Meet Dr. Kay, Your Guide to Clarity, Healing, and Growth.
Hi!
Hi, I’m Dr. Kay De Simone, DSW, LCSW—
I’m an expert in the wellness of high achievers and a clinical provider who specializes in the successful treatment of complex trauma. I’m an EMDR-certified clinician who has spent more than 15 years helping high achievers heal from stress, anxiety, and trauma, while building lives filled with clarity, purpose, and joy.
My story
My path to becoming a doctor in psychotherapy started early. As a child, I was endlessly curious about people’s stories and deeply empathetic toward their struggles. That curiosity grew into a call to action — to understand what holds people back, and how to help them move forward.
Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the fields of premium travel, corporate law, and business, where I learned the importance of providing bespoke, top-notch service to clients and the non-negotiable mission of delivering results for our clients while adding value when interacting in a culture of excellence and deadlines.
I witnessed firsthand the toll that high-pressure environments take on even the most successful people. That experience gave me unique insight into the worlds my clients now inhabit — competitive careers, and demanding industries where achievement often comes at the cost of peace.
As a mother, I raised my daughters deeply involved in the world of Gifted and Talented schools. I later transitioned their educational pursuits to competitive preparatory schools and top-tier colleges, which provided them with incredible options in the personal and career levels and provided me with a vantage point on the demands and needs encountered by high achievers (and their families) in high-pressure academic environments.
My personal story, my extensive clinical training, and my parenting experiences create the base for my award winning career and are the fuel that feed my passion for my work,
Learn more about me, my clinical practice, and my journey into the field by listening to my TEDx:
How to choose your mental health care wisely | Kay De Simone | TEDxNCState 2024
My Approach
Stop Playing Checkers and Let’s Learn How to Play Chess. I believe psychotherapy should be strategic, results-driven, and life-changing. It’s not just about talking, venting, and commiserating. It should be about healing and reprocessing the past so that we can co-create measurable change in the present.
Together, we’ll reprocess old patterns, reduce anxiety, and restore balance.
You’ll leave each session with tools you can use the same day.
Between sessions, I often recommend practical assignments — whether it’s a worksheet, a podcast, or a new skill to practice — so growth continues beyond our conversations.
As an EMDR Certified provider, I also offer intensives for clients who are ready for deeper, accelerated healing.
Why High Achievers?
My practice is dedicated to students, professionals, and leaders in high-pressure environments — law, medicine, tech, entrepreneurship, finance, and beyond. I know what it’s like to strive for success and still feel overwhelmed or unseen. Therapy with me is about honoring your identity, equipping you with strategies, and helping you reclaim the joy and focus you thought you’d lost.
“A client cried profusely during her session and said, “I’m soooo weak.”
I looked straight into her eyes and asked: Were you built by your community, your family, or the media to be strong?
She was puzzled.
I added warmly: It is not a YOU problem. It is just a doable task that now YOU have the awareness of”. It is a call to upgrade your skills. You are NOT permanently damaged. It’s just Data.”
Credentials & Commitment
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Doctorate in Advanced Clinical Psychotherapy
Certified EMDR Provider- EMDRIA
EMDR Consultant in Training - EMDRIA
Sought after paid speaker and clinical researcher in the field of High Achiever’s wellness, Wealth MIndset development and burnout prevention.
Trilingual professional fluent in Spanish, English, and Italian.