Dr. SIMONE’S STORY
Doctor of Psychology – Educator – Founder – Advocate For Human Potential
LIVED EXPERIENCE. PROVEN RESILIENCE. EARNED AUTHORITY
Dr. Simone Lundquist’s life has never followed a conventional path, and that is precisely why her work reaches people where others cannot.
Dr. Simone Lundquist is a visionary, accomplished philosopher, educator, and seasoned counselor, internationally recognized as a thought leader in trauma recovery and human resilience. Inspired by a deep desire to understand human nature, she has spent decades helping thousands of individuals and families overcome life’s most profound challenges.
Early in her career, Dr. Lundquist worked on the front lines of global crises with the United Nations and the Red Cross, supporting military troops and survivors of war, torture, and violence. She later operated three safe houses in San Jose over a five-year period, sheltering hundreds of women and children escaping domestic violence.
Her formal education includes three master’s degrees in Literature, Linguistics, and Psychology, alongside a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. With over 40 years of teaching experience both nationally and internationally, she has spent the last 11 years serving as a professor at San Jose State University.
In January 2019, Dr. Lundquist dedicated her personal resources to founding her nonprofit, Open Doors to Future Possibilities, fulfilling a lifelong mission to support and empower veterans and low-income community members. Facing dark nights of the soul with gratitude and
determination, including surviving a brain tumor, breast cancer, and the loss of her eyesight, she persevered to expand her organization from one small office to seven Bay Area locations.
Dr. Simone Lundquist has been recognized for
- Nonprofit Excellence Award for Integrity from YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley (2026)
- The Nonprofit Excellence Award is awarded to women in executive-level positions at 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations who embrace the spirit of women’s empowerment, confront inequities, and serve as role models for the next generation of leaders.
- Remarkable Woman of the Year Award from Nexstar Media and KRON4 (2026)
- Nexstar’s annual Remarkable Women award spotlights the women who lift their communities, lead with purpose, and clear a path for others.
- Collaborative Spirit Award from Santa Clara County District 2 Supervisor Betty Duong (2025)
- The Collaborative Spirit Award honors and celebrates those who work together to achieve shared goals. This award recognizes the coalitions whose collective contributions become greater than the sum of their parts.
- Mental Health Hero Award from California District 28 Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (2024)
- In recognition of outstanding service and dedication to the mental health and well-being of the people of California.
- Miracle Worker” from Santa Clara County Community Mental Health (2007)
In addition to her work with clients, as an active participant in the community, Dr. Lundquist is:
San Jose Rotarian on the Military Cares Committee and San Jose State University Committee, President of the Silicon Valley Open Doors Lions Club, Jury Member on the San Jose Rotary Neurodivergent Committee, and Forbes Business Council Member.
Dr. Simone’s work is not merely theoretical. It has come out of decades of success in helping people overcome obstacles and achieve dreams. Dr. Simone (PhD) does not teach resilience because she read about it. She does not guide leaders through adversity from a distance.
Dr. Simoneᴾʰᴰ Knows What It Feels Like To:
- Risk Everything
- To Lead Without Guaranty of success
- To Realign Thought, Energy, And Purpose
- And How To Achieve Peak Performance That Becomes Sustainable, Meaningful, And Deeply Fulfilling.
She has lived the fear, the doubt, the loss, the responsibility, and she has learned how to move through it without collapsing, blaming, or disengaging. Rather, rising above it and helping thousands of others do the same.
At the core of her work is a simple, uncompromising principle: there is no transformation without commitment and accountability. Not for individuals. Not for leaders. Not for organizations.
Whether she is helping someone reclaim the power of choice in their personal life or guiding executives through high-stakes decisions, her authority comes from one place, direct experience and examining of the knowledge she accumulated through her extensive academic trainings, a plethora of readings and large-scale interactions.
Dr. Simoneᴾʰᴰ is not offering strategies from the sidelines.
She is the proof that change is possible…because not only has she achieved it herself. But she has empowered thousands to do so.
Dr. Simone (PhD) is not offering strategies from the sidelines.
She is the proof that change is possible…because not only has she achieved it herself. But she has empowered thousands to do so.