Kelly Heard

Kelly grew up in Farmers Branch in a large family of six children.  She enjoyed many extracurriculars in high school and then moved on to Abilene Christian University, where she met her husband, now of many years, Dan.  She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Woman’s University, where she graduated with a degree in chemistry.  Kelly’s first career as a wife of Dan and mom of 4 wonderful humans remains her finest accomplishment and greatest privilege.   She and Dan raised their family in the same house where Kelly spent her childhood. Kelly is most happy doing everyday things with her family, including her darling grandchildren, or traveling to Colorado to hike or just looking at the snow from the family’s mountain cabin.  Attending Amberton University, graduating with a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and embarking on a new career is her second great adventure.

A healthy, life-long marriage is good for individuals, families, communities—hey, the world—and that is why Kelly dove headfirst into a career that focuses on helping marriages thrive. She holds a balanced, pro-commitment stance regarding marriage.  Although she believes that preserving marriage is a desirable outcome to be pursued during therapy, she is also completely aware that some marriages are dangerous to one’s personal well-being.  Kelly can also help people unravel themselves from the negative patterns that hold happiness hostage. Safe and loving relationships are the most potent source of healing available to people, and her hope is to help couples, individuals and families experience this in the therapy process.

Kelly’s understanding of relationships is informed by attachment science, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), her faith in a loving God who chose to reveal Himself mysteriously through the marriage relationship of man and woman, as well as her personal experience as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, and friend.

Kelly has advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, individuals and families.  EFT prioritizes the ability to turn toward significant others in times of distress. EFT is based on attachment theory but most importantly, it is backed up by decades of research.  EFT has a proven success rate. 70-75% of couples who complete EFT move from distress to recovery, and approximately 90% show significant improvements.  Kelly wants to help couples improve their marriages for good.  She’s not saying she won’t miss her clients…, but when clients (and their loved ones) leave her office after their last session, her hope is that they don’t need to come back!

Kelly is a member of AAMFT, TAMFT, ICEEFT (International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy), Twogether in Texas, and is a certified SYMBIS (pre-marriage) facilitator.