LPC, 6 years of experience
New to Grow
Hi, I’m Vickey Simmons-Hart, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona and a National Certified Counselor. I specialize in helping adults and couples navigate trauma, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and life transitions. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and focused on creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can feel supported and understood. I draw from evidence-based approaches including EMDR, Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, DBT, and solution-focused methods. These tools allow me to tailor our work to your unique needs—whether that means processing past experiences, learning coping skills, or building healthier patterns in relationships. I believe therapy is not one-size-fits-all, and together we will explore what feels most effective and meaningful for you. Clients often describe me as approachable, grounded, and practical. I strive to help you not only heal but also feel more confident in daily life. Our work may include identifying unhelpful cycles, exploring parts of yourself that need attention, and practicing skills that support regulation, resilience, and connection. At the heart of my practice is respect for the courage it takes to show up for yourself. Healing can feel messy and nonlinear, but I will walk alongside you with patience, honesty, and care. My role is to help you access your strengths and inner resources while offering proven techniques that support growth. I welcome clients from all walks of life and value inclusivity. You don’t have to have it all figured out—together, we can explore what’s working, what isn’t, and what change might look like. If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing and growth, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
Starting therapy can feel like a big step. You may be nervous, unsure of what to say, or even questioning if this is the right time. That’s completely normal. My goal in our first session is to make the process feel less overwhelming and to give you a clear sense of how we’ll work together moving forward. Our first session will look a little different from ongoing sessions. Think of it as an introduction — a time for us to slow down, get to know each other, and begin building the foundation for our work. I’ll invite you to share what brings you to therapy, in your own words and at your own pace. Some clients come in with a very specific concern, while others just know something feels “off” and they want support in figuring it out. Wherever you fall on that spectrum is completely okay. I’ll ask thoughtful questions about your background, current challenges, and what you’d like to get out of therapy. We may talk about your personal history, relationships, or important life events. We’ll also cover practical information like your support system, stressors, and coping skills. If you’re not sure how to answer, I’ll guide you — there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to share your story. Equally important, the first session is your chance to get a feel for me. Therapy is a partnership, and I want you to feel comfortable asking me questions about how I work, what approaches I use, and what therapy might look like for you. I value honesty and collaboration, so if something doesn’t feel like a fit, we’ll adjust together. Because I practice from an integrative, trauma-informed lens, you can expect me to listen deeply, without judgment, and to pay attention not just to what you’re saying but also how you’re experiencing it. Sometimes we’ll notice patterns or connections together, and other times we’ll simply focus on what feels most pressing right now. By the end of our first session, my goal is that you’ll walk away with: A sense of relief from having shared your story in a safe and supportive space. A clearer understanding of the therapy process and how I can help. Initial goals we can refine together over time. Practical steps or grounding strategies, if you’re needing immediate support. You won’t leave with all the answers — therapy is a process, and meaningful change takes time. But you will leave knowing you don’t have to do this alone. Above all, I want our first session to feel like the beginning of a relationship built on trust, compassion, and collabor
What makes my therapeutic approach unique is the way I blend evidence-based methods with deep respect for each client’s individuality. Therapy with me is not “one size fits all.” I draw from multiple modalities — including EMDR, Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, DBT, and solution-focused strategies — to create a flexible, personalized path for each person I work with. My integrative style means that we can address both the immediate challenges you’re facing and the deeper patterns that may be holding you back. One thing clients often notice right away is that I’m both compassionate and direct. I hold space with empathy, but I also gently challenge you to step outside of patterns that no longer serve you. I don’t believe therapy should feel like talking in circles — together, we’ll move toward clarity, healing, and change in ways that feel safe but also impactful. My training in trauma-informed approaches allows me to work effectively with clients who may have experienced pain or overwhelm in their past. With tools like EMDR and Brainspotting, we can access and reprocess experiences that sometimes feel “stuck” in the body and nervous system. With IFS, we explore the parts of you that carry burdens, protect you, or long for connection, and we invite those parts into a healthier balance. With CBT and DBT, we build practical skills for managing thoughts, emotions, and relationships in your everyday life. Each of these approaches brings something powerful to the table, but what really stands out is how I combine them in a way that meets you exactly where you are. Another aspect that sets my work apart is my belief in the whole-person perspective. I understand that mental health doesn’t exist in isolation — it is shaped by your body, relationships, culture, spirituality, environment, and lived experiences. I bring curiosity and openness to all of these dimensions, creating a space where your full humanity is welcome. This inclusive lens allows clients from all walks of life to feel seen, respected, and understood. I also bring years of professional and lived experience that inform my work. Beyond formal training, my background has taught me what it means to sit with hard emotions, to navigate life’s transitions, and to find resilience in the midst of challenges. Clients often tell me that this combination — professional expertise grounded in real-world understanding — makes me relatable and trustworthy. I don’t just know the theory; I know w
If you’ve found yourself here, chances are you’ve been carrying more than most people realize. You might look “put together” on the outside, but inside you’re exhausted from holding it all together, managing relationships, responsibilities, and maybe even old wounds that never fully healed. You may feel stuck in patterns that you can’t quite explain—overthinking, shutting down, lashing out, or just feeling disconnected from yourself and the people you love. I work best with clients who are ready to dig beneath the surface and do the deeper work that leads to real, lasting change. My practice is especially supportive for individuals who: Struggle with unresolved trauma or painful past experiences that continue to show up in the present. Feel overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, or perfectionism, even when life looks “fine” to everyone else. Want to strengthen their relationships, set healthier boundaries, or break cycles that no longer serve them. Have been living in “survival mode” and are now ready to feel safe, grounded, and more in control of their lives. If this sounds like you, know that you don’t have to go through it alone. In our work together, we’ll focus on creating a space where you can slow down, reconnect, and really hear yourself. I’ll help you make sense of the patterns that keep you stuck and support you in building new ways of coping, relating, and moving forward. I use powerful, evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, Brainspotting, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), along with practical tools from CBT, DBT, and solution-focused therapy. This means we’ll not only process the deeper issues that have been weighing you down but also give you real-life skills to use between sessions. I often tell clients: therapy isn’t about “fixing” you—because you’re not broken. It’s about helping you release what no longer belongs to you, so that your authentic self can come forward. Together, we’ll work toward reducing the intensity of painful memories, making sense of the parts of you that hold hurt or protect you in unhelpful ways, and strengthening the parts of you that are resilient and wise. I’m best positioned to help clients who are motivated to change, even if they feel scared, uncertain, or overwhelmed about where to start. You don’t need to have all the answers or a perfectly defined goal for therapy. You just need to be willing to show up, be curious about your own story, and allow yourself the chance to try something different. If you’ve
I incorporate Brainspotting into my practice as a powerful tool to help clients access and process experiences that are often stored beneath conscious awareness. By using specific eye positions connected to emotional activation, Brainspotting allows us to gently target and release unresolved stress, trauma, or patterns that feel ‘stuck.’ This approach works with both the body and mind, creating space for deeper healing, increased self-understanding, and lasting change.
I use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a structured approach to help clients work through distressing memories and experiences that may still be impacting their present. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, sounds, or taps) to help the brain reprocess and integrate these experiences in a healthier way. Many clients find this process reduces the intensity of difficult emotions, shifts old patterns, and supports long-term healing.
I integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) into my practice as a way of helping clients understand and connect with the different ‘parts’ of themselves. We all carry inner parts that hold emotions, beliefs, or protective strategies, and IFS provides a compassionate framework for exploring these dynamics. By developing a deeper relationship with these parts, clients often experience more self-compassion, clarity, and inner balance, allowing them to move toward healing and wholeness.