Meet Dr. Brawner

Dr. Patricia S. Brawner, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Athens, GA

I’m Dr. Patty Brawner. I am a Licensed Psychologist and have been in private practice in Athens, GA for more than 25 years. I specialize in Marriage and Couples Counseling, Individual Psychotherapy and Testing & Evaluation. I see adults of all ages in all stages of life, including college-age young adults, those seeking pre-marital counseling, people going through life transitions and those struggling with LGBT issues. Here is a more complete explanation of the services that I offer.

I have both Masters and Doctorate of Philosophy degrees from the University of Georgia. My undergraduate work was done at Clemson University in South Carolina. I have an Advanced Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from UGA, and I just completed a multi-year process of attaining the highest level of professional certification (Level 3) in the Gottman Method of Marriage and Couples Counseling.

I grew up on a dairy farm in very-small-town South Carolina. While farm life, as my family lived it, was hardly idyllic, I owe a lot of my grounded-ness and my strong work ethic to it. I learned from the best how to be a straight shooter who cuts right to the chase. I went to college at Clemson University where I intended to exit as a veterinarian; while there, my focus changed from the well-being of animals to that of people and I finished with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics. I began my foray into psychology in 1981 when I was awarded a Masters Degree in Counseling at the University of Georgia. I took that degree and for several years worked with preteens/teens in a school system as a guidance counselor and later in a psychiatric hospital. I then returned to graduate school at the University of Georgia and completed a PhD program in the tradition of Counseling Psychology. I love what I do, and after more than 25 years, continue to seek and learn in order to remain at the top of my game.

I am the mother of three post college-age young adults, and am very aware of the anxiety and the stress that affects college students and young adults. I relate well to that age group and enjoy working with them very much and see many of them.

My professional associations include membership in the American Psychological Association, Georgia Psychological Association and the Athens Area Psychological Association. If you’d like to make an appointment or have a question, please contact me.

Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy.

I have completed the highest level (Level 3) of training in the renowned Gottman Method approach to marriage counseling and couples thereapy. The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication, increase intimacy, respect, and affection, remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy in conflicting situations, and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship. I combine that with my more than 25 years of experience in working with couples of all kinds. Marriage and couples counseling is not “one size fits all.” I also have an Advanced Certificate in Marriage and Family Counseling from UGA.

Intensive Weekend Retreats.

I conduct two or three day Intensive Retreats for those couples who want a private, intense counseling experience that delves deeper into, and is more comprehensive than what you may have experienced in regular weekly or bi-weekly marriage counseling sessions. Most couples who attend my retreats have tried, or are currently engaged in traditional marriage counseling, but are not seeing the results that they expected. You can find out more information about my Intensive Retreats here.