Ariella Kaplan M.Ed., CCC-SLP received her Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. She went on to complete her Master's Degree at the University of Georgia. Ariella has gained nearly 10 years of experience in working with adolescents and adults with acquired speech, language, cognitive, voice, and swallowing deficits. Her passion for helping the brain injury population grew while working in Atlanta at Shepherd Pathways, a post-acute rehabilitation setting.

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Ariella is also a mindfulness meditation instructor and a certified Ayurvedic counselor with a strong passion for health and wellness. She was the winner of Shepherd Center's 2019 Research Day for Best Poster presenting original findings for her work, "The Effect of Mindfulness on Cognition & Self-Monitoring after Acquired Brain Injury." There has been an increase in research to support the use of mindfulness as a modality to improve cognitive and communication skills for those living with brain injuries and Aphasia. Ariella enjoys using this practice to supplement her therapy services.

 

Ariella completed a 6-day Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher training intensive program (MBSR-TTI) through UCSD-San Diego and led several mindfulness groups for her clients in the rehab setting. She also completed the LoveYourBrain Yoga and meditation training program in 2017. Ariella works hard to ensure that her therapy sessions are as functional and meaningful as possible, while also educating her clients on the importance of healthy daily routines. She incorporates each patient's individual goals as the primary focus of treatment.

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Ariella values continued learning and evidence-based practice. She was a recipient of an ASHA ACE Award for continuing education. She was a speaker at the 2018 ASHA Convention and Think Big Brain Injury Conference. 

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Ariella lives in Summerhill with her husband, Ben, two children, Evelyn and Ezra, and their two Australian Shepherds, Rocky and Kylie.