Karen Appel

Karen is a compassionate, empathetic, and caring mental health professional with advanced skills and experience in providing evidence-based therapies to children, adolescents, couples, and families of underserved and diverse backgrounds.

• Clinical supervision provided by an LICSW/RPT-S January2011-February2013
• Supervised MSW Practicum students in a school setting September 2011-May 2014
• LICSW credential August 2013
• Registered Play Therapist Credential March 2014
• Provided sand tray therapy/play therapy in a school setting September 2011-May 2015
• Provided supervision to LSW November 2015-November 2017
• Completed a 3-Day Intensive CBT Course April 2017
• Enrolled in online course: TF-CBT Current
• Provided supervision to LGSW March 2016-July 2018
• Trained in EMDR (2022)

At Inspirations Child and Family Therapy, community involvement and teamwork is a valued attribute in providing the best mental health care. Frequent collaboration and consultations occur with area professionals including school districts (social workers, counselors, teachers, administrators), medical professionals (doctors, nurse practitioners, medical social workers) and legal resources (law enforcement, court system), community/family services (case workers, social workers, and administration), and area faith communities.

• Board certified with the MN Board of Social Work
• Certified as a Registered Play Therapist through the Association for Play Therapy
• Approved presenter through the Association for Play Therapy

At Inspirations Child and Family Therapy Center, it is an honor to serve the mental health needs in the New Ulm and surrounding communities. The philosophy at Inspirations Child and Family Therapy Center coincides with the message in the Starfish Story:

The Starfish Story:

A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean. “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?,” he asks. “Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don't throw them further in they will die.” “But, old man, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can't possibly save them all, you can't even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won't make any difference at all.” The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. “It made a difference to that one.”