Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Deborah Russo, PsyD, MS, MA, CES

Individual & Couples Psychotherapy, Pre-Marriage & Experiential Workshops, Certified Prepare & Enrich, SYMBIS & FOCCUS Facilitator, Gottman Institute Verified Member, Certified Heartmath Biofeedback Practitioner, Certified Experiential Specialist, Certified Enneagram in Business, Certified Enneagram and Marriage

For over twenty-five years I have had the honor of working with individuals, couples, and families recovering from the throes of eating disorders, addictions, and traumas, along with daily but unrelenting stressors. I have helped patients along all levels of care including outpatient, partial, residential and inpatient treatment. What I have experienced and come to believe is that the resiliency of the spirit is amazing when people focus their faith and make wellness, healing and relationship-health their top priority.

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Several years ago, I was asked to facilitate Pre-marriage preparation workshops for soon to be married couples in addition to writing reports related to broken couples in often painful stages of annulment. I saw a tremendous difference in couples who gave serious time, attention, and effort to work on building their marriage before it starts. It was then that I decided to devote a good portion of my practice to helping couples ready and enrich their relationship along all stages of their development by taking deeper dives directed at addressing the challenging areas that may later make them vulnerable to gaping wounds, chronic discontent, and potentially devastating divorces.

I am invested in helping individuals and couples navigate the challenges and milestones that surface in serious dating, pre-engagement, engagement, and newly married relationships. I am a certified facilitator for several evidence-based relationship-building inventory programs that help to reduce vulnerability of failed relationships by 31%. Research shows us that most people wait until they are six years into a relationship before they reach for the help, direction, and support that they need. I help intentional couples build resilient bonds by understanding each other and practicing skills and tools early so they can communicate effectively, manage conflict, deal with daily challenges, and navigate uncertain and painful seasons of their relationships together. I also co-lead pre-marriage workshops and facilitate fun-filled experiential enrichment team-building workshops for couples in all stages of their relationships.

Individuals I work with are most often reaching for healing, understanding, and growth. Common problems they present are difficulty adjusting to life transitions, eating disorders, substance abuse recovery, general anxiety/stress management, depression, boundaries in relationships, self-discovery/insight seeking, family-related issues, grief/loss recovery, dating and committed relationship concerns, and pre-marriage prep. I am also a Biofeedback practitioner and teach tangible strategies to help clients “get to calm” when over-stressed.

My Approach

I take an integrative approach to my work with individuals and couples by incorporating various treatment modalities including psychodynamic and solution-focused approaches. They are comprised of therapies such as cognitive-behavioral, acceptance and commitment, dialectal, developmental, imago, emotionally-focused, attachment, relationship empowerment, and interpersonal self-regulation skill-building. I incorporate research-based assessment and inventories that are tried and true in helping couples to strengthen, navigate, and /or heal their relationships. I am a Relationship Checkup Inventory facilitator and verified member of the Gottman Institute, as well as a Certified Heartmath Health Professional. Other areas of expertise include eating disorders, addictions recovery, mood disorders, and family recovery/relationship skills. “I believe that individuals, couples and families have the ability to grow and heal even in the midst of tremendous stress, transition, or crisis-recovery.  I emphasize the importance of building and maintaining support, self-care, grace, and patience during difficult seasons of development and change. I am amazed to be witness to the courage and strength of those I work with.”  Deborah Russo, PsyD.

Clinical Leadership Roles

  • Director, Training & Education at the Rosewood Institute, Eating Disorders & Addictions. Atlanta, GA based
  • National Speakers Bureau, Remuda Ranch RR Program for Eating & Anxiety Disorders. Atlanta, GA based
  • Residency:  Inpatient, Partial & Outpatient Levels of Care for individuals, couples and families, Medical College of Georgia. Augusta, GA
  • Christian Care Centers, Eating Disorder Specialist. Tampa, FL
  • Eating Disorders/Substance Abuse Disorders, Senior Therapist & Curriculum Leader, Turning Point. Tampa, FL

For an extensive list of my clinical background and experiences, feel free to request from Dr. Russo at Dr.Russotherapy@gmail.com

Education & Qualifications

  • Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, University of South Florida
  • Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychology Program, Florida Institute of Technology
  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychology Program, Florida Institute of Technology
  • Residency, The Medical College of Georgia
  • Certified SYMBIS (Save your Marriage Before It Starts) Facilitator
  • Certified Prepare & Enrich Facilitator
  • FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding & Study) Facilitator
  • Pre-Marriage Preparation Workshop Leader for BYMBIS (Build Your Marriage Before It Starts), Holy Spirit Catholic Church,
  • Verified Gottman Institute Member
  • Certified Heartmath Biofeedback Health Practitioner
  • Certified Experiential Specialist, International Society for Experiential Professionals
  • Certified Enneagram in Business
  • Certified Enneagram and Marriage
  • Interventionist Trained
Deb E + M Certification Badge
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