About Dr. Brown

Get To Know Dr. Phil Brown (aka: Dr. Phil’s Bio):

Regardless of how one goes about the process of finding a professional who can address their particular mental health concerns, many struggle with figuring out which psychologist has the expertise they desire and whether that individual can be trusted in a therapeutic relationship?

Most folks who have realized benefit from psychotherapy cite the rapport they had with their psychologist as the number one factor linked to their progress in treatment. Rapport is built on trust, and as we all know, trust starts with getting to know someone. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you information about me the folks I’ve treated through the years have most wanted to know.

For starters, I successfully completed the doctoral program in counseling psychology at the University of Oklahoma in December 1997. The journey to OU began many years earlier, though, with me attending two years of junior college at what was then Northwest Community College (currently Northwest College) in Powell, Wyoming. Ah, the good ol’ days when attending after-school and weekend activities seemed more important than getting a degree from some college. Needless to say, I didn’t exactly shine as a student back then and, consequently, failed to earn a degree from that institution of higher learning.

After over a decade of attending the school of hard knocks, I concluded it was time to give college another go. With that I enrolled in what was then Black Hills State College (currently Black Hills State University) in Spearfish, South Dakota. I took college a little more seriously the second time around, and my efforts were rewarded with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. From there I gained admission to the University of Kansas and went on to complete the coursework required for earning a Master of Education in counseling psychology.

Licensure to practice as a psychologist in Arkansas was granted to me in April 1998.

My experience in treating folks actually started in 1990 during the second year of my master’s program at KU. My professional development continued on through three years of study at OU followed by a year-long internship at Arkansas State Hospital which I completed in August 1995. It was in January 1996 that I began my post-college career working at a community mental health center right here in Harrison, Arkansas, the home-base of psycHikes.

During the almost nine years I was employed in community mental health, my primary responsibilities as a psychologist were to provide clients with psychological evaluations, psychotherapy, and emergency services. My passion, though, was to become the best psychotherapist I could be.

Fortunately for me, I was offered a position in 2004 at what was then an outpatient behavioral health center being started by a hospital in Mountain Home, Arkansas. What was enticing about the proposal offered me back then was that the position required me to do only psychotherapy. That meant no emergency work, per se, and no psychological testing. For me, it was a dream come true, and ever since, I have avidly worked to hone my psychotherapy skills.

As it is in our universe, though, everything changes, and such was true for me. Over time I grew to yearn for something more challenging, a new direction; I deduced that working in agencies was stifling my professional evolution. Having reached that reality, I launched into putting together my private practice, psycHikes, and left the agency work behind in April 2010.

So, what about psycHikes? Well, it has done as all in this universe does—evolved, transformed to a degree. Through this service vehicle I continue offering psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, and families. The psychological evaluations I performed for law enforcement candidates are a service no longer offered. In their place I provide to nurses the psychological/addiction evaluations some are required by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to undergo. In fact, these are the only type of evaluation I offer at this time. As it is with the law enforcement evaluations, so it is with in-services and workshops—I no longer offer them.

If the changes to the array of services offered through psycHikes has you wondering if this practice is fading off into the sunset, it is doing nothing of the sort. Since August 2010, I have contracted with Dr. Thomas Walden to see patients through his private practice, Mountain Home Psychiatric Medicine. He provides the psychiatric services, and I provide the psychotherapy. It’s a great arrangement and one I shall never regret.

Oh, yes! Before I forget, it is important to note one more thing. I was honored to serve on the board of directors of the Ozark Rape Crisis Center (ORCC) for all but two years during a period of time spanning from 1997 through the first half of 2016. It was an opportunity of a lifetime to be part of an organization with a mission of eliminating sexual violence in the communities it serves. By the way, if you would like to learn more about the ORCC, I encourage you to give it a view by clicking on the following link: https://www.ozarkrapecrisis.com.

That’s about it for the work-related activities. I simply work four days a week in Mountain Home with Dr. Walden and reserve the remaining three days for private practice appointments. If there are none, though, I certainly don’t get bored. You see, I’m an avid enthusiast of backpacking and hiking! In fact, in the latter part of October 2014 I teamed up with some very close friends to adopt three sections of the Ozark Highlands Trail (to learn more about the OHT, go to: https://www.ozarkhighlandstrail.com) Doing so provides us all an opportunity to reconnect with those avenues of adventure at least twice a year to assure they’re cleared of brush and debris so those venturing along them can enjoy unobstructed journeying. Also, every year when October rolls around, I am more than ready for some major trail time. So, from then on through spring I’m hitting trails whenever the chance arises. Of course, I’m not one to shy away from rubbing shoulders with bugs and spiders and whatever critters inhabit the woods in the heat. So, given that, a little summertime trail action is never out of the question.

And there you have it . . . a little about my life, my professional experiences, and psycHikes. Stay tuned, for who knows where this path will lead next. In the meantime, perhaps we’ll meet at some point and venture along a bit of it together. 

Feel free to call Dr. Phil at this number: (870) 743-6900.