Welcome to the Practice of Dr. Brunner

Innovative & Tailored Approaches for Lasting Solutions

In a world of rushed, “drive-by” assessment and treatment, I take the time necessary to identify how all the puzzle pieces relating to your problems fit together.  By going to a unique degree of depth, I help you not only resolve your current problems, but prepare you to confidently handle your future challenges. I am regularly told my evaluations are the most thorough and reliable, even by those in other parts of the United States. 

As a long time and recognized PhD expert in my field, I provide high quality psychological, educational and neuropsychological assessment, consultation and treatment to children (ages 6 & up) and adults. My consistently maintained 5.0 google review ratings speak for themselves! 

Unlike group psychology practices where you might be transferred between people, I will be the only professional serving you from start to finish.  Read my 7 integrity commitments to further understand how unique I am.

Click here to see your assessment options, my case process and the values of assessment. I specialize in ensuring you benefit from the most cost effective evaluation or treatment driven by my unique mind mapping approach.

No matter what your cultural background, identity type or belief system is, we will warmly welcome you!!!

How personalized am I? Before I schedule any client you and I will share time by phone to ensure we are a good fit, and I will work with you closely from beginning to end. You will not be bounced between practitioners.

While I am a psychologist in Tucson, Arizona, if you live outside of the Tucson area, outside of Arizona, or outside the US, you can be served in the comfort of your home.  Out-of-town clients preferring face-to-face work often come for a series of days we can block off.

Doctor Thomas Brunner

Meet Dr. Brunner

My Commitment to You: For over 20 years, my commitment remains helping you – or your child  – by using only the most effective assessment tools, as I specialize in providing user-friendly “x-ray” assessments.

Get to know me better: Read one of my over 250 “Good to Great” blogs.  My blog 10 Character Flaws that Derail Even Good People has been read by over 160,000 people.  See the unique training I have earned.

What Makes Me Different

Seasoned & Proven Expert:  I am a PhD expert whose expertise is proven by my 20 year track record of research publications and testifying in courts of law.  

Beyond Generic Diagnosis: I ensure you grasp the key factors affecting your functioning, rather than simply diagnosing conditions. See my blog discussing a common misdiagnosis to understand my approach. 

Fully individualized: I thoroughly customize my approach to fit the needs of each situation. 

Avoid “personality typology astrology”: I weave together information to go far beyond shallow or “fluffy” personality tests.  

Diligent detective:  I investigate your situation by using innovative methods, such as interviewing those who know the person I will be evaluating to get a 360 degree view. 

Explore Our Services

Organizations using Dr. Brunner’s work

What Our Clients Are Raving About...

Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 54.9
4.9Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Top Rated Service
Verified by Trustindex
Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
Posted on Google Google
derrick erickson profile picture
D Erickson
84 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Exceptionally professional, caring and unbiased. Dr Brunner played a profound role in healing our family, for which we are forever grateful.
Posted on Google Google
Ian Jones profile picture
I Jones
235 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Dr. Brunner has been amazing. Empathetic, perceptive, thorough...what other adjectives can I come up with. I'm highly impressed with his professionalism along with everything else. From here I have a long way to go, but his evaluation has given me a palpable base to work from, and I'll always be grateful for that. Thank you, Dr. Brunner!
Posted on Google Google
Mike Pollack profile picture
M Pollack
289 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Dr Brunner was fantastic with our evaluation. He was thorough, professional and patient. He was able to figure out what many others had not been able to and his report was very valuable.
Posted on Google Google
Jameela Smith profile picture
J Smith
309 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
DR. BRUNNER IS SPECTACULAR! My brother, R.S., needed an evaluation, but the challenges were him not talking & not leaving home. Dr. Brunner conducted an at-home observation of R.S., coordinated interviews with the family members that know R.S. best and spent lots of time with me to go through a timeline/breakdown of his behaviors, events, routines, etc throughout his life in order to pinpoint a diagnosis. All this work went toward our family case to obtain guardianship over R.S. so that we'd be able to get him the help he needs. Later down the line we needed another evaluation for R.S.'s disability case where Dr. Brunner conducted the same thorough work he did for our other case. He also referred a great lawyer for us & all his thorough work made us feel confident we'd win the cases - we won both! We'd definitely recommend Dr. Brunner over any big corporation because he is highly trained & tailors his work for each & every client, but he also truly cares about the people he works with & does everything he can to help them. Thank you so much again, Dr. B!
Posted on Google Google
Pamela Judd profile picture
P Judd
339 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Prior to meeting Dr. Brunner, we initially had our son evaluated by his school after he began struggling academically in first and second grade. While they identified challenges with reading, and provided additional support, their feedback was minimal and generic. We also felt like they missed an important aspect which included additional struggles with math and writing. That’s when we found Dr. Brunner. He did a full neurocognitive evaluation which was detailed, thorough, and comprehensive. He spent a considerable amount of time with our son (and us as parents) to get a complete, full 360 view of how our son operates and perceives the world. And not only is his feedback extremely validating and illuminating, Dr. Brunner is also able to bridge the gap between challenges and gifts that encompasses all kids. He really “saw” our son and in a world where most kids are put into the same “attention issues” box without really understanding the root cause of the symptom, this comes as a real gift. Dr. Brunner is kind, compassionate and extremely easy to work with. He gave us amazing feedback, a wonderful referral for additional academic support and real concrete solutions to work with. As a result, our son is thriving and is happier than he’s ever been since starting his academic journey. We are so grateful! Thank you Dr. Brunner!
Posted on Google Google
Andrea Rodriguez Miller profile picture
A Rodriguez Miller
365 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Dr. Brunner is amazing. He is very thorough and took the time to get to know our child. He is kind and compassionate, and communicates with both parents and children in a way that is easy to understand and very positive. We've learned so much from Dr. Brunner and look forward to continuing to work with him. I highly recommend Dr Brunner's services.
Posted on Google Google
Brian Clymer profile picture
B Clymer
388 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I am an attorney who has handled Social Security Disability and workers' compensation cases. I have referred clients to Dr. Brunner to do disability evaluation examinations. Dr. Brunner does exceptionally thorough evaluations which, in my experience, the Social Security disability judges find to be very persuasive. His evaluations a particularly helpful for persons applying for disability insurance benefits as a disabled adult child. These are extremely difficult cases you have to prove the person was disabled by their 22nd birthday at the latest. Dr. Brunner will interview family members to lay a solid foundation for proving, in the appropriate cases, that the individual was disabled by age 22. I highly recommend Dr. Brunner for thorough and honest disability evaluations.
Posted on Google Google
Anand profile picture
A
450 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Dr. Brunner combines clinical expertise with genuine compassion. He approaches treatment in a holistic manner , with evidence-based approaches. He understands that counseling goes beyond just talking about one's challenges , but also making small , incremental changes to one's life and the homework he assigns is a reflection of this philosophy. He has an excellent sense of humor , challenges you to challenge your own perception of yourself and provides a very different perspective of challenges you may be facing.
Posted on Google Google
Saguaro 81 profile picture
S 81
450 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Dr. Brunner is truly an exceptional professional. We worked with him to provide a complete neuropsychological evaluation of a family member. His manner is caring and his process is meticulous and thorough. The finished evaluation was extraordinarily detailed and complete. I highly recommend him.
Posted on Google Google
Chuck L profile picture
C L
454 days ago
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Dr Brunner is truly an expert in child psychology. He was able to see through inaccurate evaluations by teachers/counselors, went on-site to evaluation our son at his preschool, and provided us with time critical guidance. He brought his expertise with a very thoughtful and caring approach while being sensitive to our budget/costs. Dr Brunner and his guidance transformed our son into a kind strong high-performing elementary student. We cannot recommend him enough.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
1374 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Dr. Brunner has a well-earned fantastic reputation in Tucson. Highly recommend.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
2723 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Where do I start. Dr. Brunner is thoughtful, kind, generous with his time, engaged with your child. And most importantly treats your child as they need to be treated while being utterly transparent through the process. My child would not be where she is today... a college graduate that knows where she’s wants to go or at least has a strong idea of how to get there. Thank you Dr Brunner and Denise!
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
3042 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Over a year ago, after doing an incredible amount of research over about a month, my husband and I decided on Dr. Brunner. My husband is a researcher by trade, so we made sure to look at a wide variety of information about Dr. B, and a number of alternatives. Our situation was having a severely challenged son with a big set of academic, emotional and behavioral problems. Dr. B was very up front about how he would do his work, and he spoke with us before we even came into the office. He delivered what he promised. Yes, it took some extra time, but he clearly is detail oriented and IS guilty of taking some extra time to do the eval. If you want "drive through" generic assessment, and you are all about finding the cheapest option, do not go to him. But we had /have far different family Values. We were refreshed by how thoughtful he was in what he did, and how he presented his findings in a user friendly way so we had a road map out of the gate. I had read reviews about his not being on time, and our experience was if he ever started a bit late he had something serious he was doing, and his assistant was very helpful! Yes, the eval. was costly for us, but we saw it as preventing a much, much larger amount of money down the road going into much more expensive care if we did not nail this down then. Well worth the investment! We have friends that have a teenager who got into abusing drugs, and now is in a residential treatment program costing about 10K a MONTH. They never did an eval we recommended they have done. Do a 411 for yourself. He even told us what we had to do differently as parents, and followed through. I could see how people who do not like his opinion could get very angry at him. He does not coddle you, but the caring attitude is clearly there from beginning to end! Do your research!
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
3249 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Dr, Brunner was the court ordered evaluator for our legal decision-making evaluation, after my ex-wife and were engaging in some serious mud slinging. He took alot of time to do the evaluation , and neither my ex wife or I came out looking like angels. But neither of us were angels, we both had things to work on, and Dr. Brunner articulated what we needed to do to protect our children. I am grateful that he brought a cool reflectiveness to a heated and anger ridden situation. I know very few psychologists do court related work because if someone is not happy with the psychologists opinion, then they can write nasty reviews of them, that are meritless. I did get the sense that he is ultimately focused on what is BEST for the children involved. I am so glad he did the evaluation as he gave very user friendly recommendations that helped solve the case so we could all move on.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
3258 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
About a year ago, I was involved in a custody battle because the home my 12-year-old son was living in was very unhealthy for him psychologically. I suspected that he was being pressured to say and do certain things that were very out of character for him, but found it hard to demonstrate that in court without objective professional input from a seasoned psychologist. The other parent felt that I was causing my son’s problems and was coaching my son to believe that I was untrustworthy and manipulative. My attorney and I discussed the possibility of backing off from seeking custody for a while so that my child would no longer undergo this pressure. However, I was deeply concerned about the repercussions for him if he was left in that unhealthy environment for any longer. Eventually, the court ordered a psychological evaluation so they could sort out what was really going on and also have a recommendation for a therapeutic path forward for my child. Dr. Brunner was very conscientious throughout the entire evaluation process and I was relieved to see that he was very objective (this is important because people on opposing sides often vilify each other during these situations). He was careful to interview all parties and include that information in his report, even if his final assessment did not agree with that person’s opinion. He did thorough scientific testing on all of us and he was able to successfully determine what the true situation was and to advocate for the course of action that would be in the best interest of my son. That was extremely important to me because I didn’t feel that everyone in the case shared that perspective. The child’s safety and needs must come before the desires of any and all of the adults involved!! Since Dr. Brunner had built rapport with my child and had the skills needed to work with a traumatized adolescent, I had him treat my son after the court ruled giving me custody. He continued to work carefully and methodically and my son is doing so much better today! I truly appreciate how much Dr. Brunner tailors his approach to utilize the strengths and culture of the family. He found ways to encourage what he saw was working and teach us some new ways to interact. The advice he gave me on how to work with my child was extremely valuable to me and has proven effective time and again. Since my son and I both suffered trauma, parenting is a little different than it would be if one or both of us had not gone through the experience we did. However, Dr. Brunner was able to evaluate that situation and very kindly and gently guide us through and help us with coping skills for if/when things get bumpy. He was able to do all this without ever taking on the parental role himself and was careful to preserve my role in our family. This was instrumental to a smooth and successful reintegration of me and my son into our parent/child roles. Another thing that really impressed me was how much Dr. Brunner welcomed parental input and information. When my son was seeing him very frequently, we would talk weekly in addition to the written updates I gave him. I saw how Dr. Brunner used that information to successfully work with my child. He truly is scientific in his approach and I think that is one way that he stands out among other therapists. Overall, Dr. Brunner adheres to the highest of ethical standards. He was cautious about scientifically evaluating the situation to begin with and has never jumped to conclusions. Instead, I have seen him ask additional questions until he is sure he understands the situation and also makes sure that the person he is talking to has examples of their claims rather than just stating something from personal bias. He is also very careful about confidentiality and is someone whom I feel comfortable confiding in. I am so thankful that he was there when we needed him and that he was willing to report to and testify in court when needed. I know that therapists who do this get a lot of negative backlash, especially from those parents who are focused on their own desires and not what is best for their child. I am so thankful that he’s willing to endure that to be in a position to help families in need. Our court system is not equipped to recognize and respond to parental alienation or parents with their own psychological issues. Unless and until that changes, we will need astute, bold, and caring professionals like Dr. Brunner to come alongside us and help us protect our children! Our custody battle was resolved very quickly once Dr. Brunner got involved and now my son is well-adjusted and happy after receiving therapeutic care from him for the past nine months.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
3429 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
As a pediatrician and mother of 3, I have referred many families to Dr. Brunner over the last 10 years, as well as bringing one of our children to him for assessment. He handled our situation with respect and appreciated the complexity of our challenging child. No one I referred over to him complained to me about Dr. Brunner when I asked for feedback. Other than that he can run late but that is healthcare. I find him compassionate and straightforward, a rare combination. I also referred a few families who were going through divorce over to him, and while some had a hard time with his recommendations, as time passed and they cooled down, they seemed to see that he had their children's best interests at heart. I do not know how he does the emotionally draining work of being a good custody evaluator because inevitably if someone is unhappy in those legal situations they react emotionally instead of thinking objectively about what is best for their child. He is one of the few psychologists willing to do that legal work because of how reactively angry people get. I will continue to refer to him as I trust his judgement.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
3492 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Dr. Brunner is an insightful forensic psychologist who is meticulous in his attention to the details of the issue at hand. He was involved at the end of my six-year child custody battle. He did an amazing job assisting the court in sorting through the facts and fictions in our custody case. I can tell you through my experience he seems somewhat cold-blooded in nature, however, he is extremely professional, organized, and is dedicated to doing the job right. He is, admittedly, somewhat expensive, but well worth it. After a custody battle that was ongoing for well over six years, he was able to highlight the facts for the court's attention in order to dissolve the matter after only thirty days. He went out of his way to prioritize the safety of the child, for which I am very grateful. His receptionist is an organized sweetheart, who was also very helpful. No disappointments other than cost.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
4146 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Dr. Brunner flexibly and kindly worked with our military family to help us with our 6 and 9 year olds. We appreciated his making himself transparent by putting so much information on his website, because we wanted to carefully choose the right professional after having the first one not work out. Ugh!! But Dr. B went the extra mile! We have noted several negative reviews that are financially focused, and while we admit it was not cheap, we found Dr B to be fair, ethical, and cost-saving. I agree you should do your research, we did ours (including reviewing his resume , and were very pleased.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
4161 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Dr. Brunner was extremely knowledgeable and thorough in his assessment and recommendations for treatment and services for my son. I wholeheartedly recommend him.
Posted on RateMDs RateMDs
Anonymous profile picture
A
4237 days ago
RateMDs star 1RateMDs star 2RateMDs star 3RateMDs star 4RateMDs star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is RateMDs.
Dr. B was thorough in his assessment of the issue and provided a number of workable solutions tailored to fit the concerns he was presented with.

Addressing the
"Great Resignation"

Find a sustainably fulfilling educational or career path by taking advantage of my Precisely Engineered Career Guidance(TM) approach ensuring you find a meaningful Calling.  Sign up to be notified when my upcoming book Find Your Real Me: Career Guidance Making you Truly Free is published.  It is destined to become a desk reference for the field of Career Guidance.  See my college and career guidance blogs.

COGMED

ADHD Treatment: Beyond Medication

Anger Management

Cutting edge anger research and assessment

Choose your practitioner carefully, only after doing significant research!    

Google Dr. Brunner’s track record of research, teaching, publications, awards, reviews, blogspodcast interviews and upcoming book