Almena Dees-Sims, MSW, LICSW, Therapist in Bloomington, Minnesota

Almena Dees Sims, LICSW, helps adults and older adults navigate life’s challenges with compassion, insight, and a strong belief in each person’s capacity for growth and healing. At LifeStance Health, she provides individual therapy for patients throughout Minnesota who are seeking support for anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns. She creates a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where clients can explore their experiences, develop new perspectives, and build practical skills to improve emotional well-being and daily functioning. With a thoughtful and relationship-centered approach, Almena works with adults facing significant life transitions, including midlife changes, later-life adjustments, grief, and personal challenges that can affect emotional health and resilience. She recognizes that each stage of life brings unique opportunities and struggles, and she partners with clients to help them discover strengths, navigate uncertainty, and move toward a more meaningful and balanced life. While anxiety, depression, and PTSD/trauma are key areas of focus, she also supports individuals with a variety of additional mental health concerns. Almena integrates evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients identify unhelpful patterns, strengthen coping strategies, and align their actions with their personal values. For those who desire it, she can also incorporate faith-based perspectives and Christian counseling into the therapeutic process, honoring the importance of spirituality in healing and personal growth. Her therapeutic style is grounded in respect, curiosity, and genuine human connection. Almena believes that healing often begins when people feel truly heard and understood, and she strives to create an environment where clients can safely explore difficult emotions, process past experiences, and work toward lasting change. Outside of her clinical work, Almena enjoys spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and extended family. She loves international travel and appreciates life’s simple pleasures, including walks in nature, gardening, home-cooked meals, and engaging conversations about the world from diverse perspectives. These experiences enrich her understanding of people, relationships, and the many paths individuals take throughout life. Almena earned her degree from St. Catherine University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.