I have been committed for more than 25 years to helping women and men to enhance their psychological well-being. I have seen that people have an innate capacity for healing and growth and reserves of self-knowledge that can be accessed to assist in this process.
I practice individual, couples and family therapy.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
I work from a psychodynamic orientation, which acknowledges that the sources of distress can be complex and often out of immediate awareness. This approach makes it possible to recognize that people’s feelings, thoughts and behavior are linked to understandable causes, even if they are distressing or not very clear. I help people to look at how patterns that have developed due to unconscious processes affect relationships and other aspects of their lives. To help with this, I ask about cognitive processes and beliefs, temperament and family experience, taking into account the impact that the family has on our development. We may also consider the influence of larger social and cultural conditions. Psychodynamic work can help people to develop self-knowledge, to learn to trust themselves, to discover solutions based on their inner wisdom, and to integrate those skills with seeking support from others. I offer additional approaches, such as Mindfulness Meditation and EMDR (described below). Cognitive therapy, which looks at and challenges patterns of thought about oneself and one’s world, is integrated into this approach.
COUPLES THERAPY
I enjoy working with couples of all ages and lifestyles at all stages of relationship. Couples therapy may focus on: preparing for commitment; fine-tuning communication and intimacy; addressing long-standing relationship issues; coping with the impact of affairs; working with the challenges of remarriage and blending families; parenting; managing a loss in the context of an intimate relationship. I favor an attachment based approach, which emphasizes a secure emotional connection between partners, and seeks to develop the relationship as a safe haven. This emotional connection becomes the foundation for partners working as a team with each other.
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
I received my graduate education at Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. I have training in:
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy, couple and family therapy.
- Mindfulness Meditation, which can be used to reduce stressful responses to events and to increase awareness of one’s experience without judgment. The practice of mindfulness can cultivate mental and emotional well-being and capacities such as calmness, clarity and focused attention, while reducing rumination and anxiety. It can help build skills to manage overwhelming emotions. I trained at Jefferson University’s Myra Brind Center for Mindfulness.
- Completed Level 1 Training in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a treatment method which has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and symptoms of psychological trauma.
- Laban Movement Analysis, a system for observing functional and expressive movement patterns and understanding their role in communication.
I collaborate with other health care professionals to provide holistic and interactive care when needed and with the permission of clients. I am happy to provide you with referrals to other professionals, such as physicians, psychiatrists and nutritionists.
At the Belmont Center and the Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, I provided individual, couple and family therapy and ran groups for women with eating disorders.
At Fox Chase Cancer Center, I practiced psychotherapy as a consultant for individuals with a cancer diagnosis and ran groups for couples. These services were provided through a program funded by the National Institutes of Health to examine and develop effective treatment strategies for those coping with cancer.
I have taught in Master’s Programs at Drexel University, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Philadelphia University.
PRESENTATIONS
I write and speak on a variety of psychological and relationship issues.
Recent Presentations:
The Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work, January 2015, entitled: The Use of Play and Imagination to Help Couples.
The Cancer Support Community of Philadelphia, August 2015, entitled: Communicating Hope in a Time of Uncertainty: The Challenges of Talking About Cancer with Family and Friends
The Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work, January 2016, entitled: Deepening the Use of Play and Imagination to Help Couples.
The Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society, co-sponsored with the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Pennsylvania Chapter, April 2017, entitled: Movement and Body Image Groups for Women with Eating Disorders.
The Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work, March 2018 and June 2018, entitled: Using Mindfulness Practice to Increase Self-Awareness in the Clinical Situation.
Virtual Psychotherapy/Telehealth:
In addition to being licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, I am a registered out-of-state telehealth provider for the state of Florida.
Sandy Kosmin, L.C.S.W. 