Andrea F. Polard, Psy.D.
Psychotherapy Services Offered:Brief Solution-Focused Therapy Specializations: Dr. Polard has been a clinical psychologist for 22+ years in both Germany (Freie University Berlin) and the United States (Ryokan College). She is a blogger for Psychology Today and an internationally published author (“A Unified Theory of Happiness”). Having been trained in various traditional Western approaches and Eastern practices, she tailors therapy to the individual’s needs. Dr. Polard also enjoys teaching, especially on the subjects of Positive Psychology, health behaviors, mindfulness, joy, Zen and Zen Psychology Therapy (ZPT). ZPT – her new integrative, client-centered approach — has enjoyed particular interest in Shanghai, China during the International Conference for Psychotherapy, 2013. Dr. Polard’s greatest joy is to work in private practice with individuals eager to grow and heal, find focus in the pursuit of goals and mutually empowering relationships, and discover clarity. PERSONAL STATEMENT Frequently it is our own suffering that provides the grounds for transformation, whether caused by trauma, loss, a transition, relational problems or our very own mind which manufactures depression, anxiety and all kinds of symptoms. Healing starts within a human connection. Here we can explore new venues and skills and how to “face and embrace” the seemingly unacceptable. Many clients like to go beyond the abolishment or acceptance of suffering as they wish to fulfill their lives and find and sustain a loving relationship. Many desire to feel empowered, capable of focusing their attention on independence and professional goals. Then again, others crave to discover mental clarity, inner peace, and a sense of belonging. I like to offer my expertise for what my clients actually want and need. We come into existence with a sense of wholeness — and then lose it somehow. Having been trained in Western and Eastern practices, I know there are multiple ways to retrieve that sense. Problems call for solutions, a plan for action—carefully balanced out with non-action that is inner peace, clarity, and compassion. Psychotherapy is not always easy – who likes the darkness of a chrysalis? But I think of it as an opportunity to grow and ultimately transcend unnecessary suffering. It is both my personal and professional experience that we can, with the right support, learn, overcome and let go of just about anything. Articles by Dr. Polard |
Therapy in Los Angeles
Psychologists and Psychotherapists in Los Angeles Area
520 Sepulveda Blvd. # 201