Lori Simmons, LMFT

Lori Simmons is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who uses mindful, present-focused approaches to help people feel steadier and more connected in day-to-day life. She centers work on values, self-compassion, and acceptance to reduce symptoms and improve functioning. Lori writes plainly and aims to make therapy feel different and more doable for people who have tried other approaches without lasting change.

She draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients notice what matters most and take small, meaningful steps toward those values. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) tools are used to teach emotional regulation and distress tolerance. The Gottman Method informs work on communication and relationship patterns when that is part of someone’s goals.

People bring many concerns to her practice, including stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy issues, self-esteem, trauma and abuse, bipolar mood concerns, parenting strain, eating and sleeping problems, anger, LGBT issues, and career stress. Lori aims to give practical strategies that change how someone experiences problems day to day and improve interactions with others.

Her style is collaborative and skills-focused. She helps people try new ways of responding, practice techniques between sessions, and adjust methods based on what helps. Lori has 16 years of experience and is based in Maryland as a MI LMFT and FL LMFT.

To begin, she asks people to reflect on values, notice patterns that aren’t working, and try brief, targeted practices to build a different relationship to stress and difficult emotions. The work emphasizes steady progress rather than quick fixes.

How ACT, DBT, and Gottman ideas work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters in life and take small steps toward those values. It focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting pulled into them and practicing actions that match personal priorities. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches concrete skills for managing strong emotions, tolerating distress, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. These tools are useful when anxiety, anger, or mood swings make daily life harder. The Gottman Method offers structured ways to improve communication and address recurring patterns in relationships, with exercises that can be practiced between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. Together they will try techniques, check what helps, and adjust the plan as needed.

The biography does not list session formats, so confirm available online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - they can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins during a break, and let people use skills in real-time between appointments. Therapists can assign brief practices to try between meetings and use session time to review progress and tweak strategies.