A woman with dark curly hair, wearing a white button-up shirt with rolled sleeves, beige and white striped pants, a gold watch, and a tattoo on her left forearm. She is standing against a white crumpled fabric backdrop and smiling.

Hi, I’m Ali Simpson, LMHC

Mental Health Therapist

Clinical Supervisor

Founder

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NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

About Me

Welcome — I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m Ali Simpson (she/her), I’m a Mental Health Therapist, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Board Approved Clinical Supervisor. I created Modern Day Counseling in 2021.

I believe healing and growth begin when you can be fully honest about what’s happening beneath the surface. My approach is affirming and grounded in lived experience—not perfection or one-size-fits-all answers.

I have worked as a mental health professional across a variety of settings, including social work, school-based therapy, college counseling centers, mental health agencies, teaching at the community college level and private practice.

These experiences inform my ability to create a supportive and flexible therapeutic space that meets clients where they are.

Clinical Areas

  • Generalized & social anxiety

  • Depression / persistent low mood

  • Bipolar / mood instability

  • PTSD / CPTSD / trauma

  • Self-esteem and self-worth concerns

  • Identity exploration and identity development

  • Chronic stress / overwhelm related to ongoing life demands

  • Emotional overwhelm or feeling “stuck”

Below is a list of common mental health concerns I work with in practice. This list is not exhaustive, and if you don’t see your specific concern listed here - that’s okay. Everyone comes to therapy with a unique story, different needs, and different stages of readiness.

  • LGBTQ+ related stressors & experiences

  • Racial identity stress and BIPOC-related stressors & experiences

  • Relationship challenges (romantic, family, friendship)

  • Family conflict and intergenerational dynamics

  • People-pleasing and boundary difficulties

  • Suicide & self harm behaviors

Passion Areas

  • Supporting BIPOC clients navigating cultural identity, stress, and generational impact

  • Affirming LGBTQ+ identity exploration and lived experience

  • Holding space for healing from childhood and developmental trauma

  • Guiding identity exploration, self-discovery, and reconnection to values and purpose

  • Supporting clients in becoming more grounded, present, and connected to self

  • Helping break patterns of people-pleasing and build healthy boundaries

  • Empowering lasting change through insight, education, and self-awareness

My passion areas reflect the themes I feel most drawn to and most energized by in my work with clients.

Modalities & Education

I primarily draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic approaches. I integrate these theories to help clients build emotional regulation skills, process and make meaning of past experiences, increase psychological flexibility, and deepen insight into patterns that may be impacting their present lives.

  • Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling / University of Northern Iowa

  • Bachelors of Arts in Psychology / University of Northern Iowa

Outside the Therapy Office

Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my loved ones. Much of my free time is spent with my husband and trying to keep up with my energetic and enthusiastic toddler. I enjoy being outdoors, running, getting lost in a good fiction book, spending time in solitude, or turning the music up a little too loud and singing along passionately.