Deanne Williams, LPC, NCC
About Me as a Therapist
Who I Work With
I work with individuals 16+, with most of my work focusing on adults and couples navigating the relationships, challenges, and unexpected turns that are part of life. People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons; often, what brings someone to therapy is only one part of a larger story. I love helping clients make sense of the pieces and begin to find a way forward.
I have a passion for working with those navigating through trauma and betrayal. Betrayal can shake so much of what once felt certain, leaving you trying to make sense of what happened and wondering how to trust again. I value being able to walk alongside clients as they begin to find their footing, heal, and learn to trust themselves again.
Another part of my work that is important to me is helping those working through sexual integrity issues and addiction, as well as individuals and couples navigating recovery. I have seen how addiction can impact an entire family, and I have tremendous respect and compassion for the work involved in recovery and healing.
I also love working with couples. Even those who love each other deeply can find themselves having the same arguments, carrying the same hurts, or feeling like they just can’t seem to figure it out. I enjoy helping couples better understand each other, work through the things that have created hurt or distance, and find healthier ways to reconnect.
What I Help With
Many people come to therapy because they are hurting, and sometimes they know that something needs to change, but they aren’t sure how to make that change.
I want therapy to be a place where you can feel seen, heard, and understood without having to work so hard to explain or defend what you’re going through. Being understood doesn’t change what has happened, but there can be relief in not having to carry it alone.
From there, we will begin to make sense of what you’re experiencing and figure out your next steps. That may include learning ways to feel more grounded when things become overwhelming, developing practical tools for coping with difficult situations, and working toward changes that help you move forward and begin to heal.
How I Approach Therapy
Therapy doesn’t look exactly the same for everyone. Each person brings their own experiences, struggles, strengths, and reasons for being here, so our work will be shaped around what you need.
I believe understanding is an important part of change. We can’t change what we don’t recognize or understand, so part of our work will be making sense of what’s happening and noticing the things you are getting stuck on. From there, we work to figure out what might actually help.
That often means learning practical tools for calming and supporting your nervous system and finding what works for you. Other times, it may mean building skills, changing patterns, or finding new ways of responding so you don’t keep tripping in the same places.
At times, we find that an old wound or traumatic experience is still showing up in the present. When that happens, EMDR can be a helpful way to work with those experiences so they don’t keep getting in the way.
Ultimately, I want what you learn in therapy to belong to you. My hope is that you leave with tools and skills you can continue using long after our work together has ended.
Training & Background
I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Development and a Master of Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC), with additional training in DBT, CBT, EMDR, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
Some of the experiences that have shaped me most as a therapist have happened outside of the classroom. Over the years, I have facilitated women’s support groups for spouses of those struggling with addiction, assisted with addiction recovery groups, and facilitated DBT groups. Sitting with people through both the pain addiction can create and the work of healing has deepened my understanding of trauma, relationships, recovery, and the courage it takes to make meaningful change.
Finding What Works for You
My approach is very client-centered. I believe people are multifaceted, and because of that, I don’t think one approach to therapy works for every person—or even for every issue a person might be working through.
I take an integrative approach, which means I draw from different therapy modalities as well as my own experience and training, depending on what you need and what we’re working on. I want you to lead when it comes to your goals and what’s important to you, while I bring my knowledge and experience to help us figure out how to get there.
No one is a cookie-cutter anything, and I don’t believe therapy should be either.
Why This Work Matters to Me
Over the years, I have come to realize how many people are moving through life carrying hurt that no one else can see. Sometimes the ways people cope with that hurt aren’t especially helpful, but most of the time they are just doing the best they can with what they are carrying.
I have had the privilege of seeing some of the deepest layers of people’s pain, and I have also seen what can happen when someone feels truly seen and is met with kindness, compassion, and support. Over time, I have watched people heal and carry that compassion with them in ways that changed not only how they saw themselves, but how they were able to see and support others. There is something beautiful about witnessing that.
It taught me how much can change when we understand what is underneath the surface, when we have the tools to navigate what we’re carrying, and when we don’t have to do it alone. Those experiences changed the way I saw people and the way I showed up with them.
It also changed the course of my life. I knew with clarity that I wanted to do this work.
A Little About Me
Outside of the counseling room, the people I love are at the center of most of the things I enjoy. I have been married to my husband for more than 30 years, and we have four kids, two wonderful additions through marriage, and grandbabies who can make me smile faster than just about anything.
I am a proud second-generation Arizona native, and I love camping, cooking and eating amazing food, long conversations, and the kind of laughter that makes it hard to catch your breath. I especially love gathering around the table with family to eat, talk, and catch up.
I also love getting lost in a good book or settling down into a cool, dark movie theater, especially during a hot Arizona summer. There is something about being taken on a journey for a few hours, all while eating hot popcorn (it must be Harkins popcorn) and drinking a soda.
I have learned that I can find some of the very best parts of my life tucked into the simplest of moments.