Rachel Kaplan

Rachel sees clients for weekly virtual psychotherapy who live in CT, NY, or NJ. Rachel specializes in working with adults dealing with anxiety, life transitions (particularly the transition to parenthood), chronic illness, and relationship issues. She tends to see a lot of people who have perfectionist tendencies or are hard on themselves, which can make it difficult to set healthy boundaries, prioritize and meet their needs, and communicate assertively. Rachel loves working with new parents, supporting them as they adjust to their new role and learn to balance their own needs with the needs of their family. Rachel also works with a lot of women dealing with fertility issues as well as the stresses of pregnancy. Rachel helps clients develop new coping skills, gain deeper insight and understanding into their patterns, and build on innate strengths so they feel more equipped to handle the stress, relationships, and transitions in their lives. Having a child and becoming a parent adds so much to your life, but it can also involve a feeling of loss. It is normal to grieve your life before motherhood, mourn the independence and freedom you no longer have, and sometimes wish you could go back to a previous version of yourself. All change, even wonderful change, involves loss. It does not take away from the joy or gratitude you have for your child—both can coexist. It’s so important to normalize this, and therapy is a safe place to process all of these conflicting feelings. Rachel helps to support clients in their unique process of recovering, not just physically but also emotionally. It can take more time than one might expect to adjust to a new normal after having a child. Learning to integrate the role of mother into your identity can be wonderful and enriching, while also feeling isolating, overwhelming, and confusing. People talk about “bouncing back,” but you never go back to the person you were before becoming a parent. You may reconnect to familiar parts of yourself, but there is a lot of internal change with this new role and it takes time to adapt. Rachel's diverse perspective and training includes using Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), AEDP, relational, mindfulness, and strength-based approaches. Rachel's style is warm, compassionate, and nurturing, while also taking an active role in therapy and being direct in sharing patterns observed so that it feels like a collaborative process. Rachel helps clients build more confidence and self esteem, and supports them in feeling prepared to tolerate uncertainty and navigate the stressful parts of their lives.