• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Member, American Society for Reproductive Medicine
• Board Member, Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis
• Clinical Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• Professional Member, RESOLVE and The American Fertility Association

Therapy Services

Dr. Deborah Simmons is a co-owner of Partners in Healing of Minneapolis (PIH). She is a marriage and family therapist working with individuals and couples in the Twin Cities for 15 years. She works actively with adults to resolve a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, health problems, and relationship issues. Often working in collaboration with physicians, nurses, and genetics counselors, she employs hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She finds that the use of humor and improvisation is helpful in finding new solutions to life's challenges.

Specialization

Dr. Simmons specializes in all aspects of reproductive complications. This includes fertility challenges, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, fetal anomalies, premature delivery, stillbirth, post-partum depression and anxiety, and reproductive decision making.  She consults to reproductive endocinology( fertility) clinics and agencies and OB-GYN clinics. She works frequently with fertility clinics and third party reproduction agencies around the country to provide psychoeducation and psychological evaluations of potential egg donors and gestational carriers. She is a frequent speaker for the Midwest Region of RESOLVE.

Research

Dr. Simmons is currently doing research on the development of premature babies over the age of four years old and their families. To request a questionnaire, please contact Dr. Simmons at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Dr. Simmons has presented on preemie development for the March of Dimes of Kansas City and several Twin Cities early intervention programs.

Education

Dr. Simmons received her PhD in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. Prior to working as a therapist, she worked as a Congressional aide and lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and a health care policy analyst in St. Paul.