Therapy for High-Functioning Adults Navigating Trauma, Grief, Burnout, and Major Life Transitions
Private, trauma-informed virtual therapy for adults who are used to holding it all together—but need a space where they no longer have to.
Serving California, Maryland, & Idaho via Secure Telehealth
You can be successful on paper and still feel overwhelmed in private.
Many of my clients are deeply capable people. They are professionals, caregivers, leaders, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, and high-achieving adults who are often the ones others depend on.
From the outside, they appear highly functional.
Behind the scenes, they may be navigating grief, burnout, unresolved trauma, complicated family dynamics, chronic stress, or major life transitions that feel increasingly difficult to manage alone.
They’re often looking for more than surface-level coping strategies. They want therapy that helps them understand what’s happening beneath the surface and create meaningful change.
That is the work we do here.
WHAT I HELP WITH
Burnout and High-Responsibility Careers
I frequently work with:
Medical professionals
Therapists
First responders
Business owners
Executives
Caregivers carrying significant family responsibilities
Major Life Transitions
Support through:
Divorce
Career changes
Relationship transitions
Empty nest shifts
Identity transitions
Family caregiving demands
Major personal decisions
Trauma and Nervous System Dysregulation
For adults experiencing:
Childhood trauma
Attachment wounds
Complex trauma
Chronic stress
Anxiety
Emotional overwhelm
Nervous system dysregulation
Internal conflict
Grief and Complex Loss
Support for experiences such as:
Death of a loved one
Anticipatory grief
Medical trauma-related loss
Family role shifts
Ambiguous loss
End-of-life stress
HOW I WORK
My work is rooted in helping clients move beyond intellectual insight alone.
Depending on your goals, treatment may incorporate:
EMDR
Brainspotting
Internal Family Systems-informed therapy
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Somatic interventions
Attachment-focused work
This approach is often especially helpful for clients who have already spent years trying to “think” their way out of pain.
Why private pay clients choose this practice…
Personalized, high-touch care
Clients often choose private-pay therapy because they want:
Greater privacy and confidentiality
Freedom from insurance limitations
Flexible scheduling options
Longer sessions and intensives
Specialized trauma treatment
Highly individualized care
This practice was intentionally built for clients seeking depth, discretion, and meaningful transformation.
Looking for one of my specialty areas?
I also provide specialized support for:
Hello! I’m Summer
I’m Summer Verhines, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing virtual therapy for adults across California, Idaho, and Maryland.
Before opening my private practice, I spent nearly two decades working in high-pressure medical and crisis settings where people often found themselves navigating some of the most painful and life-altering moments of their lives.
My background includes work in:
Child welfare and adoptions
Hospital medical social work
Hospice and end-of-life care
Healthcare systems
Trauma-informed private practice
These experiences gave me a deep understanding of grief, trauma, caregiving stress, complex family dynamics, medical trauma, burnout, and the invisible weight many high-functioning adults carry behind closed doors.
Today, I work with adults who are often the ones holding everything together—professionals, caregivers, healthcare workers, helping professionals, entrepreneurs, and individuals navigating significant life transitions.
Many of my clients appear highly capable on the outside while privately feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or stuck in patterns they can’t seem to think their way out of.
I believe therapy should feel both deeply human and highly effective.
This work is collaborative, intentional, and tailored to the complexity of what you’re carrying—whether you’re navigating grief, burnout, trauma, or a major life transition.
You do not need to hit a breaking point before asking for support.
Therapy Services Offered
Individual Weekly Therapy
Weekly therapy with me is a steady, collaborative space where you don’t have to perform, explain everything perfectly, or rush toward solutions. We’ll move at a pace that respects your nervous system, blending thoughtful conversation with evidence-based trauma approaches when helpful, so insight and relief can happen together. Some weeks may feel reflective and grounding, others more active and processing-focused—but always intentional and contained. Over time, clients often notice they feel more regulated, more confident in their responses, and less controlled by patterns that once felt automatic.
Intensives
Therapy intensives are longer, focused sessions designed to help you go deeper without the stop-and-start feeling of weekly therapy. In a 2- or 4-hour intensive, we create a carefully paced container that allows time for assessment, preparation, processing, and grounding—without rushing your system. These sessions often incorporate trauma-focused modalities such as EMDR, Brainspotting, IFS, or somatic work, with built-in breaks and regulation throughout. Clients often choose intensives when they want meaningful movement around a specific issue or feel ready for concentrated, intentional healing work. Learn more about intensives here.
Logistics
50-minute Sessions are $250.
I also offer 90-minute sessions for $375 and intensive sessions (2-6 hours) ranging from $500 to $1500 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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No. While those are specialty areas, I also work with adults navigating trauma, grief, burnout, and major life transitions.
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Yes. I frequently work with healthcare workers, therapists, helping professionals, and others in high-stress careers.
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Yes. Intensives are available for clients looking to accelerate progress through longer therapy sessions.
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No. This is a private-pay practice. Superbills may be available for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
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No. All services are offered virtually to clients located in California, Idaho, and Maryland.