KNOWLES-DUNCAN & ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Cathy Appleton brings over 18 years of counseling experience to Knowles-Duncan & Associates, LLC. Cathy is an Indiana native, hailing originally from Sellersburg, Indiana who began her professional life in commercial property management and marketing for long term care facilities. It was only in the last 20 years that she was able to follow her true passion and gifts leading her to obtain her masters in social work after previously obtaining both her bachelors and an MBA. Her previous counseling environments have included the Community Hospital North Youth Services Program, both inpatient and partial programs, this allowed her to develop her family therapy skills which is one of her great assets. She also brings experience from the counseling center at the White River Christian Church where she has continued to practice her skills and develop her love of "hearing people's stories" and helping to "reframe negative thinking". Cathy's special areas of interest include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, specifically related to sexual abuse, self esteem, anger management, communication skill development and life transitions. She provides an array of services including individual, couples, group, and family counseling. She is proficient with children down to the age of 8. On a personal note, Cathy has had experience with adoption, having an adopted teenage daughter of her own with which she and her husband of 30 years Gary have been blessed. Cathy's calm, genuine demeanor and sense of humor encourages most people to feel comfortable quickly.

Dr. Knowles is a board-certified general psychiatrist with specialized training in child and adolescent psychiatry. In addition to the younger age groups, she has specific interests in mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and women's health issues. Dr. Knowles is a local, originally from southern Indiana, where she grew up on a small farm, completing her biology degree at Indiana University Southeast in 1989. She continued the IU tradition for medical school and residency training as well and jokes frequently about her inability to leave the state. Following her subspecialty training in child and adolescent psychiatry, she spent almost 8 years at a community mental health center in North Eastern Indiana, learning about chronic mental illness, child abuse and neglect, and forensic psychiatry. She was involved with setting up an outpatient detoxification program at the local mental health center where she served as medical director and also provided supervision and administration at both Ball State (the counseling center) and Ball Memorial Hospital (as Medical Director). She decided to explore that interest in a larger setting as medical director at St. Vincent Stress Center, where she spent time on the medical/psychiatry unit, inpatient adult and adolescent units, consultation/ liaison services and various hospital committees but found that her best fit is truly patient care. She felt that having her own practice was the best option for practicing the kind of medicine she believes in, the personal kind. She continues to provide consultation in a community mental health setting in addition to Knowles-Duncan & Associates, LLC.