Karen Appell, M.Ed., LPC
Karen Appell is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), practicing under the supervision of Karen Conkey, LPCC-S. Holding an additional license in School Counseling, she comes from a background of providing emotional, social, and educational support to elementary-aged / pre-adolescent children and their families in the public-school setting. Though most of her counseling experience has consisted of working with young children and their families, Karen’s recent transition into clinical mental health counseling has sparked a passion for counseling adults in various stages of their lives. She recognizes that, regardless of age, we all have emotional and social needs that must be met in order for us to heal, grow, and succeed.
Karen received her Master of Education in School Counseling from Kent State University and completed her Post Master’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at John Carroll University. Her therapeutic approach is emotion-focused, humanistic, and grounded in Attachment Theory, often utilizing developmentally appropriate CBT and DBT interventions. Treatment plans are created collaboratively with clients and are driven by each client’s individual situation and needs. Karen believes that her ability to build a strong therapeutic relationship…one in which her clients feel safe, valued, and accepted…is her greatest strength. She believes that the counseling environment should feel like a safe haven for clients, while promoting exploration, catharsis, healing, and growth. She has worked with clients that present with many different social, emotional, and mental health concerns such as: anxiety, depression, mood and adjustment difficulties, emotional dysregulation, relationship difficulties, trauma, and grief/loss.
Favorite Quote
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.” ― Fred Rogers
Contact
Position:
Elementary Aged/Pre-Adolescent Children and Family Therapist
Address:
8224 Mentor Ave. Suite 208
Mentor Ohio 44060
Email:
kappell@behavioralwellnessgroup.com
Phone:
440-392-2222 EXT 868
Fax:
440-565-2349
Testimonials/Reviews
Testimonial Disclosure Statement: Testimonials herein are unsolicited, anonymous and are received after care has been received in an attempt to assure healthy therapy relationships and confidentiality.
Articles
Self Care During Pregnancy
Becoming pregnant is a time of many mixed emotions that can range from excitement to anxiety. During the 10 months of time leading up to your child being born, it can be helpful to create a routine to take care of yourself and your growing baby bump. Below are some tips that can help you to feel as prepared as you can leading up to your child being born: It can be helpful during your pregnancy journey to set up…
“Be curious, not judgmental”
This is a line I most recently heard in the great show, “Ted Lasso“. It occurred when a bet was made with Ted assuming that he was a novice at shooting darts without asking to see if he had played before. Of course, he had been playing for years and ultimately won the bet. It reminded me of the significance of finding out why people do what they do, and why they have become who they became. It is a…
Social Media Addiction
Social media addiction is defined as an unhealthy dependence on interactive platforms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram, snapchat and Tik Tok. It is often characterized by being overly concerned about social media driven by uncontrollable urge to on or to use social media and devoting so much time/effort that it interferes with other parts of your life. According to a Harvard study, self-disclosure on social media, “lights up” the same part of the brain that also ignites when someone engages…
All or Nothing Thinking and Various Other Popular Cognitive Distortions
I was trying to think of a blog subject to write about this time for my blog. As I contemplated this, I noticed almost everyone in my Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive Outpatient Group (IOP) was talking about their struggle to be perfect, or how they feel like failures if things are not exactly as they think they should be. I was hearing phrases like: All or nothing thinking, often called black and white thinking, can go hand in hand…
COVID update for the reopening of the office
The Behavioral Wellness Group will be returning to the physical office to begin seeing clients in person. This is for those clinicians and clients who prefer in-person sessions. A genuine thank you to all of you who tolerated our necessary move to virtual sessions during the pandemic. Below is a summary generally outlining what to expect upon our return. We will continue to see those who prefer to be seen virtually through our platform using Zoom. Of course, this is…