Therapist profile
LaVerne Merritt-Morrison, LMHC
New York
Licensed Mental Health Counselor - Addiction and Recovery
Continue with LaVerneWhere LaVerne stands
- Credentials
- LMHC
- License
- LMHC, New York / 003287-1
- NPI
- 1265737449
- Experience
- 30 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- New York
About
- client-centered care
- motivational interviewing
- cognitive behavioral therapy
About LaVerne
LaVerne Merritt-Morrison is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York with 30 years of experience. She trained in clinical counseling with a master’s degree focused on addiction counseling and has long experience working with substance use and dual diagnosis. She works with adults dealing with addiction, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and the fallout from trauma and abuse.
Her practice emphasizes a client-centered stance. That means she listens for what matters to the individual and helps people set realistic next steps. She often combines motivational interviewing with cognitive behavioral techniques to address unhelpful behaviors and thought patterns.
LaVerne has decades of hands-on experience with substance use treatment and recovery supports. She has worked in transitional housing settings and with people facing chronic medical issues. Her background also includes training in compulsive gambling and a focus on addiction-related concerns.
In sessions she focuses on what a person wants to change and helps them build practical coping tools. She addresses issues like codependency, shame, impulsivity, and isolation with direct strategies and skills practice. Conversations can cover setting boundaries, managing cravings or panic, and rebuilding self-esteem.
Her work aims to be straightforward and practical. People who are ready to look at patterns that keep repeating in relationships or who want clear tools for managing stress and addiction concerns may find this approach useful.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and helping the person identify what matters most. It supports building goals from the client’s priorities and shaping sessions around practical concerns like stress, relationships, or addiction recovery.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, depression, panic, and compulsive patterns by offering concrete skills and short exercises to practice between sessions.
Motivational Interviewing is a conversational style that helps clarify a person’s reasons for change. It is often used with substance use and ambivalence about change to build motivation and small actionable steps.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That collaboration can steer sessions toward skills practice, problem-solving, or exploring underlying patterns.
Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and reduce travel time. These practical benefits help people maintain consistent work on boundaries, cravings, or stress management without promising any specific outcome.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with addictions, trauma and abuse, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and related concerns like codependency and shame.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
The approach is client-centered with motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral techniques to help people change behaviors and thought patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 30 years of experience, including long-term work in substance use treatment and dual diagnosis care.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) licensed in New York and practices from that location.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the US work with her?
International clients are accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and what does it cost?
Cost varies by location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.