About Me
I am a Licensed Psychologist offering individual, couples and group therapy. I maintain a private practice in Rochester, NY.
I earned my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Iowa State University. With years of experience as Staff Psychologist/Group Coordinator at the Southern Illinois University Counseling Center, the Roosevelt University Counseling Center, and the University of Rochester Counseling Center, my specialties include group psychotherapy, identity development challenges, lifestyle changes, self-esteem, and relationship issues. In addition, I greatly value working with men’s issues and ADHD. Having trained under the tutelage of a national expert in the field of threat management and assessment, Dr. Gene Deisinger, I also specialize in violence prevention.
I tend to see client issues through a relational lens anchored in cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic-existential theories. I place a strong value on relationships and believe that change takes place in a safe environment where one feels heard and valued. My presence is best described as open-minded, non-judgmental and caring. Life is too short not to laugh, so I frequently use humor in therapy sessions. Influenced by Positive Psychology and Buddhist Psychology, my approach is based on the mottos that “Acceptance precedes change” and “It’s not the note you play, but the note after.” Therefore, my goal is to help people explore areas of dissatisfaction so they can make healthier choices and boost self-confidence by illuminating strengths. My interventions are highly interactive and experiential, and often draw from the arts, including music, film, and literature.
Outside of the therapy office, I belong to the American Group Psychotherapy Association. This helps me stay updated on the latest trends around empirically supported treatments, patterns of attachment, social connection in the digital era, and help-seeking attitudes and behaviors. I also actively fight the stigma attached to mental illness and advocate for policies that improve the access and quality of mental health services. This includes ongoing consultation around how to run an antiracist practice and better serve people of color.
Research:
My research examines how media adds to the stigma and thus can be used to destigmatize mental health issues and help-seeking behaviors.
My first study looked at the negative portrayals of television psychologists and the extent that they influence people's attitudes towards and willingness to seek therapy. The results demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between a) television exposure and attitudes towards seeking therapy and b) television exposure and willingness to seek therapy.
Vogel, D. L., Gentile, D., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The influence of television on willingness to seek therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63, 1-20. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20446 pdf
My second study was designed to increase help-seeking attitudes and perceptions of peer norms and to decrease the stigma associated with seeking counseling. I figured that if media was influential in the negative direction, it could be used to improve attitudes and perceptions as well. The results supported that hypothesis.
Kaplan, S., Vogel, D. L., Gentile, D., Wade, N. G. (2012) Increasing Positive Perceptions of Counseling: The Importance of Repeated Exposures. The Counseling Psychologist
Literature:
I wrote a chapter on marketing therapy groups to help people enjoy the benefits of group therapy.
The College Counselor’s Guide to Group Psychotherapy. (2018). New York: Routledge Press.
Kaplan, S. (2017). The Art of the Sell: Marketing Groups. In J. Gross, M. Turner, and M. Ribeiro (Eds.), The College Counselors Guide to Group Psychotherapy (Chapter 8). New York, NY: Routledge Publishers.
Other Interests:
Live music, socializing, laughing, traveling, nature and outdoor activities, writing poetry, cooking, and anything related to real or fantasy sports.
I earned my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Iowa State University. With years of experience as Staff Psychologist/Group Coordinator at the Southern Illinois University Counseling Center, the Roosevelt University Counseling Center, and the University of Rochester Counseling Center, my specialties include group psychotherapy, identity development challenges, lifestyle changes, self-esteem, and relationship issues. In addition, I greatly value working with men’s issues and ADHD. Having trained under the tutelage of a national expert in the field of threat management and assessment, Dr. Gene Deisinger, I also specialize in violence prevention.
I tend to see client issues through a relational lens anchored in cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic-existential theories. I place a strong value on relationships and believe that change takes place in a safe environment where one feels heard and valued. My presence is best described as open-minded, non-judgmental and caring. Life is too short not to laugh, so I frequently use humor in therapy sessions. Influenced by Positive Psychology and Buddhist Psychology, my approach is based on the mottos that “Acceptance precedes change” and “It’s not the note you play, but the note after.” Therefore, my goal is to help people explore areas of dissatisfaction so they can make healthier choices and boost self-confidence by illuminating strengths. My interventions are highly interactive and experiential, and often draw from the arts, including music, film, and literature.
Outside of the therapy office, I belong to the American Group Psychotherapy Association. This helps me stay updated on the latest trends around empirically supported treatments, patterns of attachment, social connection in the digital era, and help-seeking attitudes and behaviors. I also actively fight the stigma attached to mental illness and advocate for policies that improve the access and quality of mental health services. This includes ongoing consultation around how to run an antiracist practice and better serve people of color.
Research:
My research examines how media adds to the stigma and thus can be used to destigmatize mental health issues and help-seeking behaviors.
My first study looked at the negative portrayals of television psychologists and the extent that they influence people's attitudes towards and willingness to seek therapy. The results demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between a) television exposure and attitudes towards seeking therapy and b) television exposure and willingness to seek therapy.
Vogel, D. L., Gentile, D., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The influence of television on willingness to seek therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63, 1-20. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20446 pdf
My second study was designed to increase help-seeking attitudes and perceptions of peer norms and to decrease the stigma associated with seeking counseling. I figured that if media was influential in the negative direction, it could be used to improve attitudes and perceptions as well. The results supported that hypothesis.
Kaplan, S., Vogel, D. L., Gentile, D., Wade, N. G. (2012) Increasing Positive Perceptions of Counseling: The Importance of Repeated Exposures. The Counseling Psychologist
Literature:
I wrote a chapter on marketing therapy groups to help people enjoy the benefits of group therapy.
The College Counselor’s Guide to Group Psychotherapy. (2018). New York: Routledge Press.
Kaplan, S. (2017). The Art of the Sell: Marketing Groups. In J. Gross, M. Turner, and M. Ribeiro (Eds.), The College Counselors Guide to Group Psychotherapy (Chapter 8). New York, NY: Routledge Publishers.
Other Interests:
Live music, socializing, laughing, traveling, nature and outdoor activities, writing poetry, cooking, and anything related to real or fantasy sports.