Dr. Michael Acosta
Dr. Michael Acosta obtained his Psy.D. degree in the Summer of 2021 from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. Born, raised, and educated in Miami, FL., Dr. Acosta is thrilled to return and begin his professional career serving the South Florida community that helped form him into the passionate clinician he is today. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Dr. Acosta graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Miami (Coral Gables) where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree for both Psychology and Theater Arts. After graduating from the University of Miami, Dr. Acosta served as an Americorps volunteer for Switchboard of Miami, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, and the Crisis Veterans Line. It was his experiences at Switchboard of Miami that led Dr. Acosta to pursue his Psy.D. degree in clinical psychology.
Dr. Acosta completed his Masters and Doctoral studies at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT. Via his pre- and post-doctoral and internship training experiences at the Hartford Job Corps, the University of Connecticut’s Center for Mental Health Services, the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Florida International University’s (Miami) Counseling and Psychological Services center, Dr. Acosta found passion and excitement working with emerging and young adult populations, especially those who identify as male in gender, LGBTQ+, and/or Hispanic/Latinx. In addition, Doctor Acosta combined his undergraduate degrees to complete and defend his doctoral dissertation: “Exploring the Acceptability of an Improv-based Workshop Series for College Student Stress and Anxiety.” Dr. Acosta truly believes that human beings are ever-changing and always striving for growth,no matter what age. In addition, it is imperative for Dr. Acosta to “treat the person, not the symptom.” As such, he always strives to do his best to understand, empathize, and respect all the factors that come together to form an individual’s life story and present concerns. Dr. Acosta considers himself to be an integrative therapist with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as his theoretical base. That said, Dr. Acosta often also incorporates mindfulness, self-compassion, interpersonal, and emotion-focused techniques in his practice. Dr. Acosta also enjoys providing therapy services to help those with identity concerns, interpersonal communication struggles, and anxiety-based difficulties.
Dr. Acosta treats a variety of age groups including:
- Adolescents (14-17)
- Emerging and Young Adults (18-29)
- Adults (30+)
His areas of specialization include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Emerging adult identity and adjustment concerns
- Men and masculinity concerns
- Hispanic and Latinx informed treatment
- LGBTQ+ informed treatment and Spanish therapy services