Dr. Jonathan Appel has worked in the field of behavioral health for over three decades. He has worked with individuals, groups, families, and organizations as a counselor, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, director of behavioral health services, consultant, researcher, department chair, and educator. He is currently a full professor in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, within the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences at Tiffin University.
Dr. Appel studied Media and Communications at Cleveland State University and did some work in college Radio at WCSB (Cleveland State University) and WKSR (Kent State University) and has since dabbled in internet radio.
Dr. Appel received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kent State University, a Master’s Degree in Community-Clinical Counseling from Kent State University, a second Master’s of Science in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security Administration (Tiffin University), and a Ph.D. in Counseling (sub-specializing both in Marriage and Family Therapy and Organizational Psychology) from The University of Akron. He also has received a Graduate Certificate degree from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.
Dr. Appel is a Diplomate in Psychotherapy and is a Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a Certified Career Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, as well as an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Professional. He has also received training as Certified Red Cross Mental Health Disaster Worker and a Behavioral Health Disaster Responder to State Disaster, Emergency and Terrorist Events. He is certified in the Psychology of Terrorists by the American Psychotherapy Association.
Dr. Appel is also currently licensed as an Independent Marriage and Family Therapist, a Supervising Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor, a Supervising Professional Clinical Counselor, and had been licensed as a Social Worker.
Dr. Appel has worked with a diverse range of populations/problems which include persons diagnosed with developmental disabilities, severe mental illness, and substance use disorders. He has designed, managed, and worked in clinical programs that have included services for the severe mentally ill, child, couple, and family therapy interventions, substance abuse assessment and treatment, dual diagnosis, forensic treatment, NGRIs (not guilty by reason of insanity), sex offenders, court-ordered mental health, addiction, anger management /violence prevention services, career counseling, community crisis/trauma response team interventions, and employee assistance program (EAP) services. He also has assisted in training police officers as part of Community Involvement Training (CIT) — a joint mental health and criminal justice practice initiative. He has also provided counseling and psychotherapy in a private practice setting.
Dr. Appel’s professional memberships have included the American Psychological Association, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), the International Association of Addiction and Offender Counselors, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Forensic Counselors, the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, as well as a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. He also has been an executive board member of the National Organization for Human Services, serving as its Education Chair.
Dr. Appel has presented papers and training sessions regionally, nationally, and internationally in such topics as workplace violence, family violence, mindfulness, substance abuse & mental illness, the psychology of terrorism, and Therapeutic Jurisprudence.
He has also taught at The University of Akron, Old Dominion University (Virginia), and as part of a faculty exchange program at The University of Kitakyushu in Kitakyushu, Japan. He has done research and/or applied work with organizations around stress, trauma/violence in the workplace, family violence, employee burnout, issues related to family-work balance, and the applications of “mindfulness” to psychotherapy.
Dr. Appel also has co-authored a training curriculum in Domestic Violence for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is currently on the editorial board for the International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction, and is a peer reviewer for the Family Relations Journal and the Open Social Sciences Journal. He has been published in such peer-reviewed publications as the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, the Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, and the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. He has also co-authored numerous book chapters. His research, scholarship, and presentations have included such topics as Therapeutic Jurisprudence, family violence, workplace violence, the mentally ill offender, the psychology of terrorism, the psychology of religion, personality development, creativity, cultural competency, and international issues in behavioral health.
Dr. Appel has done extensive travel and research in Asia.
Research Interest
Dr. Appel’s research, scholarship, and presentations have included such topics as global citizenship, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, universal ethics, workplace violence, employee burnout, the psychology of terrorism, the psychology of religion, personality development, creativity, and cultural competency.
