Dr. Marvin Alan Kaplan, MD

I have a set of values ranging from returning every phone call the same day to always listening to your opinions and concerns .

There are, however, some key values that I would emphasize. The first is being both careful and thorough. This, for example, leads me to having initial evaluations typically lasting two to three meetings of forty-five minutes each. If you are open and honest, I generally get to know enough about you, after these meetings, to present a carefully thought out choice of treatments. It also gives you time to get a sense of whether we would work well together.

The second value is matching treatment to you (or you and your partner). I do not believe in offering he same treatment to everyone which can be a problem in psychiatry. I am well versed in many types of psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral treatment (C.B.T.), interpersonal psychotherapy, Freudian-based psychotherapy and Gestalt therapy, to name a few. If psychotherapy is indicated, I recommend …specific techniques most likely to help you (or again, you and your partner) overcome your problems.

If medications may be helpful, I keep up to date about them. For example, just recently, a DNA test has become available to predict which people are most likely to respond to certain antidepressants and which people are prone to side effects from these medications. This test is a simple cheek swab that I use in my office.

However, and above all, I value and am guided by compassion. I am too familiar with the suffering that psychiatric problems cause people and their loved ones. This motivates me to work as hard as I can to help you be out of distress and have a better life.

Very few of the people I treat need psychiatric hospitalization but if they do, I do not treat them personally in the hospital. I use several excellent psychiatrists who do hospital care. After discharge, generally people resume their office treatment with me but, at times, it is best to continue with the doctor who treated you in the hospital.

I also am not a member of any insurance plan including Medicare. However, I will be glad to have a completed insurance form sent to you which you can send to your insurance company for whatever reimbursement your policy provides. In the case of Medicare, if you have supplemental insurance, I have a letter that helps most people get some reimbursement when submitted with the insurance form.