My name is Samuel Kaplan (you can call me Sam)
I’m a licensed Clinical Psychologist with a degree in clinical psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. I completed a B.A. in psychology at Oberlin College.
As part of my doctoral training I worked at a variety of sites including the Wright Institute Recovery Clinic, where I treated people in early recovery and recent parolees, and the Wright Institute Clinic, where I saw adults and couples. For both my internship and my post-doctoral training, I worked at Through the Looking Glass in Berkeley, California, an agency specializing in treating children, parents and families with disabilities.
Throughout my training, I have primarily treated men, boys, and male adolescences, attaining a specialty in healthy masculine identity development.
Over the course of my career, I have developed an integrative approach to therapy that I would consider playful, creative, and adaptable. Most of my work is deeply rooted in relational psychodynamic therapy, but I also incorporate aspects from several different therapeutic modalities, depending on the particular issue I am treating. I often employ behavioral interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies, family systems therapy, and structural family therapy.
Additionally, I provide culturally-sensitive and disability-informed services. Throughout all my work, I strive to use the connection as the foundation to foster insight, change, and ultimately, growth.
My life beyond therapy
Personal Information: As a therapist, I encourage my clients to explore and find passions, hobbies, and creative outlets outside of work. I have done this work myself, and continually strive for that oh-so-precarious work/life balance. My main passion outside of therapy is writing. My handful of published books includes humorous but helpful guides for incoming college students and high schoolers. Both my work as a therapist and as a writer are informed by my lifelong desire to understand people and their relationships.
In addition to therapy and writing, I enjoy playing soccer with friends; playing piano, singing, and writing songs for my band; gourmet (or not) cooking; and getting wowed by the beauty of our natural world.