Derek Cozzi, Registered Psychotherapist

Therapy Areas: couples, relationship/attachment issues, shame/guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, ADHD, identity exploration, LGBTQ2SIA+, and life transitions

Hello! Welcome to my profile. It takes courage to reach out, and start the therapy process. Sharing ourselves, and our histories, can be a vulnerable experience. It is paramount that we feel safe in the therapeutic process, and I strive to foster safety, acceptance, and care in the therapy room. I bring a warm, compassionate, and personable style to therapy that is collaborative, non-judgemental, and affirming of clients’ backgrounds and experiences. My motto is: I want therapy to feel like a normal conversation that happens to be therapeutic. I am also an active participant in the therapy process. I listen and notice, and share back what I hear, see, and feel. I use my clinical knowledge and expertise to help you expand your awareness and understanding of yourself and others, make meaningful shifts that lead to improved psychological and emotional well-being, and develop healthier and happier relationships. Together, we process, make sense of things, and learn to cope and thrive.

I provide psychotherapy for adult individuals, and couples. I take an integrative therapeutic approach that is personalized to meet each client’s unique needs, with a special focus in emotionally-focused therapy (EFT), psychodynamic theory, polyvagal theory, narrative therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). I adopt an attachment, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and anti-oppressive lens. To elaborate, I pay attention to relationships, and how important people in our lives have impacted us. I attune to the echoing effects of past trauma and emotional distress, and how these experiences have manifested within us. I notice your strengths and resilience, and together we learn how to access these internal resources and use them. I also acknowledge the intersectionality of social identities, and the impact of systemic oppressions on mental health and well-being.

In our first few sessions, I take the time to get to know you, and build safety and trust. I am a firm believer in the sentiment “trust is earned, not given,” and I take the time needed to nurture trust and comfort in the therapy room. I highly value the therapeutic relationship, and work hard to promote strong rapport with you. We will work together to set our therapy goals and a therapeutic trajectory forward. I take a semi-structured approach. I believe that it is important for us to know where we are heading, but I am open to what shows up along the way. I check in regularly to discuss how the process is going for you, and to ensure that we are moving towards your goals.

In my work with couples, I first meet with each partner separately for an individual intake session to hear your personal histories and concerns in the relationship. We will then come together and move forward with our couple’s work. I help couples with a wide range of concerns, including: communication, connection and attunement, building empathy and understanding, sex and intimacy, conflict resolution, resolving old hurts and resentments, (re)defining the relationship, and conscious uncoupling. I am affirming of all types of relationship dynamics – from monogamous to non-monogamous – and have experience supporting all relationship types.

I received my Master of Education in Counselling Psychology at the University of Ottawa in 2019. I am a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), and a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). I am in good standing with both the CRPO and CCPA. As part of my continuing education, and to ensure currency in the field, I frequently engage in professional development activities, including: trainings and workshops, consultation and supervision, webinars, and literature and research. I highly value integrity, professionalism, and ethicality in my work, and strive to provide best practice standards to all my clients.

I warmly invite you to reach out so we can discuss if my approach and services align with your needs. I offer an initial free, 20-minute consultation, which is a great opportunity to get to know each other and determine if we are a good fit. I look forward to hearing from you!