Meet Jennifer Simpson of Thrive Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Simpson.

Jennifer, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?My name is Jenn Simpson, and I’m a clinical social worker specializing in the treatment of PTSD in Cincinnati.

I often say I found this path by accident. I started out as an education major, fell in love with my psychology classes, and then switched majors. I then realized that I couldn’t do anything with just a psychology degree, so I applied to doctoral programs. After doing so, I realized I didn’t feel a 5-year doctoral program was truly what I wanted, so instead, I took a job opportunity with a local psychiatrist doing women’s health research.

This experience allowed me to get a broader view of the psychology field, and the time to figure out exactly where I wanted to fit in.

My boss at the time was an amazing mentor and helped me to figure out my next steps. I soon realized I wanted to work one-on-one with patients to overcome obstacles in their lives.  After a couple of years with her, I applied for my Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis on mental health. 

During graduate school internships, I met a psychologist who would later become my boss for eleven years, as well as another mentor. I became interested in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. The world of trauma was somewhat intimidating to me, however, once I recognized there were effective treatments to treat PTSD I was intrigued. After graduate school, I took a job at the VA Hospital, in their PTSD clinic. Our clinic offered effective, evidence-based, results-focused treatments and I got to see people recover. I had found my heart-work. 

I got to work with many of the best and brightest in the trauma world during my time at the VA. I gained experience while I served the Veteran and active-duty military. During that time, my husband and I also went on to have 4 children.

It’s not a surprise that balancing a family and a career is difficult. I found myself in a space working women often find themselves: I thought I was failing as a mother because of work and failing at work because of motherhood. I was stretched too thin and overwhelmed. 

After lots of soul-searching and tough conversations, I decided to start my own private practice in Cincinnati. I’d continue to offer the same specialized PTSD treatments I have been, though now focus on my community. After my practice quickly filling, I left the VA and have been working for myself since 2018.

It was a terrifying leap, however, a necessary one to make all the pieces fit.  allows me to be more present with my husband, my four (very busy and fast-growing) children, and a better chance of finding work-life balance.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For me, the biggest challenge has always been work-life balance. I wanted a family, AND I always wanted to do meaningful work. I’d been discouraged along the way, being told that I’d eventually need to choose between the two.

I remember things coming to a head during my third pregnancy. My dad had just gotten diagnosed with cancer when I had found out I was expecting. I found it increasingly difficult to balance a rigid work schedule with my family responsibilities.  Not to mention, the wide range of emotions that come along with a seriously ill parent, two toddlers, and a baby on the way. During this time, work demands and home responsibilities were seemingly impossible to balance. 

After my baby was born, my dad went into remission for a while. We had a temporary relief from the emotions that come up when “cancer” is front and center. Unfortunately, his cancer returned when I found out we were expecting our fourth child, and we knew this time it was terminal. Again, I found myself being pulled in multiple directions, while trying to work full time. It continued to feel overwhelming, my ability to juggle everything quickly diminishing. He died a month after my last baby was born. 

This forced me into a corner: do I stay put, or do I venture out on my own where I could most certainly fail but hope to find more balance? At first, this seemed like a difficult choice, but my heart knew what I must do. Creating and starting a business was necessary to make all the pieces fit.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Thrive is a highly specialized practice that treats Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD. We are known for offering high-quality evidence-based treatments for PTSD. Our treatments are time limited. Folks can recover quickly; a typical course of PTSD treatment is twelve sessions. We want our patients can get back to living how they’d like to as quickly as possible!

Often, people think PTSD is something they just must learn to live with. However, PTSD is a highly treatable condition! They can learn to live without these symptoms. Hope and healing are possible, and within reach.

While PTSD can develop after a wide variety of trauma, Thrive works a great deal with survivors of child abuse (sexual, physical, emotional), sexual assault survivors, parents who’ve experienced traumatic losses of infants/children, first responders, among other types of trauma.

The most important thing to know is PTSD is treatable. You can reduce symptoms keeping you from living the life you want to live. What makes this work so important is seeing people go from just surviving day-to-day to thriving.  Seeing folks let go of shame and guilt, of painful memories, and of damaging self-talk is just the beginning. Seeing relationships grow, depression lift, confidence develop, and hope return are what makes this work so rewarding.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success (to me) is being able to enjoy the ride. To be present, mindful, and an active participant in life. Success is doing work that aligns with your values. Success is looking back over your life and knowing you showed up to those who mean the most.

We are often told that success achieved is once you reach a certain level, conquer a certain goal, or earn a certain amount. This is false. One of my favorite books, The Happiness Advantage, discusses how happiness is the precursor to success, not the other way around.

Contact Info:

• Email: jenn@thrivetherapyinc.com
• Website: www.thrivetherapyinc.com
• Instagram: @thrivetherapycincinnati
• Facebook: Thrive Therapy, Inc.

Image Credits
Megan Noll Photography
Hezlep Photography