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
Improving Your Well-Being: Positive Psychology and The PERMA Model
Positive psychology, despite what many think, is not about trying to rid your life of stressors. Positive psychology acknowledges that life can be stressful at times but seeks to improve well-being and build resilience to better manage the stressors of life. Simply put, positive psychology is the study of what makes a life worth living! Positive psychology focuses in on your strengths, instead of weaknesses, as well as building a good life and moving people from merely surviving, to thriving….
The Bloodline Divorce: What is it? Why Does it Happen? – How to Cope
Family estrangement, simply put, is a loss or a termination of a relationship that previously existed between family members. An estrangement can occur between two people or multiple family members. An estrangement can occur between a parent and a child, sibling to sibling, a child to a parent or grandparent, or any combination you can imagine. Family estrangements can occur at any age. Estrangements in young adults are most common, however, as this is when a person is more financially…
Navigating End of Semester Stress
“Ugh, I have so many final exams to study for. I have to pack for winter break too and still maintain taking care of my health”. This is often one of the many thoughts college students experience as the end of the semester approaches. The words “finals week” and “stress” are almost always used in the same sentence during this tough time of the semester. Although there are many stressors among college students such as finances, living on their own…
“I WAS TRYING TO ACT NORMAL…”
I heard this piece of a conversation between two friends as I jogged by them in the park the other day, “I was trying to act normal…” Then I passed them but not without being prompted to consider what that really means. So many of us appear “normal” or even beautiful, talented and rich such as the late Kate Spade. Yet many of us struggle with fitting in, appearing normal or masking our struggles. I facilitate the mental health, Dialectical…
Ten DBT Techniques for Anxiety
Anxiety can be divided into two basic areas, as first discussed by Sigmund Freud “Appropriate and Inappropriate Stress”. Anxiety can occur over situations or threats that occur and cause our brain to go into “Fight or Flight” syndrome. This is when the sympathetic or limbic system becomes aroused and creates many symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, nervous feelings, panic feeling, sweating, shortness of breath, and many other well-known symptoms. This can also occur when a situation is a real threat…
Annual IOP Statistics Summary 2022
AREAS OF STRENGTH: • 100% of reviewed charts had ROI’s filled out and signed. This is an increase from 2021.• 100% of reviewed files had family involvement from start to finish or family involvement was offered to the IOP participant.• Overall, the total average of Quality-of-Life Scores was 3.6, meeting the goal of 3.6. This has been maintained from 2021.• Noticeably Improved Depression (53%) and Anxiety (51%) scores on average across all IOPs on empirically based measures. This is an…