Matthew Caplan, MFT is a master’s level marriage and family counselor at the Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh and Monroeville. Matthew’s guiding principle as a counselor is that healing and growth are organic processes in the human experience. Wellness is our natural human state, but factors such as chronic stress, traumatic experiences, unmet needs in relationships, and a lack of healthy emotional support impede our capacity to exist with a sense of well-being. Humans are incredible in our ability to adapt to and survive damaging circumstances – living with family dysfunction, experiences of abuse, social injustice, and so on can lead to so many effective but painful adaptations. Think of these adaptations as means of protecting oneself. Anxiety is adaptive when one is raised in chaos; anger is adaptive when one is unheard and misunderstood; isolation is adaptive when one has been hurt by loved ones. These adaptations help us to survive emotionally in the short-term, but prevent sustainable wellness in the long-term. Matthew’s role as a counselor is to provide an environment of warmth and compassion in which individuals, couples, and families can recognize and grow out of their unsustainable patterns.
Matthew works with individuals, couples, and families with a focus on trauma-related issues, anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. Matthew’s driving theoretical orientations include Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, and Feminist Therapy. Matthew believes that the role of the counselor is to first and foremost maintain an empathetic presence. In practice, Matthew strives to foster a non-judgmental environment in which clients get to know themselves from a perspective that acknowledges the necessity and uniqueness of their adaptations. With practice, old adaptations are identified, processed, and replaced in the pursuit of the client’s goals.
Matthew earned a B.A. in Religion from Oberlin College and M.S.Ed in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Miami. A native New Yorker, Matthew recently moved here from Miami with his wife and two cats, and is thrilled to be here with the changing seasons and abundant nature Pittsburgh offers. A former music teacher, Matthew loves to play music and see concerts. When his guitar is not in his hands, Matthew loves to cook for his wife, watch baseball, travel, play with the cats, and enjoy time in nature.
As a masters level counselor at The Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh, Matthew is working with self-paying clients and is also proud to offer a sliding scale. To schedule an appointment with Matthew, please call 412-322-2129 to schedule!