Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin J. Simms.
Hi Kevin J. , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Meet Kevin Simms: From Chaos to Kenshō
I’m Kevin Simms, a psychotherapist, recovery coach, and founder of Kenshō Counseling in Venice Beach, working out of West LA. I specialize in sex and porn addiction, trauma, and intimacy issues, and I work with individuals, couples, and groups who are ready to stop living in the shadows.
My journey into this work is deeply personal. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 15. That grief cracked something open in me, and instead of healing, I numbed out with drugs, alcohol, chaos. I was a punk kid in Rochester, NY, playing in bands and chasing oblivion. It escalated fast: heroin, cocaine, jail cells, the brig in the Marines, countless treatment centers. By the time I got clean on June 14, 2008, I had burned through most second chances.
But sobriety gave me a new kind of purpose. I reconnected with music, found other sober punks in the hardcore scene, and started building a life worth living. I earned my Associate’s in Chemical Dependency Counseling, then moved to New Orleans to work in the field. I quickly realized I needed more tools to really help people, so I went back to school receiving my Bachelor’s in Social Work, then a Master’s in Social Work, all while staying active in my own recovery.
LA kept calling me back. I’d lived in Long Beach as a teenager, and after grad school I returned, working full-time in homeless services on Skid Row while starting to build a private practice focused on sex addiction. In 2022, I moved to Venice and launched Kenshō Counseling. Today, I help people untangle their pain, reconnect to purpose, and build relationships that don’t suck the life out of them.
I’ve been vegan for about 15 years. I still lift from time to time doing CrossFit, hit yoga, read voraciously, and sit zazen. I don’t play music currently, but I’ll always be a punk, tattooed head to toe finishing up this body suit with another sober brother from Rochester, still at live shows, whether it’s hardcore, goth, black metal or punk. I’m also a dual citizen (US/UK), with roots in Liverpool thanks to my dad, who’s been one of my biggest supporters. My younger brother’s sober too, we’ve both come a long way.
Kenshō is a Zen term meaning “seeing one’s true nature.” That’s what this work is about. I’m not here to nod and say “how does that make you feel?” I’ve lived it, addiction, trauma, rage, shame, and I help people get real, get unstuck, and start showing up for their own lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. And I wouldn’t trust anyone who says it has been. My road has been paved with loss, addiction, shame, and starting over more times than I can count. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 15, and that cracked something wide open in me. I started using drugs and alcohol to numb the pain among other things. What began as partying turned into a full-blown heroin and cocaine addiction. I spent years in and out of jail, treatment centers, and even served time in the brig during my stint in the Marines. I burned bridges, disappointed people who loved me, and lost any sense of who I was.
Getting sober in 2008 wasn’t the end of the struggle, it was the beginning of learning how to live again. Going back to school in my 30s with a GED I earned in jail, facing my trauma, learning how to hold a job, pay rent, and build relationships, all of that took time, humility, and hard work. And even with degrees and credentials, I still faced imposter syndrome, burnout, and the emotional toll of doing deep clinical work while staying rooted in my own recovery.
Nothing about this path has been smooth. But every challenge, every relapse, arrest, rejection, and heartbreak was also a lesson. I’ve learned to meet life head-on, not hide from it. That’s what I try to pass on to my clients: you don’t need a perfect past to create a powerful future. You just need the willingness to show up and face yourself.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Kenshō Counseling was born out of lived experience, not just academic training. I started it because I saw a gap in how therapy was being delivered, especially for men, people in recovery, and those battling sex and porn addiction, intimacy issues, or unresolved trauma. Most people don’t need another therapist who nods and asks, “How does that make you feel?” They need someone who’s been through the fire and can sit in it with them. That’s what I do.
“Kenshō” is a Zen term that means “seeing into one’s true nature.” That’s the whole point of therapy as I see it, cutting through the noise, the pain, the shame, and getting real. My approach is direct, compassionate, and rooted in both evidence-based modalities and the kind of real-world wisdom you don’t get from textbooks. I draw from two-person psychology, CBT, motivational interviewing, somatic work, and mindfulness, but I never lose sight of the human in the room.
I work with individuals, couples, and I run a virtual men’s sex addiction process group every Wednesday night. My clients come to me because they’re tired of spinning in the same cycles of porn, hookups, toxic relationships, addiction, self-sabotage, and they’re ready to build something different. I also offer support for partners and couples navigating betrayal trauma and intimacy repair.
Kenshō Counseling isn’t just a business it’s a mission. It’s about helping people face their pain, heal their relationships, and build a life they don’t want to run from. Whether you’re struggling with addiction, looking to deepen your relationships, or just trying to find some peace, I meet you where you are, and we go from there.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Some of my favorite childhood memories are simple but vivid. I was always surrounded by music, dad had lots of records, I recall vividly finding the Sex Pistols. Mom always bought me records and cassettes and supported my musical tastes. Whether I was lying in the grass with my headphones on, reading a book, or making mix tapes for girls I had crushes on. Music was my escape and my connection to the world, even back then.
I remember playing goalie in soccer tournaments in Canada, the thrill of the game, the road trips, and the pride in making a big save. Summers meant tennis matches in the heat, being outside, barefoot and wild, or disappearing into the woods where I felt free and untouchable for a while.
But nothing sticks with me like my mom’s laugh. It filled a room and cut through everything. She passed away when I was 15, but that sound, her joy, is something I still carry with me. It’s part of what keeps me grounded and part of why I do the work I do. Even in the hardest moments, there was beauty.
Pricing:
- At Kenshō Counseling, I offer a sliding scale between $150 and $300 per session, depending on income and financial circumstances. I want therapy to be accessible without compromising the depth and quality of the work. I also provide superbills for clients who want to seek reimbursement through their insurance, and I’m currently in-network with United Healthcare/Optum in California. My goal is to meet people where they’re at—both emotionally and financially while maintaining a high standard of care.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kenshocounselingla.com
- Instagram: @kenshocounseling
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kenshocounseling
- Youtube: @kenshocounseling
Image Credits
@gringo_g
