LaVerne Merritt-Morrison, LMHC

LaVerne Merritt-Morrison is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 30 years of experience. She holds a master’s degree in clinical counseling with a major in Addiction Counseling and has long focused on substance use and related difficulties. She helps people who are coping with anger, addiction, relationship strain, anxiety, depression, and life transitions.

Her background includes two decades in substance use therapy and substantial work with people who have dual diagnoses. She has experience supporting individuals in transitional housing and those facing chronic medical challenges. Her training includes a specialty in compulsive gambling and a Master Addiction Counselor designation.

In sessions she uses client-centered methods first. That means conversations begin with the person’s immediate concerns and goals. She also integrates motivational interviewing to explore readiness for change and cognitive behavioral therapy to address patterns of thought and behavior that fuel anger, anxiety, or substance use.

People can expect straightforward, practical talk about what is happening and realistic steps to try between sessions. She works on specific skills like managing impulses, recognizing triggers, and changing unhelpful reactions. For someone snapping at loved ones or holding growing resentment, sessions focus on understanding what drives those reactions and developing alternatives.

Her practice pays attention to related issues such as codependency, shame, attachment struggles, and personality disorder features when those come up. Sessions aim to reduce distress and increase day-to-day coping through clear strategies and collaborative problem solving.

How her approaches translate to online work