Jill Brown Fryar, LCSW, MEd

Jill Brown Fryar, L.C.S.W. is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker  and native Texan.  She received her Bachelor of Science in  Education at Southwestern University before earning a  Master’s of Education at the University of Texas in special  education for emotionally disturbed children.  Jill then worked as a behavior interventionist in public schools and as a teacher in a private therapeutic preschool in Houston. Prior to returning to graduate school to obtain her masters in social work, she was the Intake/Training  Coordinator at Depelchin Children’s Center Residential  Program.   

Jill earned her Master’s of Social Work degree at the University  of Houston, specializing in clinical work with children and  families.  She worked in the Social Work Department of West  Oaks Psychiatric Hospital, providing family, group and individual therapy to both inpatient and outpatient clients. After leaving West Oaks, Jill worked as a child and family therapist in association with psychiatrist William Streusand, M.D. and for a nonprofit organization, where she provided  therapy for sexually abused children and adolescents.   

Following this, in 1996, Jill began working with Dr. Michelle Forrester at Texas Children’s Hospital; she provided various services, ranging from leading social skills groups for preschoolers to conducting family and individual therapy sessions.  During this time,  she also served as a Clinical Field Instructor for the University of Houston’s School of Social Work and supervised psychology interns and fellows, as well as LPC interns.  Jill continued her work at Texas Children’s Hospital as an Instructor for Baylor College of Medicine in the Psychology Service of the Department of Pediatrics.  Her work focused on preschoolers primarily diagnosed with anxiety, but also those presenting with behavior difficulties and adjustment disorders, including adjustment to traumatic events.  Jill also has extensive experience with children diagnosed with selective mutism.  

In 2017, Jill continued her work with Dr. Forrester in a private practice setting as the parent facilitator in the social skills group model Dr. Forrester first began at Texas Children’s.  The effectiveness of this therapeutic model lies not only in the caregivers being able to observe the work of the therapists in the room with their child, but also by having  opportunities to have specific parenting questions addressed.  Jill supported parents through this process and helped them learn strategies for managing challenges while also providing psychoeducational information about child development.  Jill will continue to work as a parent facilitator in this model for Ethos and is excited to continue providing this support to more children and families.