Clementine South Miami Clinical Director Amy Sosa, PsyD shares her personal journey to joining the Clementine team in this week’s blog post. Read on to learn more about Dr. Amy Sosa and her dedicated team…
1. What is your name and what are your credentials? What is your current role? My name is Dr. Amy Sosa and I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. I am the Clinical Director of Clementine Adolescent Treatment Program.
2. Please give us a brief description of your background? Dr. Sosa received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology where she also received her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Throughout her career, Dr. Sosa received comprehensive training in play, couples, family, individual, and group therapy. Currently, Dr. Sosa specializes in providing empirically-validated treatment to adolescent girls diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and/or exercise addiction. She has a passion for treating issues impacting girls and women with a focus on enhancing body image. Moreover, she has experience treating complex trauma internationally and completed her dissertation research on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Secondary Traumatic Stress within Rwandese healthcare providers. Additionally, she is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Further, she is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA) and Division 52 (International Psychology Division) of the American Psychological Association. Lastly, she is co-chair of the Education Committee for the Miami Chapter of the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP).
3. What does a typical day look like for you at Clementine? There is no typical day at Clementine and that’s what I love about my job. Throughout the day, Clementine girls engage in school, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and meal support. Our group therapy program is comprehensive and is rooted in empirically-validated treatment models. For example, we offer a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Group, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group, a Body Image Group, and a Family and Relationships Group, among others. We also offer several movement groups in order to facilitate a healthy relationship with oneself and one’s body that is void of compensatory exercise (such as yoga and Thai Chi).
4. In your own words, please describe the philosophy of Clementine. At Clementine, we believe in empowering girls to live a wholehearted life. We provide intensive individual, family, and group therapy in order to improve self-worth and enhance girls’ relationships with themselves/others. Adolescence is a delicate developmental period where girls are often concerned about appearance and acceptance. At Clementine, we provide girls skills to understand that their identities are multilayered and that their worth is tied to various aspects, including academic, familial, sports, play, and resilience, among others. Oftentimes, our girls are perfectionistic and we strive to give them permission to fail and to learn from their failures. This allows them to develop appropriate coping skills to manage life stressors without engaging in eating disorder or other maladaptive behaviors. We also believe in addressing underlying factors driving eating disorder behaviors in order to fully understand and practice authentic living.
5. How does your team work together? How do your roles overlap and differ? At Clementine, the treatment team is a family which allows us to foster a family setting for our girls. Our team consists of Internal Medicine Physicians, Psychiatrists, Therapists, Nutritionists, Nurses, and Recovery Coaches. We have lunch together daily and have consultations throughout the week to discuss client care. We also believe in the importance of nurturing relationships outside of work and engage in teambuilding activities deepen relationships with one another.
6. What is your favorite thing about Clementine? My favorite aspect of Clementine is patient care. Our girls are incredibly ambitious, curious, and resilient, and I learn so much from the in-depth work they put forth daily in order to achieve recovery.
7. What are three facts about you that people do not know? I am obsessed with animals: I have one dog, two cats, and I got married on my horse. I love the outdoors: My connection to nature provides me with a sense of groundedness in order to do the work that I do. I spent a year in Swaziland, Southern Africa, which solidified my passion for psychology.
For more information about Clementine adolescent treatment programs, please call 855.900.2221, visit our website, subscribe to our blog, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
To learn more about our newest location, Clementine Briarcliff Manor, opening on April 24th, please reach out to a Clementine Admissions Specialist at 855.900.2221.