Hello
I’m Simone. I am a licensed mental health counselor, but you may also call me a mental health or mindfulness coach. I am a big fan of slow living and a minimalist at heart. I enjoy connecting with others intimately, preferably over long dinners with lots of laughter. I love exploring nature, hiking, or being by the water.
My Story
I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. My family moved to Yonkers, NY in the late 1990s, and it has been my base ever since. Growing up in Jamaica, I always wanted to help others. I knew that I wanted to alleviate pain after hearing my mother wailing over an injustice against her sister one day. It is a cry I have heard many times in my life. It is a cry that instinctively moves me with compassion and calls me to action. Oddly, I never dreamt of becoming a therapist. It is not a dream most Caribbean children dream. The choices were medical doctor, lawyer, teacher, or nurse. So, I wanted to become a medical doctor. Now, it is clear that what was conceived in my heart that day was not the desire to heal the body but a desire to heal the pain.
I graduated with a Bachelor's in Health Sciences from Stony Brook University and a Master's in Mental Health Counseling from Nyack University. After graduation, I worked as a counseling intern on a college campus. I provided individual, couples, and group therapy to a diverse population of students with varied mental health issues. In 2020, I started The Blank Coach, a virtual mental health coaching practice focused on trauma release and emotional intelligence. I expanded The Blank Couch to include individual and couples therapy in 2023.
I aim to empower my clients to overcome the challenges that have led to unhealthy coping habits and prevent them from having the life and connections they deeply desire. I seek to help them become aware and give them the skills necessary to rebuild or recreate their lives. I am passionate about the work that I get to do. I deeply appreciate the individuals who entrust me with their stores.
I believe clients are the experts of their stories; they know themselves better than the therapist and are the best resource for their healing. Therapy is a joint effort between client and therapist, combining collective knowledge and skills building to create solutions. I take an integrative approach to healing: body, mind, and spirit. Each individual is unique in their experience of the world. It might not accurately reflect reality, but it is their lived experience and should be validated. My approach, though humanistic at its core, pulls from different theories and strategies to best facilitate the client's healing.