Aria Integrative Therapy
Providing specialized treatment for OCD and Anxiety
Meet Heidi Kaplan, MA, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor, Owner & Founder
Welcome to Aria Integrative Therapy!
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor who brings compassion and expertise to my work with adults of all ages facing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (known or suspected), generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, phobias, and related struggles. I provide in-person and telehealth sessions to Arizona and Minnesota residents* weekly, bi-weekly, or multiple times per week if needed.
Using evidence-based approaches including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) with an emphasis on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I help clients find freedom from OCD and anxiety’s grip. I’m also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), with specialized training in EMDR for OCD and phobias, and can incorporate this and other trauma therapies when finding that stored trauma is keeping a client from reaching their most optimal healing.
I hold a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University in Phoenix and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Arizona State University, where I enjoyed engagement in the ASU Chapter’s International Honor Society in Psychology. Prior to my work as a therapist in private practice, I was a Certified Child Life Specialist, supporting hospitalized pediatric patients and their families through the oftentimes harrowing medical experience. I’ve also had the privilege of serving as adjunct faculty within the Maricopa Community College system’s Psychology department.
I’ve been told that I engage in therapy with equal parts earnestness, focused guidance, and well-placed levity. I appreciate this, as my interest in my clients is holistic and genuine - my goal is to empower you with a deeper understanding of yourself, demystify your struggles, and help you move definitively out of stuckness and into a values-driven life.
My style of treatment is highly personalized, and I invite you to check out the following section for more of what you can expect out of therapy with me.
TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read):
What: I help people (18+) overcome OCD, anxiety disorders, and related issues
How: Evidence-based modalities including ERP, I-CBT, EMDR, CBT, and ACT
Where: In my Scottsdale office (or over telehealth for clients in Arizona and Minnesota)
* In addition to Arizona, I hold privileges to provide telehealth therapy in Minnesota through CompactConnect.
I offer complimentary phone consultations to chat about your needs and answer any questions you may have.
Click below to connect, and we can schedule a call.
My Therapy Space
Sessions at Aria Integrative Therapy take place in my Scottsdale, Arizona office overlooking the beautiful McDowell Mountains.
In-person and telehealth available
My office is conveniently located just off Loop 101 in Scottsdale. Can’t make it into the office? No worries – I can also provide telehealth therapy for Arizona and Minnesota residents.
(MN privileges through CompactConnect).
What You Can Expect
Your journey with Aria Integrative Therapy will begin with an intake session, with thoughtful exploration of the struggles that have brought you in, your history, and a diagnostic assessment. We’ll work together to develop a treatment plan that defines your goals, and what our sessions will consist of in order to reach them. This sets us up with a great foundation to build upon.
My therapy style is always collaborative, personalized, and highly attentive to the emotional, relational, and life experiences that shape each individual. In addition, the treatment for OCD and Anxiety Disorders is more structured than traditional talk therapy (I’ll often hear clients describe prior unsuccessful counseling that centered on “talking it through”). Because of this generally structured nature, you can expect sessions to be more therapist-guided, as we work together to learn and practice the skills that promote true and lasting recovery.
I approach the treatment of OCD and anxiety-related disorders first with an emphasis on helping you understand the brain, mind, and nervous system’s roles in sustaining them. From there, we’ll move into Exposure and Response Prevention and other complimentary therapies, such as Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. If it becomes suspected that past trauma is relevant to your OCD or anxiety taking a stronghold, I would invite a discussion about integrating a trauma processing therapy, such as EMDR, alongside continued ERP or I-CBT.
Sometimes - but not always - the combination of therapy and medication may provide the most optimal progress for an individual. If medication support is of interest to you, we can also discuss this, and I can provide you with resources for further assessment and medication management while we continue our therapeutic work together.
Finally, and importantly: OCD and anxiety-related disorders are highly treatable - and the overall habits between therapy sessions are known to be a strong predictor of long-term recovery. I like clients to know that our therapy will almost always translate into a version of practice between our appointments. Don’t worry- by the time this happens, you’ll be empowered by understanding the “why” and equipped with helpful skills to use. And remember this: the practice will never need to be perfect, and it will never be anything you can’t handle!
What is an Aria?
Meaning “air” in Italian, an aria is a song sung by one voice, often with instrumental accompaniment. It happens in the moment when the story pauses, and a single voice steps forward to express something personal—feelings that were previously hidden beneath the action.
Therapy can be similar. In counseling, a client has the opportunity to slow down and give voice – by the spoken word, or by simply showing up for themself in the room - to their inner experiences in a way that allows for meaningful exploration.
With the support of a therapist—much like the orchestra holding the musical structure—the client’s voice can emerge more clearly, helping them understand their story and take transformational steps toward lasting change - all while discovering their orchestra within.
I offer complimentary phone consultations to chat about your needs and answer any questions, so you feel confident moving into our first session.
Click below to connect, and we can schedule a call.