Rebekah Karel, LMSW, RPT

Child and Adolescent Clinical Director

Hi! I’m Rebekah, a mental health therapist specializing in working with children and families who are struggling with ARFID (avoidant restrictive feeding intake disorder) and all of the complex emotional difficulties surrounding that journey. I am also able to help guide parents who are wondering if their child is “just a picky eater”, or assess if it is a more complex issue. Additionally, ARFID has a strong correlation with other diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As each of these co-occurring presentations of ARFID are different, I switch up some aspects of my treatment approaches to match the needs of the child and family. I am neuro-affirming and identify with ADHD myself!

In my therapeutic work I take a family approach as caregivers are navigating meal times right alongside their child. It is also important that the child is receiving additional treatment for the medical complexities associated with this diagnosis. Typically a child with ARFID needs to receive multiple layers of support such as working with a pediatrician, a feeding-specialized speech language pathologist (SLP), or a pediatric occupational therapist (OT) who is well-versed in the sensory integration piece of the diagnosis. If a child is not currently receiving these services and I feel that the child’s symptoms necessitate bringing these providers on board I will help point families in the right direction to get connected to those supports.

Currently there are mixed evidence-based interventions for the mental health component of ARFID as the diagnosis is still fairly new. Some intervention models and theories I pull from in my therapeutic work include CBT-AR (cognitive behavioral therapy for ARFID), ERP (exposure and response prevention), SPACE (supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions), polyvagal theory, adlerian play therapy, and various expressive-arts interventions such as art, sandtray, games, and movement. As I am a registered play therapist (RPT) it is important to me that I teach skills and psychoeducation through playful, hands-on approaches and activities that match the developmental level of the child. Therapeutic play helps the child express, regulate, and label their emotions in a child-centered way. I have found that children don’t always have the words to express what they are going through, so we can use some of the above interventions to help them put “words” to their experiences. I also take a strengths-based approach and look to see what strengths your child and family already have and utilize those strengths and interests in treatment. 

As I am licensed in Michigan I am able to bill insurance for children and family sessions in-person or virtually within the state. For caregivers outside of Michigan I am able to provide coaching or consultation using private pay rates. 

While I have experience working with children and families of all faith beliefs (or non-belief), I am also able to incorporate Christian faith into sessions at your request. 

I would be honored to walk alongside you and your child! Thanks for taking this brave step on the road to healing.

Insurances Accepted

  • Aetna

  • ASR

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield

  • Blue Care Network
    Blue Cross Complete

  • Cigna

  • Priority Health (Commerical/
    Medicare/Medicaid)

  • McClaren

  • Molina

  • Straight Medicaid

  • United/Optum

  • Oscar

  • Out of Network

  • Private Pay

Office Location:

Child and adolescent office - Cascade

5360 Cascade Ave SE,
Grand Rapids, MI, 49546

Speaking Engagements

Rebekah is a passionate and engaging speaker who would be happy to present for your group on a variety of childhood mental health topics including ARFID, childhood anxiety, parenting the ADHD child, and the power of play therapy. Rebekah also has experience working in the schools and is happy to present a topic of your choice at your school’s next professional development. Rebekah also has a history of presenting for churches and other faith-based organizations and would love to chat about the intersection of faith and mental health.

Ready to get started? 

Fill out the contact form and our team will answer any questions and help get you scheduled.