Meet Melanie L. Kaplan, L.Ac.
Biography:
Melanie L. Kaplan L.Ac. is a board-certified Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist. Practicing since 2004, Melanie graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors while attending Emperor’s College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Monica. Melanie would also go on to complete her clinical rounds at the Emperor’s College Clinic as well as internships at Cri-Help, focusing on addiction, and rounds at the Arthur Ashe Student Clinic at UCLA, where she focused on general medicine.
In addition to her studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Melanie holds an M.T. from the Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing with further training in Deep Tissue, Pregnancy Massage. She completed Cranial Sacral training with Hugh Milne and through the Upledger Institute, as well as training in Visceral Manipulation through the Barral Institute. Melanie is also trained in Aroma Acupoint Therapy, Trager Therapy, and is a certified Restorative Wellness Practitioner.
While currently pursuing work in Somatic Experiencing and continuing her training in Functional Medicine and having completed the Unplug Meditation teacher training and the Davidji Masters of Wisdom training, Melanie also teaches meditation and mindfulness in classes at Unplug in Santa Monica and West Hollywood, as well as in private, one-on-one settings.
Background:
Prior to working in her Brentwood office, Melanie maintained a private practice in Westlake Village, CA, where her practice emphasized treating pain, orthopedics, gynecological and fertility issues, as well as general and preventative medicine. Melanie also worked at Echo Malibu, a drug and alcohol treatment facility specializing in adolescents struggling with addiction and other psychiatric and behavioral conditions.
Philosophy:
Melanie believes that the body and the mind are intertwined and both need to come into a state of balance to achieve vitality and health. Preferring to treat the root causes of disease, Melanie realized that the presenting symptoms need to be managed, but the root is what needs to be truly resolved. Melanie believes that healing is a partnership. Melanie’s goal is to create and hold a space for healing, as well as providing the proper support and nurturing while on each individual journey.
Her approach is Japanese in style; gentle, yet powerful. Individualized and patient-focused, her treatments are organized to achieve balance and wholeness – an approach that ultimately heals the entire person. By working with Melanie through various healing modalities offered at MLK Wellness, the end goal is to create, and ultimately restore, balance and vitality.