Andrea F. Polard, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist since 1993

Andrea F. Polard, PsyD is a life-long meditator. Her interest in psychology and happiness began early, at age sixteen. She became a Clinical Psychologist in Germany (1993) and California (2001) and was trained in Primal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Self-Psychology, and Positive Psychology. When Andrea discovered that happiness is possible even for those who were previously traumatized, she decided to share the necessary skills. Soon she began to write A Unified Theory of Happiness: An East-Meets-West Approach to Fully Loving Your Life, which she completed over the course of twelve years. It was published by Sounds True and is an internationally published, award-winning book. Subsequently, she founded a psychotherapeutic approach, synthesizing psychology and the wisdom traditions: Zen Psychology Therapy (ZPT). She offers this approach in her Los Angeles Center for Zen Psychology. Andrea also writes a popular column for Psychology Today. Her two, new projects —The Heart Sutra and The 10 Habits of Sanity: Enligthenment Guarnateed— are soon to be published.

• Born in Germany 1965 and naturalized in the US Biculturalism prepared me to synthesize Western and Eastern thought.
• In 1986, I began studying psychology at the Freie University of Berlin and became a Clinical psychologist in 1993. Licensed psychologist in California in 2001.
• 1991: Extensive training in method for decoding non-verbal behavior (Facial Action Coding System by Ekman and Friesen); employed by Freie University Berlin using the FACS for several university projects; used FACS for own MA thesis: The Smile of Severely Depressed Patients.
• 1992: Trained in family system therapy and psychotherapy for children; worked with children and families for various District Offices of Berlin.
• 1994-1999: Diverse psychotherapeutic training, such as in Primal Therapy with Vivian Janov, Mind-Body Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Trained also at the Southern California Counseling Center.
• A life-long meditator, I started to study Zen with Bernard Silvers 2004. Diverse training in psychotherapy, such as Primal Therapy with Vivian Janov, Mind-Body Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
• A Unified Theory of Happiness: An East-Meets-West Approach to Fully Loving Your Life was published in 2012 by Sounds True in English and in 2014 in German. Book Award: Spirituality & Practice: “One of the Best Spiritual Books of 2012.”
• Since 2012 blogger for Psychology Today.
• In 2014, I was chair and presenter at the 21^st World Congress of Psychotherapy in Shanghai, China during which I had the honor to introduce my new psycho-therapeutic approach (ZPT). I also give regular workshops in the Villa Sponte, Bremen, Germany.
• 2015, the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA) hired me to give my first course. I was key note speaker for The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and spoke many times for Antioch University, Los Angeles.
• I have been on many radio shows (for example Ethan Bearman Show, KGO Radio San Francisco; Channel Q) and was interviewed by numerous magazines (for example CAMFT magazine; Natural Awakenings) and newspapers (for example Winnipeg Free Press 2018; Wall Street Journal 2019). I was also featured on the Amazing Mind show on WebTV. Countless blog radio shows.
• Published The Heart Sutra in 2019.
• 2020: February 15th: Gave workshop at Mount Saint Mary’s Universityat the Critical Teaching in Action Conference; February 17th: Interviewed by Lisa Clark Show; March 3: Author2Author Show (Podcast) with William Kenower; March 6: Publication (AMAZON) of audio version A Unified Theory of Happiness.
• June 2020: Started to work with adolescents and young adults at Paradigm Malibu (assessments).
• July 2020: Completed 90 blog articles for Psychology Today, 1.5 Million hits.