About Deanne Brown
About Deanne
I took a somewhat unconventional path to becoming a psychotherapist.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Sociology and Philosophy from the University of Arizona. Then came three children, years spent raising them, and an education of a very different kind. Much later, I returned to school and earned my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.
In many ways, those years between my degrees have been just as influential in my work as my formal education.
Today, I bring all of those experiences with me—to my work as a psychotherapist, my writing, and the questions I continue to ask about how we become who we are.
Clinical Experience
My clinical training began in the public-school setting, working with adolescents facing a wide range of emotional and family challenges. I later joined Turning Point Center for Families and The Well Therapy Group, where my work expanded to include individuals, couples, and families navigating relationships, emotional difficulties, and major life transitions.
Today, I have my own private practice. My approach is relational and psychodynamic, informed by my interest in depth psychology and human development. I am particularly interested in how our early relationships and experiences continue to shape us—and how patterns that once helped us navigate life may no longer fit who we are becoming.
I believe some of the most meaningful work in therapy happens when we become curious about ourselves rather than simply trying to fix what feels wrong. When we understand where our patterns came from and what purpose they may once have served, we have more freedom to decide what we want to carry forward and what we are ready to leave behind.
I Am a Writer
Writing has long been another way for me to make sense of experience and connect with other people.
I have contributed to Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Wellness community for cancer survivors and Esteem Yourself E-Magazine, which focused on helping women build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth.
I am also the author of Not Now, Cancer, I'm Busy, which grew out of my own experience with cancer and my desire to speak honestly about life during and after it.
I am currently writing Raising Us, an exploration of how the way we raise children shapes who they become, who we become alongside them, and ultimately, the kind of world we create together.
I Have Always Questioned the Way We Raise Children
Long before I became a psychotherapist, I was a mother questioning many of the conventional assumptions about childhood and education.
More than twenty years ago, I took my three children out of school and chose to raise them largely through unschooling. That decision eventually led to conversations well beyond our family. I appeared on The Dr. Phil Show during 'The Great School Debate' and was later filmed for a segment with CBS's The Talk, discussing education and a different way of thinking about raising children.
Those questions never really left me. They eventually became part of the work I now call Raising Us.
Off the record
Things You Probably Won't Find on a Resume
I raised three children who are now adults, and becoming their mother remains one of the experiences that has shaped me most.
In my forties, I decided it would be a perfectly reasonable idea to start an all-mom rock band. There was only one problem: none of us could actually play an instrument. That didn't stop us. I picked up the guitar, we figured it out as we went, and eventually we were playing shows and fundraisers and making a lot of noise along the way.
These days, I am also Grandma D, a role I happen to love. I split my time between Arizona and California.
When I'm not working or writing, you're likely to find me taking a long walk, reading a good book, traveling somewhere new, spending time with my family, or outside whenever I can be, preferably near the ocean or watching a desert sunset.
I still ask a lot of questions.
I'm increasingly comfortable not having all the answers.
Ready to take the next step?
To make an appointment, call or email me. You can also find me on Psychology Today.