Donald Simpson, MDiv, MA
Professional Counselor dedicated to helping strengthen the inner resources of children, adolescent, and adults
Missouri Licensed Professional Counselor # 2013035397
Child Psychotherapy
A child on his path of development can stop or go backwards when for various reasons he is overly stressed. To help the child return to progress, therapy involves listening carefully to the child, observing and talking with him about his drawings and play. In this relationship, the child can experience how -- besides being a person of action, acting out inner dramas and conflicts -- he can use his words. The child can learn to handle big feelings, cooperate with others, and show empathy with his parents, siblings, caregivers, and friends.
Therapy can help turn the parent-child relationship from hurtful struggle to one of know-how, joy, and pride.
For more information on Donald's services supporting children, parents, caregivers and educators, click below
Adolescent Psychotherapy
Coping with body changes, relationships, and next step uncertainties is expected in the adolescent passage from child to adult. However, the adolescent overwhelmed by their pressures may need a resource beyond the family and the norm.
Therapy helps the adolescent and their family to understand problematic behaviors and replace suffering with healthy coping. Parents are supported for addressing safety concerns, and can enhance how they give their adolescent space to mature.
Addressing family issues, self-esteem, social and academic competence, therapy can help the adolescent gain new footholds to identity and freedom.
Adult Psychotherapy
Mental health factors impact how the adult grows in love, care, and wisdom. Anxiety and depressive feelings, work life challenges, love life problems, addictions, and faith crises are all facets of adult realities and sufferings. When problems such as these persist and worsen, seeking therapy is how the adult can responsibly care for themselves.
About Donald
Donald brings to therapy relationships his education and clinical experience of over twenty-five years. In pastoral ministry, he received a Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and clinical pastoral training at Duke University, Emory University, and Yale University hospitals. He was a chaplain at the Medical University of South Carolina, Chaplain to Connecticut Mental Health Center, and a pastoral educator to students of Yale Divinity School. Donald’s pastoral relationships with persons recovering from medical crises and chronic and severe mental illness, also with caregivers, inspires his continued passion for helping individuals heal and find hopefulness in understanding their lives.
Donald’s preparation as a mental health professional includes his having earned a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling, from Lindenwood University, also his completion of clinical training programs at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute: the one-year Child Development Program, the two-year Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program, the Child and Adolescent Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Extension, and analytic-level courses, including a one-year course in Parent-Infant Observation.
A Missouri Licensed Professional Counselor since 2013, Donald has provided mental health counseling to families in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, and surrounding Eastern Missouri counties. His support to children and families has included assisting with transitions to early care and education, consulting preschool teachers, and assisting parents and children in divorce.
Donald’s commitment is to relate human-to-human in ways which help strengthen the inner resources of children, adolescents, and adults. This includes focus on a variety of issues: anxiety, attachment, bereavement, caregiver stress, depression, identity issues, including spiritual and religious, marital, gender and sexual, parenting issues, problematic behaviors in children and adolescents, phobias, post-traumatic stress, and substance abuse.
Donald offers daytime, evening, and Saturday hours for meetings via teletherapy and in-person. His office is conveniently located near the Page Ave Extension in Maryland Heights, Missouri.