Kiesa DeSimone
Kiesa DeSimone
Tyrone Square – St. Petersburg Office
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
My passion and gifting lie in creating a safe space for you to share openly and deeply and to create an environment where you can begin the process of healing and growth. My approach to counseling is catered towards the belief that when my client is seen and heard, meaningful and positive change can happen!
As a licensed mental health counselor, I can collaborate with you to develop the tools, insight, and empowerment to create something different in your life. My style has been described as soothing, comforting, and compassionate. I draw on this to create a place where you can feel safe to be gently challenged and recognize your strength.
I utilize an eclectic and holistic approach to therapy, including EFT (emotion-focused therapy), TFCBT (trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy), motivational interviewing, and DBT (dialectical behavior therapy). I am also trained in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), which I utilize in sessions often to reduce triggers and provide healing from trauma. Part of my sessions will include exploring themes in your past that might be influencing negative beliefs about yourself. My hope is that understanding where your beliefs come from can help facilitate compassion for yourself and bring positive change. I truly believe that understanding how to love yourself can lead to amazing things.
Therapy can be intimidating, and it can be a huge step for someone to seek help. I am honored that I can be a part of your journey! I view our session together as your time, and I stress the importance of being a consistent presence to help you share in a way that meets your needs. I may ask you a question at the start of our session, like “What feels important to talk about today?”
- Trauma
- Self-esteem issues
- Life transitions
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety
- Depression
- LGBTQIA+ affirming
- Parenting and relationship issues
- Aging concerns.
I received my bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Northwestern. I then completed the first two years of my master’s in clinical counseling at Denver Seminary and the last half at Argosy University. As a licensed mental health counselor, I have experience helping individuals, including pre-teens, adolescents, young adults, older adults, couples, and families in various settings. I have worked in case management and counseling for three years in a community mental health setting. I had the honor of going into peoples’ homes for therapy for several years, which gave me a deeper understanding of what my clients were going through in their environments.
Being in the community mental health setting has increased my understanding of complex and traumatic issues. I have attempted to understand external and internal factors influencing behavior and thinking patterns. My areas of passion include trauma, self-esteem, life transitions, grief/loss, anxiety, depression, LGBTQIA+ Affirming, parenting and relationship issues, and aging concerns.
I am excited to start this healing process with you, and I feel blessed to share in the growth and change in your life.
- I am a proud mom of four adult children who live all over the country, including Colorado, Kansas, and Florida. They are all unique and special, and I enjoy visiting them as often as possible.
- I “dated” my husband in Colorado in middle school (smiling at each other across the hall and holding hands). Then I broke up with him in the cafeteria. Twenty-five years later, we discovered each other again and have been married for five years.
- I love going to the beach as often as possible and find it incredibly soothing. I enjoyed the mountains in Colorado Springs, CO, where I grew up, but the beach gives me the same feeling of peace.
- I enjoy music very much and sometimes use it in my therapy sessions. I recently went to a “Lost 80’s” concert that brought me back to my teen days. If you look at my playlist right now, it ranges from pop to heavy metal.
- I have an adorable and sometimes naughty wiener dog named Remington that I cannot get enough of. He brings a lot of joy to our family.
