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
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…
Self-Compassion: The Science of Kindness
As we say goodbye to 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we can all acknowledge it was a particularly trying year for our nation and the world. According to the American Psychological Association, the compounding stressors of 2020 yielded a national mental health crisis across generations. When situational and societal stressors build, we are left to try and find ways to manage. Some people may reach out to family, some may call upon friends, others may rely on mental health…
Bipolar Disorder (Supporting Your Loved Ones)
When your loved one is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there may be a couple of questions that run through your mind. The first question, “What is Bipolar?” and the second question, “What is my role when things start to unravel?” Furthermore, for many people who have been diagnosed with this specific disorder, becoming fearful, confused, and having no concrete plan on how to manage the next episode can dominate one’s thoughts. These thoughts are not easily subsided as a result…
Teens, Entitlement and Instant Gratification
We live in a world where we want things done yesterday. Instant gratification. We have access to the internet via our phones. At any second we can catch up with the news, check our bank accounts, and send an email. We can purchase something and have it delivered within 2 days. We can check our children’s grades online at any time, book an appointment, do research instantly. A decade ago, this wasn’t the case. We used to have to go…