Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Tennessee

Welcome — I’m glad you’re here!

I am a licensed professional counselor with over a decade of experience specializing in nature-informed therapy and helping individuals transform grief into growth. I believe every person is inherently precious and worthy of deep care. I would consider it a privilege to walk alongside you, offering support and perspective in the internal and external challenges that lead you to pursue therapy at this time.

I’m a therapist based in Memphis who works with high-achieving women navigating anxiety, burnout, identity transitions, and complex relationship dynamics. Many of my clients are successful on the outside and exhausted on the inside. They are often the responsible one, the strong one, the reliable one — and quietly overwhelmed.

My work is grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS), an evidence-based model that helps clients understand and heal the different “parts” of themselves — the driven part, the critical part, the anxious part, the part that feels unseen. I am Level 1 trained in IFS and integrate attachment-informed and trauma-responsive care into my practice.

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.

My current treatment focuses/ training are for perinatal mental health, and Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT). I'm passionate about working with the BIPOC population, LGBTQ+ population, teens, young adults, and older as they learn how to navigate life’s challenges and transitions. I'm dedicated to working with those of various backgrounds and walks of life.

Wife. Mother. Therapist. Navigator. I value my authentic self and believe we all can trace life’s imprints to dive into the core of who we are versus what life has conditioned us to be. I hone in on my abilities to help all you navigators explore whichever capacities it is that you seek to grow through, heal from, or transition into. You are not just another name, but a whole light. We are all perfectly imperfect. I truly believe you can become stronger through a healthier relationship with yourself and others when equipped with the proper navigational tools.