Grief counselors and therapists in Tennessee

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’m Charity, an LCSW with 12 years of experience helping people navigate life’s harder chapters. Whether you're managing the weight of anxiety and depression, processing trauma, or adjusting to the unique challenges. I’m here to support you. My background across military and medical settings has taught me that everyone’s journey is different. I’m committed to providing a compassionate, culturally responsive space where you can feel truly understood as you grow.

Welcome. If you have been feeling overwhelmed by depression, anxiety, mood swings, or trouble focusing, you are not alone. Maybe your teen is struggling, or you are exhausted from trying to manage symptoms on your own. When your mood, energy, or attention feel out of control, daily life can feel harder than it should. I offer a supportive, judgment free space where your concerns are taken seriously.

When life feels heavy, it’s easy to feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from the version of yourself you want to be.

I help individuals navigate depression, anxiety, life stress, and major transitions while building confidence and clarity. I offer in-person sessions in Tennessee and telehealth for clients in both Tennessee and Alabama.

I believe that meaningful change happens in the context of safe, authentic relationships. Whether you're navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, or relationship challenges, my goal is to create a space where you feel genuinely heard, understood, and challenged in ways that promote lasting growth.

I earned my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and work with adults, couples, and families. While relationships are a primary area of focus, I also work with individuals facing attachment wounds, overwhelming stress, emotional disconnection, and patterns that leave them feeling stuck. My approach is warm, collaborative, and practical. Rather than simply helping you manage symptoms, I want to help you understand what is driving them so meaningful change becomes possible.

If you're feeling stuck — wrestling with anxiety that won't quiet down, a mood that swings without warning, anger that surfaces faster than you'd like, or the weight of past trauma — you don't have to sort through it alone. I work with adults who are juggling demanding lives while quietly carrying ADHD, depression, grief, chronic pain, or relationship strain that's hard to put into words.

I came to this work after 20 years as a broadcast operations engineer. When an injury changed my path, I earned my Master of Science in Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and I've been a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) since 2019. I've practiced in integrated medical clinics with clients of every age, in intensive outpatient care, and in residential settings, and today I work primarily with adults over telehealth across Tennessee.

I see my role as helping you understand where your struggles come from, get clear on what you want therapy to change, and build a concrete, step-by-step plan to get there

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.