Mark Simpson, PhD, is a Nashville-based Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with adults, adolescents and couples, in a variety of therapeutic settings. While Dr. Simpson utilizes evidence-based practices, he prioritizes the therapeutic relationship and believes that success in therapy is greatly influenced by clients’ trust and comfort with their therapist. He brings an active and engaging relational approach to his therapeutic work, with a focus on mutual respect and, above all else, non-judgmental support for his clients.
Dr. Simpson believes that each client’s care must be tailored to meet their unique needs and interpersonal learning style. His theoretical orientation is eclectic and includes components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Informed Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT). He also uses hypnosis and mindfulness-based techniques to address anxiety-related disorders. His work is neurologically-informed, utilizing an understanding of how brain processes impact each client’s cognitive and emotional processes. In his work with couples, Dr. Simpson focuses on improving communication, resolving conflict, rebuilding trust and overall problem solving, drawing heavily from the Gottman method and Relational Life Therapy.
In addition to treating a wide variety of issues and conditions including depression, anxiety and panic-related disorders, low self-esteem, codependency, life transitions, anger dysregulation, personality disorders, conduct disorders, trauma-related disorders, substance use disorders and adjustment disorders, Dr. Simpson has a special interest in sports and performance psychology, which ranges from working with adolescents seeking to improve their athletic achievements to helping adult musicians maximize their potential.
His interest in substance use disorders led Dr. Simpson to present at National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-sponsored conferences and serve on scientific panels to review grant applications for NIDA-funded research studies. Dr. Simpson also served on the Governor’s Opiate Task Force to address the problem of opiate addiction and develop policies to reduce opiate use.
Dr. Simpson earned both his PhD in Clinical Psychology and Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music, playing guitar, grilling, and reading and listening to podcasts about psychology and history.