Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Chattanooga, TN

I hold over five years of experience in mental health and have seen a wide range of ages, diagnoses, cultures, and levels of willingness to change their life circumstances. I provide my clients with the freedom to be who they are and to take off their masks. I have seen and heard almost everything and invite people to be their honest selves with me.

I am a Board-Certified Psychiatrist licensed in TN and MI and I offer a wide range of services including therapy and treatment for Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Anxiety disorders, PTSD and ADHD. I graduated from University of Pennsylvania and am a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and have 26 years of experience. I have worked in Inpatient and outpatient services having served patients in CMHC, and I am currently in Outpatient Private Practice.

At an early age most people are taught to be independent, strong, and self-sufficient. But, there are times in life when difficult situations can become overwhelming. During these difficult times in life some individuals do not realize that it is okay "Not to be Okay." Asking for help can be hard.

If you understand why you feel the way you do but still can’t seem to change the patterns keeping you stuck, therapy can go deeper than simply talking about what’s wrong.

Hi, I’m Emily Burgess, LCSW, PMH-C, CMNCS, owner of Conduit Counseling Collective. I work with clients who may look like they’re functioning well on the outside but internally feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck in old patterns, or exhausted from holding everything together.

My approach is warm, practical, collaborative, and whole-person focused. We’ll make space to understand your story and where your patterns came from—but we won’t stop there. I believe insight is most helpful when it leads to meaningful change in everyday life.

My work integrates evidence-based therapy with parts work, somatic approaches, nervous system regulation, and the connection between mental and physical wellbeing. When appropriate, we may explore how sleep, movement, nutrition, stress, relationships, and daily rhythms are impacting the way you feel. Mental health doesn’t exist separately from the rest of your body or your life.

I’ve worked in mental health since 2013 and have specialized experience in anxiety, life transitions, women’s mental health, and perinatal mental health.

Therapy with me is supportive, but it’s also active. I’ll bring curiosity, compassion, perspective, accountability—and probably some humor. You don’t need to have the right words or show up with everything figured out.

My goal is to help you better understand yourself, build trust in yourself, and turn insight into change that actually carries into your life.

Hi, I'm Dr. Deborah DeFrieze, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience helping people work through anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, depression, and life's hardest transitions. If anxiety or overwhelm has been running the show lately, I'm here to help you take the reins back — with a warm, honest, and practical approach.

My path to this work has been a rich one. Alongside my social work career, I spent 33 years in public education — as a teacher in both regular and special education, an assistant principal, a principal, and an assistant professor — and I served as a missionary in Africa for 18 months. Those experiences taught me to meet people where they are, across every walk of life and stage of change. I hold a Master of Social Work from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia, and I'm also a Licensed Massage Therapist, which deepens my appreciation for the mind-body connection in healing.

I draw on evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, tailoring our work to what will help you most.

I am a Christian Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My faith in the Holy Trinity of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit greatly shape my life, and my work. I believe you have everything you need within you to achieve your goals and heal.