Dr. Brian Kaplan – Whole Person Medicine
An eclectic and rigorous approach, with the aim of treating the whole person as well as the disease.
About
Dr Brian Kaplan qualified as an orthodox medical doctor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. In 1982 he came to England to study homeopathy at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. After completing a comprehensive training in homeopathy (exclusively for medical doctors) he became a member of the Faculty of Homeopathy in 1983 and a Fellow in 2002.
Dr Brian Kaplan is a qualified medical doctor registered with the General Medical Council and the Faculty of Homeopathy. His approach is to listen carefully to the full history of your presenting situation from both an orthodox medical and homeopathic perspective. The aim of homeopathic and natural treatment in general is to activate the body’s inherent healing ability. Whenever appropriate this approach will be given priority. However if Dr Kaplan considers orthodox investigation, medication or surgery to be the treatment of choice or necessity in your case, he will discuss this with you in detail.
The consultation will be similar to one with a conventional doctor in some ways but Dr. Kaplan will ask you about aspects of your life that may not be covered in orthodox medicine, such as your favourite foods, sleep and dreams, preferences in the weather and time of day and some of your personality traits. This is because the discipline of classical homeopathy requires the prescription of a remedy that suits both your problem and your constitution in order to stimulate the body to heal itself.
At the end of the consultation a homeopathic remedy will usually be prescribed. The remedy may be in liquid, powder or tablet form and patients are always given clear instructions on how to take homeopathic remedies.
Autogenic Training (or AT) is a powerful technique that has been scientifically proven to induce the Relaxation Response. AT engages both mind and body in deep relaxation to help you unwind, let go of stress and get back into balance. It can be taught to people of all ages and often helps improve the quality of life of people with chronic illnesses caused or exacerbated by stress. It is also used by many to enhance creativity.
Dr Kaplan teaches AT over 8 one hour sessions usually (but not always) one week apart. Sessions are taught one to one in person but can also be taught via Skype.
You can see Dr Kaplan explain the process of Autogenic Training here.
Cost of sessions: £95 per session.
Dr. Brian Kaplan is a medical doctor with 25 years experience of using natural therapy, whole person approaches and classical homeopathy alongside orthodox medicine in his practice. After a full assessment of your case, he will advise you on what he thinks is the best course of treatment for your particular situation. Wherever possible a natural or Whole Person Approach will be used because it aims to stimulate the natural healing ability of the body . However, Dr. Kaplan will certainly inform you if he thinks you need any medical investigations, conventional medicine or a specialist opinion on any aspect of your case.
Also known as Orthodox medicine, it is Western scientific medicine. The aim is to use communication, physical examination and investigations to establish a scientific diagnosis wherever possible. After making a diagnosis, an evidence-based treatment – for that particular diagnosis – is recommended.
FAQ
A: Yes, Dr Kaplan completed a 6 year medical training programme and is full registered and licensed as a medical doctor with the GMC (General Medical Council)
A: Dr Kaplan’s preference is to use whole person orientated treatments that encourage the body to heal itself wherever and whenever this can be done without risk to the patient. In severe acute illnesses, it is often absolutely necessary to use proven conventional treatments (eg in meningitis, appendicitis and many other conditions.)
A: Yes. Both these modalities have much to offer and many people use both at the same time. For Dr Kaplan, Whole Person Medicine includes the use of orthodox scientific medicine.
A: This will depend on your particular clinical condition. In some situations Dr Kaplan might recommend orthodox medicine as the first option. In many other situations he would recommend a Whole Person Approach to begin with. If this fails to deal with the problem satisfactorily, then a combination of Whole Person and orthodox medicine will be discussed.
A: Most certainly. Dr Kaplan is always happy to speak to any medical or paramedical professional on your behalf.
A: Yes, Dr Kaplan is connected to a network of specialists in all fields of medicine.
A: Yes, he is a licensed M.D. registered with the General Medical Council (GMC 2558165) His preference, however is first to try Whole Person Medicine to stimulate the body’s inherent ability to heal itself.
Qualifications
MBBCh – Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Witwatersrand, 1980
GMC Registration – 2558165
FFHom – Fellowship of the Faculty of Homeopathy 2001
MBAS – Membership of the British Autogenic Society 1987
London Art Therapy Centre – Board member
Experience
1982 Redruth, Cornwall. General Practice
1983 – ongoing. Central London, Medical doctor and psychotherapist
1987/88 London. Attended Balint Groups
1982 – 2005 Mentorship with Dr Eric Ledermann existential philosopher and author of Mental Health and Human Conscience (1984)
1988 Training in Autogenic Therapy with British Autogenic Society and passed membership examination.
1996 – 2012 Extensive training with Frank Farrelly, the founder of Provocative Therapy, the cutting edge in the use of humour and reverse psychology in psychotherapy. Attended trainings in UK, Germany, Netherlands, USA
2001 Published book, The Homeopathic Conversation, The art of taking the case (Natural Medicine Press 2001)
2010 – ongoing Joined Advisory Board at London Art Therapy Centre
2017 London Art Therapy Centre, Psychotherapy Supervisor where he facilitates monthly integrative supervision group
Lectures, Teaching and Media
Brian has a busy schedule lecturing and demonstrating Provocative Therapy. As a medical doctor using this approach he has been invited to teach in Germany, India, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland, as well as the UK.
1996: October Gallery, London. Presented a seminar on Laughter and Health with comedian, Arnold Brown. This successful workshop is referred to several times in Howard Jacobson’s non-fiction book, Seriously Funny: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime (1997)
1997 Liverpool Comedy Festival Presented Provocative Therapy
He described his journey in medicine in the first chapter of the book Passionate Medicine, which by kind permission of the publisher Jessica Kingsley, this chapter is available to read free.
2013 Spiro Ark, London. The Chutzpah Clinic. A monthly series of 6 shows. Co-produced and presented with Arnold Brown and guest comedians. This was an audience participation show using comedy to warmly provoke volunteers to come up with their own solutions to common problems.
2018 Are you feeling funny? Interviews with comedians in the radio series, Listen here.
Dr Kaplan penned the acronym which is a mnemonic for the proven physiological benefits of laughter.
S – STRESS hormones reduced (adrenalin and noradrenalin, cortisol)
M – MUSCULAR relaxation (muscles take 2 hours to return to previous state of tension after belly laugh)
I – IMMUNITY increased, IgA and IgM and IgG increased in blood after laughter, improved resistance to colds and infections
L – LUNGS are helped by laughter expelling residual volume of air, allowing more fresh air to enter lungs
E – EXERCISE Dr. William Fry of Stanford Medical School has established that 100 laughs a day give you as much beneficial exercise as 10 minutes of rowing – and without the agonised expression that rowers, stationery cyclists and joggers customarily have on their faces.
E – ENDORPHINS & ENCEPHALONs, natural high making chemicals of the body are increased by laughter
Blog
I enjoy reflecting on things that are both inspirational and funny. Laughter has been proved to be of benefit to our physical and psychological health so it’s important to keep an eye on the lighter side of things.
Video
Dr Kaplan has filmed a number of short YouTube videos in which he talks about the various modalities he uses in his practice.
Testimonials
Dr Kaplan is a generous-hearted and caring doctor. He’s trustworthy and open-minded, with a broad knowledge of conventional medicine, homeopathy, meditation and psychotherapy. His trademark warmth and sense of humour are grounded in deep compassion and understanding. As a provocative therapist, his work is groundbreaking.
For the last fifteen years I have been visiting Dr Kaplan once or twice a year whenever I am feeling “under the weather “, and somehow the consultation – which might range from symptoms to favourite poems – always seems to make me feel better, whether he prescribes some medicine or merely makes me realise I can improve my own health. As a perpetual worrier the autogenic course proved an enormous help too.
Brian has carefully nurtured our long-term therapeutic relationship. I will always value his kindness, insightfulness and wholehearted commitment to seeing me reach my potential.
I have known and been treated by Dr Kaplan for many years.
He is kind, considerate, reliable and an excellent practitioner.
I highly recommend him to you.
ln 2013 I was treated by Dr Brian Kaplan for an acute stress-related condition, caused by problems at work. I suffered from anxiety, panic attacks, palpitations, insomnia associated with an unknown fear. My GP referred me to Dr Kaplan. The therapy consisted of 8 sessions of weekly autogenic treatment. My condition improved steadily; furthermore, I had 2 other sessions, one and two months later. Considering the positive outcome of the treatment, Dr Kaplan discharged me from his care. Since then I have not had any further relapses. Dr Kaplan is an excellent doctor, well read and very knowledgeable, a compassionate man and a great support for his patients. He has also kept up with the recent trends in modern medicine. I would strongly recommend him as a very competent physician, especially when complexes factors are involved in the manifestation of the condition.
I was fortunate to find Brian at a pretty difficult time in my life. Brian not only gave me the support and help that I so desperately needed to get through that chapter but I always left feeling that he absolutely always had my back. Once we’d navigated my emotional minefields, he worked tirelessly helping me find the tools within me to cope and master life in the future. He can be provocative but if you’re well versed in talking yourself into depair this is a brilliant way to begin to unpick the problem and see a new way forward. What I have learnt from him I will carry always and it’s turned my life around in a way I did not think possible.