Addiction therapists & psychiatrists in Knoxville, 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.

You can START therapy THIS week! You don't have to get on anybody's waiting list. My first priority is to relate to each person or couple as unique. Everyone has strengths that can be drawn on to help make therapy a positive, enriching, and productive experience. Let's work together so you can live your best life. No matter where you've been, what you've been through there's ALWAYS hope!

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.

Are you feeling stuck in patterns that are hard to break—whether it’s addiction, codependency, or depression? You may feel overwhelmed, drained, or constantly putting others first while losing yourself in the process. I work with teens and adults across Tennessee who are navigating addiction, relationship patterns, and depression. Together, we create a supportive space where you can understand what’s driving these patterns and begin building a healthier, more balanced life.

I’m Monique Watson, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with 20 years of experience, and I started this practice to ensure every patient has a space where they feel truly heard. I hold a post-master’s degree and specialize in helping people navigate anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression through a supportive, collaborative approach.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I'm committed to providing a safe and nonjudgmental environment for exploring pathways to psychological and emotional healing. Specializing in Dialectical and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I believe everyone is worthy of love and happiness. I encourage people to see themselves through that same lens.

I believe in helping clients feel better and offer hope immediately.

If you feel like you don't quite recognize yourself anymore, mood swings that come out of nowhere, anxiety that wasn't there before, old wounds resurfacing you thought you'd already dealt with, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone in it. I work with women navigating the hormonal and identity shifts of midlife, including perimenopause and menopause, helping you understand what's happening beneath the surface so we can do more than just manage symptoms, and actually get to what's underneath them. I'm a licensed professional counselor (LPC-MHSP) in Tennessee with a master's in clinical mental health counseling and training in EMDR, DBT, CBT, EFT, and Motivational Interviewing. I bring experience from private practice, clinical roles in group practice, and residential treatment work for substance abuse."