01 · Who LaVerne works with

LaVerne works with addictions, LGBT and trauma and abuse

LaVerne lists 13 specialisms and 21 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects LaVerne chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In LaVerne's own words

What LaVerne says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I have earned my B.S. in Human Services/Counseling. I graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University, with my master’s degree in clinical counseling with a major in Addiction Counseling, May 2004. In September 2006 I was grandfather in as a New York State, License Mental Health Counselor. On 3/31/16, I was grandfather in as a Master Addiction Counselor from the National Certification Commission for Addiction Counselor. I have 20 years’ experience of substances use therapy, 15 years’ experience with individuals with dual diagnosis, 5 years’ experience working in transitional housing with individuals with chronic medical conditions.

I am a Credential Alcoholism Substance Abuse Counselor. I attended Narco Freedom Institute for my 60-hour Compulsive Gambling Training, and I received my Specialty in Gambling Designation. I have obtained not only a theoretical base to go along with my practical knowledge of human behavior, but also, I have developed the skills necessary to help others to empower themselves. My approach to therapy is motivational interviewing along with cognitive behavioral therapy, most importantly I use a client-centered approach to meet the client where they are.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou

LaVerne Merritt-Morrison, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How LaVerne works

The 3 approaches LaVerne lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods LaVerne lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not LaVerne's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how LaVerne runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

LaVerne practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of LaVerne's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking LaVerne at this point.

2. Naming LaVerne specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for LaVerne is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to LaVerne.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking LaVerne

Built from what LaVerne actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not LaVerne's - LaVerne has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 30 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMHC

Licensed in

New York

Licence

NY LMHC 003287-1

Licence number

003287-1

Licence expires

30 Sep 2029

NPI

1265737449

Years in practice

30

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

LaVerne's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met LaVerne. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.