Individual therapy typically involves meeting with Dr. Cosmetis once per week. People choose to participate in therapy for a variety of reasons, including: going through a life transition, such as divorce or loss of a loved one, feeling stuck meeting one’s goals, feeling lost and without direction, symptoms of depression and anxiety, having experienced a traumatic event, or wanting to change a behavior. There are a variety of theoretical orientations from which a therapist may approach their work with clients. Dr. Cosmetis draws from cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness based approaches, and positive therapy. Here is a brief description of each:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on the theory that your thoughts and beliefs about yourself affect how you feel and ultimately how you act. Sometimes these thoughts are inaccurate or distorted. CBT helps to identify negative core beliefs and cognitive distortions and replace them with more adaptive and realistic self appraisals. CBT can help you become more emotionally healthy, more resistant to life stressors, and less prone to anxiety and depression in the future.
Mindfulness based therapies teach mindful meditation as a core skill for developing compassion with yourself and to be able to manage life’s transitions with grace and ease. Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present moment. Cultivating this present moment awareness allows you to observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them as good or bad. Some of the benefits of mindful meditation include: improved mood, strengthened immune system, stress reduction, reduced anxiety, improved pain management, and improved sleep.
Strengths based, positive psychology is a relatively new field in psychology. Rather than focusing strictly on pathology (i.e. what is wrong), this approach focuses more on cultivating strengths, passions, and interests to help you thrive. Using your unique strengths in new contexts and having novel experiences can be a way to learn about yourself, stimulate creative thinking, and get you “un-stuck.”