Aaron Kaplan, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist
(808) 947-2205
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CREDENTIALS

Doctoral Degree: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1999 Licensure: Hawaii Psychology Professional License (PSY729) valid and in good standing since July 2001. Member of American Psychological Association since 2001

SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT

If you would like to schedule an appointment, you may contact me by phone or email. In your message, please leave a message with the best number to reach you and I will usually respond within 24 hours on regular business days. Presently, I work Monday through Thursday. My first appointment general begins at 9:00 a.m., and my last appointment starts at 5:00 p.m. It is helpful if you leave some basic information about why you are seeking therapy and who referred you to me.

SERVICES PROVIDED

Psychotherapy

I use a variety of psychotherapy techniques and approaches, depending on the needs of the individual.  Psychotherapy is a unique experience for each individual, and I tailor my approach to meet each individual's needs. Some of the approaches I integrate into my therapy style include: 

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This is used to learn how to identify and change unhealthy and irrational beliefs that lead to anxiety, depression, and other psychological problems.
• Group Psychotherapy can be helpful to give and receive feedback to peers who suffer from similar problems.
• Hypnotherapycan be helpful in reducing pain, physical/somatic problems, and unwanted habits.
• Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is helpful in processing and alleviating distress around trauma/PTSD, fear, and anxiety.
• Existential Psychotherapy is used for exploring “meaning of life” issues becoming more “grounded” in life.
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, which explores psychological development through childhood experiences and relationship with attachment figures, and how a person's personality and behavior are motivated by unconscious mechanisms. 
   

Reasons for Seeking Psychotherapy

People seek psychotherapy for a variety of reasons to improve the quality of their lives. The following are commin reasons for seeking therapy: 

• Spiritual/emotional growth and self-exploration, including identity development, professional development, and exploring barriers and paths to personal happiness and harmony
• Depression, including feelings of sadness, grief, guilt, and shame
• Anxiety, including worrying, fears of social situations, phobias, panic, obsessive-compulsive behavior
• Trauma/PTSD, including physical/sexual abuse, combat related distress, and stressful life experiences
• Behavioral Health, including smoking cessation, weight management, management of unhealthy habits
• Relationship issues,  including couples/marital counseling, problems with intimacy, shyness, and interpersonal anxiety
• Childhood issues,   which may be unresolved and creating barriers to happiness in relationships and with oneself

For more information, please click on the following link:

» Common Reasons for Seeking Psychotherapy

Psychological Evaluation

Patients are usually referred for a psychological eavluation by physicians, psychiatrists, social services agencies, attorneys, or they are sometimes self-referred. Reasons for conducting psychological evaluations include:

• Diagnostic Evaluation. This is an in-depth evaluation to identify and clarifiy psychiatric diagnoses, especially around mood, anxiety, trauma, ADHD/learning disorders, problematic or unusual behvaior, stress, and more serious mental illness.
• Personality Assessment, to better understand a person’s personality dynamics and how these affect the way he or she is coping with life.
• Neuropsychological/cognitive assessment, to identify organic brain problems that may stem from brain injury, alochol/drug use, stroke, or other brain disease.

For more information, please click on the following link:

» Psychological Evaluation

INSURANCE/PAYMENT

I accept insurance from most carriers in Hawaii, including HMSA, HMAA, Tricare, UHA, Medicare, Medquest, MDX, Kaiser Added Choice, and others.  I am a preferred provider for some mainland insurance carriers, and for others I am an out of network provider.

Insurance carriers vary in how many psychotherapy sessions they cover per year. Behavioral health coverage seems to be improving with changing insurance regulations.  If you are unsure about your carrier's coverage, you may wish to speak with a specialist within your  insurance carrier and ask the number of outpatient psychotherapy sessions it covers per year, whether a prior authorization is required, and the amount of your copay.

Most insurance carriers require a copayment for your visits -- often between $8 - $25 depending on your plan. In some cases, especially with Medicaid or Medquest plans, there is no copayment. Please note that many plans have an annual deductible, so you may be responsible for the full cost of your sessions until you reach the deductible limit. 

For uninsured patients, or patients who prefer to pay with cash, my current rate for standard psychotherapy session is $150. I offer a sliding scale fee depending on financial need and availability in my practice.

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