement doesn't erase the rest of your day.
You go to your sister-in-law's baby shower, the one you almost bailed on twice. You hold a conversation, you eat cake, you laugh at something someone says. On the drive home, you feel tired but not gutted, and you spend the evening on the couch watching something you actually enjoy instead of crying in the bathroom.
Your partner asks where you stand on trying again, and instead of shutting down or snapping, you tell him what you're actually thinking, that you're scared, that you need more time, that you don't know yet. He doesn't have the perfect response, but you said what was true, and you go to bed that night feeling closer to each other than you have in a while.
You sign up for a pottery class you've been eyeing for months, something that has nothing to do with treatment or timelines or your body. You go on a Tuesday night, you're terrible at it, and you come home with clay under your fingernails and a feeling you haven't had in a long time, like you did something just because you wanted to.
Why online therapy works for infertility and pregnancy loss in Annapolis
Online therapy means you can have your session from wherever feels most private, whether that's home, your car, or a quiet room at work. No driving into town, no sitting in a waiting room, no coordinating around a commute.
I provide online infertility and pregnancy loss therapy to clients in Annapolis, Severna Park, Crofton, Arnold, Edgewater, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Bowie, Glen Burnie, Odenton, and throughout Maryland. I also see clients in Baltimore and Bethesda.
Who this works well for
I work with clients in Annapolis at every stage of the infertility and pregnancy loss experience: during treatment, after a failed cycle or transfer, after a miscarriage or stillbirth, after a TFMR, after deciding to stop trying, or years later when the grief resurfaces. I also work with people who are pregnant after loss and carrying fear through what everyone else treats as happy news.
This is a good fit if you want a therapist who specializes in reproductive loss and who uses approaches that work with your body and nervous system, not just your thoughts. This is not a good fit if you're looking for couples therapy (I work with individuals), parenting support, or fertility coaching.
About Summer
I'm Summer Verhines, a Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical (LCSW-C #34104) practicing in Annapolis and throughout Maryland via telehealth.
I became a therapist after nine years in child welfare, where I worked with families at every stage of the adoption process, including many who came to adoption after years of infertility treatment and pregnancy loss. I understand that by the time you're sitting in my office, you may have already been through more than most people can imagine, and I don't take that lightly.
I've trained specifically in how reproductive loss affects the brain and body. You won't spend sessions explaining what a two-week wait does to you, or why a friend's pregnancy announcement can feel like a punch to the chest, or why your doctor's calm tone sometimes makes you want to scream. That understanding is already in the room, which means your sessions focus on what this experience is doing to your daily life and how to help it change.
If you're navigating infertility or pregnancy loss in Annapolis or anywhere in Maryland, I'd like to talk with you. You can schedule a session or reach out through the contact form below.
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.
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
Contact Summer
Frequently Asked Questions
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The first session is about me understanding what you've been through and how it's showing up in your life right now. I'll ask about your history, but I'm also paying attention to what's happening with your sleep, your energy, your relationships, and the situations you avoid. That tells me where to focus. You don't have to share everything in the first session.
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No. EMDR and ART don't require you to narrate your trauma over and over. We work with what's happening in your body and brain in ways that process the pain without needing you to retell the whole story.
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We start with what's affecting you most right now. The body-based approaches I use are designed to address layered loss without overwhelming you. We don't have to process everything at once. Each piece that resolves gives you more capacity to handle the rest.
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Trauma doesn't require a single catastrophic event. The cumulative emotional toll of infertility treatment, repeated losses, invasive procedures, and the grief of watching your life diverge from the one you planned creates real changes in your nervous system. If your body is reacting in ways you can't think your way out of, body-based therapy can help.
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I charge $250 per session. I provide superbills, which are detailed receipts you can submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement. The amount you get back depends on your plan. Call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask about out-of-network mental health benefits to find out what's covered before your first session.
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Most clients start with weekly sessions. As things shift and stabilize, some move to biweekly. We'll figure out the right rhythm together based on where you are and what you need.