An apparatus and a method are provided for compensating an aberration occurring in a reflected light beam from a recording medium. The apparatus includes a liquid crystal unit including a first electrode layer having divisional electrodes and a second electrode layer, and a liquid crystal element which provides a light beam with a phase change when an electric field is applied; a detector for receiving the reflected light beam through the liquid crystal unit to generate a detection signal; a voltage generator for generating voltages to be applied to the divisional electrodes; and a controller for performing aberration compensation control by changing the applied voltages to each of the divisional electrodes with reference to an applied reference voltage to a predetermined divisional electrode. The controller determines the applied reference voltage based on an amplitude change of the detection signal when the applied voltages to the divisional electrodes are changed.