supporting individuals, couples, teens and families
Hello! My name is Leah Kaplan and I’m a white, jewish, queer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I view therapy as a means towards collective liberation from our capitalist, white supremacist and hetero-sexist culture. I'm passionate about helping support clients on their own path towards freedom as well as finding ways to connect to freedom for us all.
I utilize mindfulness based practices, and a collaborative, person centered approach to support you in moving through life’s challenges and centering your joy. Through my own life experiences as a queer, working class human and going through my own mental health journey, as well as my 6 years of experience in mental health care, I’ve developed strong attunement, a deep capacity for connection and a gentle, holistic therapeutic style that can help clients find peace in the wake of trauma and alignment with their purpose.
UTILIZING MINDFULNESS and COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY TO HELP PROCESS EMOTIONS, CENTER JOY AND FIND HOPE
By using mindfulness practices we can work together to support you in finding your center, slowing down, staying grounded and, relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression.
My approach incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which can help support you in noticing how your thoughts influence your behaviors. We will work towards reframing your thoughts to positively reflect your best intentions for yourself. If you struggle with low self-worth or lack of confidence, CBT can help you start to improve the way you think of yourself.
As a collaborative, person-centered practitioner, I will work with you as your teammate in developing goals and exploring your intuition to create steps on your journey to wellness.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I look at clients' challenges through a systems approach, meaning looking at the underlying social, economic and political forces that might be driving our discomfort. With this lense, I help navigate client’s feelings and emotions that come as a result of the racist, classist and unjust systems they have been subject to. Together we will not only process these experiences, but work at coming up with practical, implementable solutions together. As an LCSW and also, a human interested in collective liberation for all, I can also support you in making connections in your community towards organizing for causes close to you.
“I hope to help you find and nurture your inner strength, purpose and passion through our work together.”
Together, we can utilize Expressive Arts Therapy techniques to creatively process emotions and memories, notice where feelings are present in our bodies with somatic awareness. We can also utilize creative arts practices to discover and begin to implement dreams for your future. Expressive Arts Therapy has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as help client's connect with their inner child.
HELPING YOUTH PROCESS TRANSITIONS AND SET INTENTIONS THAT WILL LEAD THEM BOLDLY INTO ADULTHOOD.
As someone who’s worked with foster youth and in community mental health for several years, I know well the struggles that teens face when transitioning into adulthood. In our world today, social media can play a huge part in how young people navigate their world. I work together with teens to find balance and ease anxiety, through mindfulness practices and coping skills to help alleviate stress associated with life transitions and overwhelm from pressure around appearance and likes.
SUPPORTING LGBTQIA+ CLIENTS IN EXPLORING IDENTITY AND HEALING FROM FAMILY CONFLICT
As a member of the queer community, I can relate to the struggles of growing up in a world that didn’t always see us. On our journey together, we can process emotions around inner child wounding and family acceptance, as well as create brilliant visions for individual and collective healing.
Working with queer couples to foster connection, and increase understanding
Working with Gottman techniques, Emotionally Focused Therapy and Non-violent communication principles, I can support couples in decreasing conflict, improving communication and understanding each other's signals more clearly. I also help couples learn how to find opportunities for reconnection and remembering again the joy of being together, when connection has been interrupted or lost.
SPECIALTIES AND INTERESTS:
Anxiety and Stress
Relationship challenges
LGBTQIA+ clients
Ecotherapy
Grief and Loss
Teens
Foster Youth
Families
Expressive Arts
Mindfulness
GROUPS FACILITATED AND CO-FACILITATED BY LEAH
Mindfulness for Transition Age Youth
Mindful Movement for Transition Age Youth
Body Positivity for Teens
Moving through Grief for Teens and Young Adults
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain
EDUCATION
Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Board of Behavioral Sciences LCSW #103757
Master of Social Work from California State University Monterey Bay
B.A. in Liberal Studies with a Minor in La Raza Studies from San Francisco State University
TRAINING
Creating the Container: Uncovering Creative Process when working with Youth in the System, Isobel Marcus September 2020
Racial Equity training, Burns Institute, July 2021
Motivational Interviewing, Encompass Community Services, 2018-2021
Internal Family Systems training, Jessica Sorci, December 2020
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, January-May 2018
Gender Spectrum Training, July 2020
Somatic Therapy with Queer and Trans Clients, Andrea Guitierez-Glik, October 2020
Dance Movement Therapy for Trauma, The Lotus Collaborative, June 2019
interested in working with leah?
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**All psychotherapy services are provided by Life by Design Therapy, a holistic and somatic psychotherapy center founded by Melody Wright, LMFT. Life by Design Therapy welcomes the diversity of all ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, family configurations, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
