Deanna Pollard, MA

Areas of Expertise

• Couples

• Pre-marital therapy

• Trauma

• Dating

Fun Facts

• In my free time, you’ll find me enjoying cooking, exercising, and spending time with my fiancé and 9-year-old pug.

• Every year on my birthday, people dress up in costumes and share sweet treats. You guessed it… my birthday is on Halloween!

• If you see someone who looks like me, it could be my identical twin.

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ABOUT Deanna (SHE/her)

I am an advanced fourth-year clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Houston, working under the supervision of Dr. Laura Spiller. I hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in experimental psychology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Over the course of my clinical training, I have worked with individuals and couples in outpatient settings, such as the University of Houston’s Family Care Center and Center for Couples Therapy, as well as the Houston Fire Department. Additionally, throughout my graduate student career, I have conducted research on intimate relationships and applied an attachment framework to better understand couple’s issues.

I was first introduced to Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) while completing an externship on EFT provided by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). I was immediately blown away by how effective this approach is in helping couples address the root of their issues and enhance intimacy by attuning to their emotions. In addition to EFT, I have received training and applied other empirically supported approaches to my work, including the Gottman method of couple’s therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Currently, my research focuses on the impact of traumatic experiences on intimate relationships, and I am particularly interested in working with couples coping with trauma.

EDUCATION

• BA in Psychology from University of Texas, Rio Grande

• MA in Experimental Psychology from University of Texas, Rio Grande

• Doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Houston

Advanced TRAINING

• Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

• Research and training in Gottman Method and Integrated Behavioral Couples Therapy

Rates

Couples session (75 minutes): $150
Individual session (50 minutes): $100

OFFICE HOURS

By appointment

Monday
10:00 am - 7 pm

Fridays
10:00 am - 5:00 pm