Shannon Brown is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is owner of and founded Psychotherapy and Forensic Services, LLC on June 15, 2014. Her private clinical practice is a business that is dedicated to providing safe clinical practices that enhance empowerment and self-determination, advocacy efforts that encourage community support building, and education for individuals, family members, community members and larger systems. In holding true to what she believes in, her office is 100% staffed and contracts work with members of the LGBTQ community, women, members of the disability community, and it is a business that utilizes eco/environmentally sustainable products and methods.
Shannon Brown sought unique employment opportunities with the purpose of gaining as much exposure to a variety of clinical environments as possible. She has over a decade of experience working with vulnerable and oppressed populations, such as women and children, victims of violence, LGBTQ+ individuals and families, homeless individuals, individuals living with mental illness within the criminal justice system, and impoverished and isolated Appalachian Americans. She continues to dedicate her private practice to increasing access for community members through free, on-site support and educational programs, empowering individuals through creating opportunities for employment, and providing education and trainings for medical, clinical, and other professionals regarding clinical practice work with marginalized populations who experience discrimination and oppression.
Shannon’s specialized areas of practice include working with trauma and PTSD survivors; working with children, teens, adults and couples who identify as LGBTQ+ and are in need of psychotherapy to address any issues including anxiety, trauma, depression, mood disorders, marital/couples issues, coming out, disempowerment, family/community rejection, letters for gender-affirming surgeries, stress management, and any other need; educating family/friends/community regarding safety and safe practices for the LGBTQ+ community; conflict resolution; and forensic mental health assessments and therapy. She is a member of WPATH and is certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. She provided training for mental health professionals re: ethical clinical practices when working with the LGBTQ+ community and best practices when working with transgender patients.
In 2019, she founded and is president of Appalachian OUTreach, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization whose mission is to “Empower, connect, and support the East Tennessee lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people through the provision of safe and healthy, inclusively welcoming and affirming programs and respect for partnerships, which promote community building, resource development, and education for all.” She made research contributions to the Ryan White Title II 2016 and 2017 Needs Assessments for East and Southeast Tennessee. In 2015, Shannon founded the Foothills LGBT Community Center in a rural Tennessee county. The mission was to increase community members’ access to information, resources, support groups and community events with the purpose of reducing isolation. Shannon has contributed to the education of undergraduate students through serving as a lecturer for the University of Tennessee’s College of Social Work and through providing Field Education for undergraduate and graduate students from 2009 to present. She served as a committee volunteer in 2012 to assist Knoxville Mayor, Madeline Rogero, with LGBTQ appropriate terminology for the Non-Discrimination ordinance for City of Knoxville employees.
Shannon holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University. In 2007, she was the Case Western Reserve University’s Irene Sogg Gross Humanitarian Service award recipient. In 2018, she was the Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Professional Achievement in Direct Practice award recipient and was she inducted as an honored Member of the Hall of Achievement.