Dr. Ginette Sims is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience providing care to adolescents, adults, and couples across the gender and sexuality spectrum. Dr. Sims works with a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, difficulties with emotion regulation, attachment issues, relational conflict, life transitions, and recovery from traumatic experiences. She specializes in serving couples and individuals who have experienced multiple types of trauma including discrimination and identity-based trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, and secondary exposure to violence.

Dr. Sims approaches therapeutic work from an active, psychodynamic and relational perspective. Her style focuses on examining how relationship dynamics impact unconscious motivations, defenses, maladaptive behaviors, and perceptions. By building strong therapeutic relationships through mutual respect, compassion, warmth, and authenticity, Dr. Sims guides clients’ development of insight into their own defenses and motivations to uncover paths to change. As a multiculturally- and trauma-informed clinician, Dr. Sims considers how systemic factors impact development, self-perception, relationships, and worldviews.

In addition to  psychodynamic, relational techniques, Dr. Sims is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She utilizes these treatments to augment clients’ skills in managing stress, improving communication, and increasing self-esteem. Dr. Sims is a collaborative, warm clinician who is passionately committed to tailoring  her services to the needs, identities, experiences, and goals of her clientele.

Dr. Sims earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara. Her dissertation was titled Media Exposure of Police Violence: Assessing Psychological Risk and Resilience in Black Americans. She earned her BA in Anthropology from Williams College.

License Pending