Member Spotlight

Dr. Phyllis M. Simpson is a Certified Member of the Sarasota Academy of Christian Counseling (SACC) and an International Representative (IR). She is also a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor-Advanced-Certified with the National Christian Counselors Association (NCCA) and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Christian Counseling through Jacksonville Theological Seminary. Dr. Simpson is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Christ and Founder of Vision for Living Coaching & Counseling located in Orange Park, Florida, a ministry designed to transform lives for the Kingdom of God. It’s a form of discipleship that helps people discover a vision for living to become the best version of themselves and accomplish all that God has put them on this earth to do.

From the Missing Link to a Living Legacy: How Creation Therapy is Transforming Lives at Mercy Support Services

When Dr. Simpson first shared her journey of discovering the “Missing Link” of Creation Therapy in her ministry, she described it as a divine alignment and she grew in self-confidence knowing that all she has to do is rely on the Holy Spirit’s ability to work in and through her to coach and counsel God’s people, fully understanding that the outcome was His responsibility.

God’s Divine Connection

After seeking God’s direction for the next chapter of her ministry, Dr. Simpson experienced a divine connection with Mercy Support Services—a Christ-centered nonprofit in Clay County, Florida, that helps individuals and families move from crisis to self-sufficiency in Christ. Mercy operates with a “hand up, not a handout” model, guiding clients through a tiered program of accountability, life coaching, and Christ-centered support.

As Dr. Simpson recalls, “The Lord told me, ‘You don’t have to look for clients. I will send them

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to you.’” And He did. Through divine alignment, her God-given mission and Mercy’s vision collided—creating a vision within a vision. What began as an opportunity to revamp Mercy’s care coaching program soon became a divine revelation of God’s intentional design for healing and wholeness.

Laying the Foundation for Transformation

Creation Therapy became the cornerstone of Mercy’s life coaching model. By helping individuals understand their God-given temperament, Mercy’s life coaches can address the root causes of behavior rather than just the symptoms of crisis. Clients enter the program overwhelmed—financially unstable, emotionally burdened, and disconnected from their identity in Christ. Through Creation Therapy, they begin to understand why they think, feel, and act the way they do. This understanding brings freedom from guilt and shame, opens the door to healing, and helps them rebuild relationships on the truth and grace of God’s word.

Equipping Life Coaches to Multiply Impact

As an International Representative for Sarasota Academy of Christian Counseling, Dr. Simpson has used her position over the last three years to train new life coaches through Creation Therapy and has walked several volunteer life coaches through credentialing, who now serve within the program and beyond. They learn not only how to approach and guide clients through the challenges of life but also to recognize their own God-given design. Many find that while they are helping others, they themselves are transformed. As Dr. Simpson notes, “Every person who learns these tools ends up being profoundly impacted themselves. They carry that change into their own families and spheres of influence.”

Transformational Stories

One client came to Mercy full of worry, anxiety and had no sense of direction in her life. She was deeply wounded by past trauma and weighed down by unforgiveness. She struggled to keep a job for more than a month or two because her mind was constantly in turmoil. Through Creation Therapy, she discovered how God uniquely designed her temperament and learned to walk in the strengths of who He created her to be. Today, she is calm, focused, and empowered. She can see clearly, manage her emotions, and finally understand why she never found fulfillment in her past jobs or relationships. She had been neglecting her God-given temperament needs. Now she walks in peace and purpose, using her design as a source of strength rather than struggle.

Another client found herself worn down and miserable in a string of unfulfilling jobs. Once she aligned her career path with her temperament, everything changed. She now thrives in a healthcare career, caring for the sick with compassion and confidence. In discovering her temperament, she found joy and purpose, realizing that God had called her to minister not just with words, but through her love for serving others.

A third client entered the program angry and combative, struggling in relationships at home and work. She did not fully believe in Christ, yet through Creation Therapy, she learned that her

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temperament was not a flaw but a divine design. As she began to understand her inborn temperament, she learned practical ways to communicate, manage her emotions, and build better relationships. Over time, she became a more patient coworker and a more understanding mother. While her spiritual journey is still unfolding, her life already reflects the fruit of the truth she’s been shown that she was created with intention and purpose.

The Glue That Holds It All Together

While Mercy utilizes a variety of evidence-based and faith-integrated coaching resources, Creation Therapy remains the glue that holds it all together and provides the vital missing piece. At Mercy, we often say that Creation Therapy is not just another tool—it’s the core, the nuclear center of everything we do. It ties together every concept we teach, every coaching session we lead, and every life we touch.

Today, Mercy Support Services stands as a living testimony of how the integration of Creation Therapy is being used in equipping and empowering life coaches, restoring families, and transforming entire communities for the glory of God. 

This foundation allows Mercy to guide individuals beyond survival and into a life of purpose, peace, and identity in Christ. What began as a vision to help families in crisis has grown into a movement of hope—one that continues to expand as lives are changed, leaders are raised up, and God’s Kingdom work unfolds through Mercy Village and beyond.