Laurie Dickson-Gillespie Obituary, Suicide Death – Psychologist and Founder of Restorative Psychological Dies at 53
Dr. Laurie Dickson-Gillespie, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Restorative Psychological LLC and Early Insights in Simpsonville, South Carolina, has died at the age of 53. According to the information provided, she died by suicide on September 8, 2026.
Dr. Gillespie dedicated more than 20 years of her professional life to helping children, adolescents, adults, and families navigate developmental, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Her work included autism testing, neuropsychological evaluations, developmental assessments, and forensic psychological services.
She earned a Ph.D. in Child/School Psychology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, in 2005 and became licensed to practice psychology in South Carolina. Through her work in Simpsonville, she provided psychological, developmental, psycho-educational, and neuropsychological testing for individuals and families with a range of needs.
Her areas of practice included ADHD, neurodivergence, trauma, abuse, attachment concerns, and other complex psychological and developmental issues. She also conducted forensic evaluations involving child protection and custody cases, parental fitness assessments, pre-surgical psychological testing, and cognitive and diagnostic evaluations for adults.
A significant part of Dr. Gillespie’s approach involved helping families understand evaluation results and providing practical recommendations that parents could use to better support their children. Her professional work also brought her into collaboration with speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, psychiatrists, educators, and other specialists.
Her death represents a significant loss to the families she served and to the broader mental health and psychological community. Through more than two decades of professional service, she worked to help individuals and families better understand developmental and psychological challenges and identify resources to address them.
Dr. Laurie Dickson-Gillespie will be remembered for her expertise as a psychologist, her work with children and families, and the professional impact she made throughout her career.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis in the United States, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support by calling or texting 988.