love your life. live well in love.â„¢
dr rae sandler simon | licensed clinical psychologist
About Dr. Rae Sandler Simon
Licensed Clinical Psychologist |
Founder of live & love well™â€‹
I'm Dr. Rae Sandler Simon, a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of live & love well™, my private therapy practice devoted to adult wellness and couples counseling in Colorado, Hawai'i, and across 35+ PSYPACT states. I'm a Denver native with deep roots in Hawai'i, and both places shape how I approach healing - with grounded energy, natural beauty, and warm connection.
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How I Got Here​
I didn't take a straight path to psychology. After earning my BBA and Spanish minor at Emory University, I spent several years in business consulting. The work was intellectually engaging, but something was missing. I felt pulled toward work with deeper emotional purpose.​​
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That pull led me to the nonprofit world, where I helped refugees and political and religious asylees build new lives in the United States. It was demanding, sometimes heartbreaking work, and it profoundly shaped how I understand resilience, loss, and hope. I learned that healing is never just individual - it happens in relationship, in community, and in the slow, courageous act of rebuilding what has been disrupted.
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I earned my doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) from the University of Denver, focusing on emotional connection, trauma, and healing. Today, I draw on both professional expertise and lived experience to help clients navigate life's most complex challenges.
What I Know About Pain - Personally​
I live with chronic pain and autoimmune disease, including two spinal fusion surgeries in recent years. For a long time, I didn't realize how much pain had quietly shaped my daily life until I slowed down and listened to my body. Through mindfulness, movement, and support, I've learned how to live with pain rather than just survive it.​
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These experiences deeply inform how I work with clients facing chronic illness, invisible struggles, or the exhaustion that comes from carrying more than anyone can see. I don't just understand these challenges clinically. I understand them in my body. You can read more about my health journey on the live & love well™ blog.
​​Why Couples Therapy Is My Passion​
My commitment to couples therapy is rooted in personal experience. I grew up in a family where love was continually tested and strengthened through effort, communication, and growth. I've carried that forward into my own marriage of nearly 20 years. Both experiences taught me something I hold as deeply true: thriving relationships don't happen by chance. They are built with intention, honesty, and care.
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That belief drives everything I do with the couples who come through my door. Whether you're navigating conflict, disconnection, parenting stress, infidelity, or loss of intimacy, I help partners move toward stronger communication, deeper emotional safety, and a relationship that truly feels like home.
Identity, Faith, and Belonging
As a Jewish woman, spirituality and cultural identity are core parts of who I am. I bring this depth into my practice while creating a space that is fully inclusive - where clients of all backgrounds feel safe, respected, and seen.
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In a world that can feel increasingly polarized and unsafe, many Jewish individuals and families are searching for a therapist who understands their experience without them having to explain it. The rise of antisemitism, the complexity of Jewish identity, and the particular grief and resilience that come with belonging to a historically marginalized community are realities I hold with care. Whether you are seeking therapy rooted in shared cultural understanding or simply a place of warmth and acceptance, you are welcome here. All are welcome here.​
The Jewish value of tikkun olam - repairing the world - guides how I practice, from protecting your privacy and dignity to offering scholarship-based care to honoring your full identity in the room.
Outside the Office
I stay grounded through pilates, hiking, ballet barre, winter sports, art, reading, and spending time in nature with my husband, our two teenagers, and our fur babies.
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I also volunteer as an on-call psychologist for families at Brent's Place in Denver and Tūtū and Me in Hawai'i - two organizations close to my heart for their support of children and caregivers facing major health challenges.
Let's See If We're a Good Fit
Let's create something special - your most meaningful life - from the safety, familiarity, and ease of your own home or workspace. Clients enjoying meeting from their favorite outdoor cozy corner, being snuggled up on their couch, and even the quiet reprieve of their car (not while driving of course).
Your confidentiality is paramount. Together, we will build trust that you may have never previously known. I ensure your confidence in creating trust by only using teletherapy platforms that are HIPAA-compliant. This means that I use video therapy platforms which strictly adhere to regulatory standards that protect your privacy, security and integrity of protected health information.
If you're looking for a therapist who is warm, direct, experienced, and deeply committed to helping you live and love well, I'd be honored to connect. ​​​​​
Included in my village of healers, I frequently refer to my esteemed friends and colleagues of therapists, acupuncturists, spiritual guides, yoga instructors, and nutritionists. I also work closely with several leading-edge traditional practitioners, including: board certified psychiatrists, child and family therapists, mediators, lawyers, and psychologists specialized in psychological testing.
If we feel we are a good fit, we’ll schedule your first session and begin the journey toward living and loving well. If not, I will gladly refer you to a trusted colleague in my network who may be a better match for your needs.