Carter Summerville
Licensed PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR, EMDR CERTIFIED, EMDR CIT (consultant in training)
I believe in healing and emotional freedom for everyone, regardless of community or ability.
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I work with the LGBTQIA+, disabled/chronically ill, and neurodivergent communities. Being a part of all three of these communities informs my work, aside from having specialized trainings in these areas. I have a professional lens and a personal one, which creates a new level of safety for my clients. I work with clients ages 10+ virtually.
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With each community I serve, there are different areas of training that I have focused on.
In the LGBTQIA+ community, I write letters for gender-affirming care, focus on identity exploration, and kink/ethically non-monogamy safety.
In the disabled/chronically ill community, I work from a Somatic Therapy lens to help clients work on body acceptance, coping with an ableist society, and learning new ways of emotionally regulating that fit with different abilities.
In the neurodivergent community, I have focused my training on adapting current models of therapy to fit different types of neurodivergence to ensure that each client is getting therapy tailored exactly to their unique selves.
I am certified in EMDR and have been trained in Internal Family Systems to address trauma, PTSD, and CPTSD for all the communities that I support. EMDR reprocesses trauma within the brain to reduce symptoms, while IFS isolates parts of the self that are contributing to symptoms in order to calm and soothe these parts.
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I got my Bachelors in Psychology from Christopher Newport University and my Masters in Professional Counseling from Liberty University, both located in Virginia. I have experience working in an adult psychiatric hospital, in-home crisis counseling with children and adults, group counseling for adults, and outpatient counseling work.
I started Emotional Wellness Counseling Center in 2021 after realizing the gap in my communities for a therapist with lived experience and wanting to give back to my own spaces. I run this practice fully virtually due to my own chronic health issues, which works well for the clients I serve. Ultimately, my work is very rewarding and one of the most important parts of my life.
I am the supervisor for all of the residents in this practice, so even if you can’t see me directly, I will be a very large part of your care.