We recently connected with Cicely Simon and have shared our conversation below.

Cicely, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Two things that have kept me going in life have been the love to read and write. I’m an only child, so once I had to come in from playing or hanging out with friends, I had to entertain myself. My source of entertainment was books. I’ve read all kinds of stories and I figured that one day I would try and write my own. I have countless journals that I’ve written in and an imagination that can run wild. I’ve tried my hand at writing books, like the ones that I’ve read countless times before, but I could never finish them. It wasn’t until I became a therapist and started working with young kids that I became more curious about the writing that I did. Books were a part of my therapy interventions with young children and their families. I remember having this one particular client that I couldn’t capture exactly what they were experiencing, the book hadn’t been written. It was at that moment that I started thinking about what other books haven’t been written in that space that would be beneficial. Also, what other relatable things could I write that would be beneficial to help people want to invest in therapy? That was when Dear Diary Publishing LLC was birthed. I wanted to normalize the experiences of families and children as well as normalize the therapy experience in general. I figured I would start small by writing some blogs, things that are relatable, relevant, and sharable. It just made sense to me. This entire process has been scary because, like some other talented people, I was concerned about what if someone doesn’t read it or what if it flops; but the satisfaction that I get on a regular basis is knowing that I have put content out there that may help at least one person has been motivation enough. The blogs have been a start, but I’m beginning to walk into this journey of creating more things for people to connect with and use while they go to therapy or if they haven’t quite gotten there. I want my creations to be helpful to other therapists working with families and children. There are still many countless stories that have not been told, yet relatable and I want the children and families to be able to pick up a book or read a blog and say while she really gets the experience. This is why I have created my publishing company.

Cicely, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Cicely. I’m a wife and a mother of two. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I’ve been in the mental health field for almost 20 years. I work with families and individuals. I help those who need help building or rebuilding attachments, parenting, or trauma. I work with individuals, couples, and families. My specialty is working with folks who have experienced childhood trauma and helping parents navigate parenting at all ages. I believe if you’re a therapist, you have been connected to therapy because you once had some experiences in life that resonated with wanting to help others. Well, that’s my own experience and so I figured I could definitely understand what others go through and help them. So, I went to graduate school and took all of the steps to become a fully licensed therapist, and I haven’t looked back since. I absolutely love the work that I do!

When I started Dear Diary in 2018, I envisioned it as a public journal. At first, I used this space to hold myself accountable, because maximizing physical and mental health can only come from intentional, daily effort.
I wanted to write a blog about my personal and professional experiences. I have a great love for mental health as well as spirituality. There’s so much important work that needs to be done in the community about mental health. There are lots of bridges that need to be created to close the gap between mental health, people of color, and religion. This was my goal for creating the blog and overall Dear Diary brand. I also love the idea of positive relationships, no matter what they are. I write about parenting, spirituality, self-esteem, trauma, and basic mental health in general. Most importantly, I’m a woman who has had her own challenges with mental health and has overcome so much that it’s important for me to share with others that they are never alone. I write from my heart as I hope to provide some tools to navigate general therapy or everyday life experiences. My goal is to normalize therapy and provide resources for those who are unsure of where to find the information they need to get started.

I’m super excited that I am meeting a need in the community. I’m excited that I can talk from a systemic lens while everyone else is person-centered. Family is the core of everything if you ask me and that isn’t just the family you are born with. Family can be found or should be found in every area of your life. I’m hoping that if my followers stick with me they will be able to see my heart and passion in written form and not just with blogs. Stay tuned!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal driving my creative journey is seeing how much I can push myself to be creative. It sounds silly, but I feel as if my creativity as it relates to therapy knows no bounds. I want to create so many different resources for not only the community but for other therapists as well. Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all and this is what motivates me to be more creative. Blogs are just the beginning, I want to be able to push out as many resources as I possibly can that will connect with others. I’ve learned so many unique stories from other people, and not one book or so captures it, but they are inspiring enough to know that someone else has something similar and they just need the resource. I want to create that! I want to write books and create games or activities that resonate with people and their own journeys to help them finally get to the side of hope that they are looking for.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is that I get to show my heart and imagination in a product. It’s knowing that what I create will be timeless and can help anyone who finds value in it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.deardiarypublishingllc.com
• Instagram: @dear_diarypub