LGBT therapists in Tennessee

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’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.

There’s much more to your story.

I believe therapy should be a place where you feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow. Drawing on decades of experience, I provide a compassionate, practical, and holistic approach to therapy. I began my work as a spiritual and addictions counselor in 1981 and became a state-licensed mental health therapist in 2007. Since then, I have partnered with individuals, couples, families, and groups to help them build on their strengths, clarify their values, and create lasting change.

Before moving into private practice, I spent 20 years serving the Cleveland, Tennessee community as an outpatient therapist with Volunteer Behavioral Health.

I’m a dual certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who provides thoughtful, individualized medication management for anxiety, depression, and mood-related concerns. I understand how overwhelming it can feel when your mind isn’t working the way you want it to. I specialize in mood disorders, ADHD, addiction, anxiety and PTSD across the lifespan

With over a decade of experience, I offer tailored therapy for diverse challenges: Disruptive Behavior, Parental Stress, LGBTQIA Support, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Relationships, Grief, Life Transitions, BIPOC Concerns, and Personal Growth. I use a holistic approach integrating Trauma-Informed Care, CBT, and Behavior Therapy. Let's work towards healing and growth together!