Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Cookeville, TN

I am passionate about helping clients find their voice to put words to their unique experiences. I approach each session with compassionate curiosity to provide you with a safe space to show up as your most authentic self. I hope that you feel seen, heard, understood, and accepted. I am enthusiastic about seeing my clients move towards health and healing. I consider it an honor and a privilege to support you throughout our work together.

My specialty is adult love and creating bonding experiences in couples and families. I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an Addiction Specialist (LCAS). Helping people repair and reconnect after times of distress is my passion. I help people heal by increasing security, closeness and emotional connection in relationships. I help couples better understand their partners’ emotional responses, as well as their own. I also enjoy helping couples overcome addiction in relationships.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist with 18 years of diverse experience, I proudly welcome people of all backgrounds. I provide therapy for individuals, couples and families and work with the following modalities:

• Somatic Therapy – Releasing trauma and stress stored physically in the body.

• EMDR – Processing distressing memories to reduce emotional triggers.

• Gottman Method – Strengthening communication and intimacy for couples.

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – Healing relational bonds in couples and families.

• DBT-Informed – Managing intense emotions and building mindfulness skills.

• CBT – Reshaping negative thought patterns to change behaviors.

• Person-Centered – Providing a compassionate, non- judgmental space centered on you.

Great to meet you. Reaching out for support can feel overwhelming, especially when you're carrying emotional pain, relationship challenges, or life circumstances that have left you feeling stuck or disconnected. I work with adults and adolescents experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, relationship issues, family conflict, trauma, grief and loss, identity concerns, and major life transitions. I understand that every person's story is different, and I believe healing begins by creating a space where you feel heard, understood, and supported. Whether you're struggling with overwhelming emotions, navigating changes within your family, coping with loss, or trying to better understand yourself, therapy can provide an opportunity to gain insight, build healthier coping skills, and reconnect with what matters most to you. My goal is to help you move toward greater balance, emotional wellness, and a more fulfilling life.

Dr. Deborah DeFrieze

Dr. in Education

Master's degree in social work

Social Work and Licensed Massage Therapist for 15 years

Missionary in Africa for 18 months

Public Education for 33 years

Regular and Special Education Teacher

Assistant Principal

Principal

Assistant Professor

Hello! I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) based in Tennessee. I am also licensed in the states of UT and NE. I have been in practice for 15 years. I love working with clients who are genuinely seeking therapy for their own growth and awareness. I enjoy helping clients who want to take a deeper look at behaviors and relationships in their lives that could be modified and or improved. I started my career in community mental health working with individuals who were suffering from addiction, childhood trauma, family conflict, and faith crisis. I feel like I have learned the true impact addiction, poverty, trauma, and abuse can have on an individual and family system. This has helped me create space for clients to feel safe, heard, valued, and respected in our sessions. I look forward to meeting you!

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.

I love working with people and helping them "grow" through the things of life that they "go" through. A quote that I love to share with clients and live by personally is to remember not to focus on your purpose but to live your life purposely. As a military social worker my background is specific to first responders, but most importantly individuals that are learning their new "normal" after traumatic life events that have unexpectedly shaped them.

I am an individual counseling with over 12 years of experience at the Post-Graduate level. I specialize in working with adults and have experience with many clinical settings, including In-patient care, community mental health and private practice. I also provide Clinical Supervision for counselors that are on track to become licensed in the state of Tennessee.