LCMHC, 9 years of experience
New to Grow
Welcome! I’m April, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina. Congratulations on taking the first step towards reaching your goals. Don’t discount the decision you’ve made to search for help, because many people never do so. I see counseling as a partnership between the therapist and the client; I have the mental health expertise while you’re the expert of you! For this reason I'll spend our earliest contacts getting to know you better. Choosing a therapist is a very personal decision and therefore, I want to give you information so you can choose for yourself if you’d like to work with me. I would describe my counseling style as warm, but professional. I love to use strength-based approaches as much as possible, also incorporating your values into our work. I find myself using an integrative approach, incorporating different theoretical frameworks and techniques that I will tailor to fit your needs. Two approaches I use most often are Person-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Person-Centered counseling uses a lot of reflection to help you process your thoughts and feelings, which is often the first step towards solving your problems. CBT helps us examine your thought patterns and whether they are helpful or harmful. If a particular thought is harmful that could trigger issues like a depressed mood, for example. We’ll work together to replace the harmful thoughts with more helpful ones. There are many other approaches to potentially integrate into our sessions, and I’d be happy to explain anything I believe may benefit you. I once read a quote online (source unknown) that rings true for me: “A counselor isn’t someone you pay to pretend they care about you. A counselor is someone you pay to teach you how to care for yourself.”
For the first session especially, but really the first 1-3 sessions, my primary focus will be on getting to know you. Depending on your issues I may inquire further about one or more of the following: -History, including onset and severity of symptoms. For example, a person with depressed mood may notice that a certain event triggered symptoms onset or worsening. Other times, with anxiety for example, a client may note, "I think I've just always been an anxious person." and therefore cannot pinpoint a start date -if there is substance misuse or addiction (think alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or narcotics) I'll want to work with you to construct a timeline, noting life events occurring around time when use started, worsened, or stopped. Examples may include drinking more during times of stress and anxiety, or quitting drinking or smoking during pregnancy. We'll also look at your family history of substance abuse as there are some genetic and environmental influences. Substance abuse and mental health issues very commonly occur together (known to clinicians as "comorbidity") so this might be important to explore. -Your worldview, which may or many not include religious beliefs. I work with a lot of Christian clients here in the "Bible Belt" and I understand how central religious views and personal faith are to many of us. Over the years I've done lots of both secular work and Christian counseling. Even if you have other religious views we can incorporate YOUR beliefs wherever relevant into your sessions. For some people, religious beliefs are very important to them while others prefer we take a more objective, clinical approach for counseling. It's totally your call! Personally I've had clients who are Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Wiccan, atheist and/or agnostic and we've been able to have many effective sessions. I've also had clients from many different Christian denominations; Catholics, Baptists, and Presbyterians have many similarities but also many differences so we'll explore how your faith impacts your worldview. -America has been described as a "melting pot" and also as a "salad bowl" due to the mix of cultures from various immigrants. If you're a first- second- or third-generation immigrant we will explore how your unique cultural lenses may impact your personal perspective.
I'm often told by clients that my use of questions is particularly helpful. This might mean that a client asks me for direct advice but instead I will ask him or her questions to guide them towards their own solution (this is part of the Person-centered approach). They might express frustration at first, but generating their own solution under my guidance actually helps them more! They will utilize the guidance because they took an active role in finding the solution!
While I enjoy working with people from various backgrounds, at various stages in their lives, I currently feel most effective at connecting with mothers of young children. Partially because I am in this stage myself currently, but also because I believe that if parents (moms in particular) are mentally at their healthiest, it will allow them to be the best parents they can be which can only help to strengthen the next generation. As far as perinatal mental health (during pregnancy or up to two years postpartum), mood disorders like depression or bipolar, anxiety, PTSD, or OCD and less commonly, psychosis can hit new moms hard! (Dads too) Did you know that one of the leading killers of postpartum mothers is not physical ailments, but suicide? Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are serious conditions that are highly treatable; they do not go away on their own so actually getting help is critical. They are surprisingly more common than you'd think, so you (fortunately and unfortunately) are in good company if this is you. Flamingos are a bird known for their vibrant pink color. Did you know that raising baby flamingos is so taxing that mother birds lose their pink? Yes you can tell if a flamingo is a mother because she is lighter pink or even white. But as her chicks grow up and need her less she does get her pink back. So don't worry moms, we'll get our pink back! In the meantime, I'm here for you. *As of August 2025 I am currently pursuing a perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International (PSI). I will update once my certification is official. I'm also passionate about late-diagnosed neurodivergence (ADHD and autism) in women. This is because little girls and women are often very good at "masking" or hiding their symptoms. Autistic girls can mimic socially appropriate behavior better than autistic boys so many of the stereotypical symptoms go unnoticed. Girls with ADHD often present with less outward hyperactivity so their deficits go unnoticed by teachers and parents; they often can do well enough in school especially if they are gifted. I personally made it through grad school with just under a 4.0 GPA without knowing I had ADHD; I was diagnosed after the demands of motherhood made my formerly effective coping skills ineffective. I notice these patterns in so many other women.
Upon client request, I can incorporate Christian/biblical principles to our clinical counseling sessions. Please note that these sessions may look different from pastoral or nouthetic counseling.
This is evidence-based approach has a lot of clinical research backing up its efficacy. CBT explores the intersections between thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
This method, at first glance, seems like basic conversation but there are significant neurological benefits. Most people, when their thoughts and feelings are reflected and validated, can more effectively learn to solve their problems with the guidance of their provider.
This cost-effective method is ideal for self-paying clients or for people with insurance that does not cover more than 6-12 sessions.
Information empowers clients to make the best choices for themselves and their loved ones. It demystifies the therapy process and can decrease anxiety.