Hi!
My name is April (L. Gagne) and I am a (licensed professional) counselor who specializes in working with adolescent and young adult individuals. I received my Master of Science degree in Pastoral Counseling from Neumann University and have continued post-graduate training in a modern analytic approach to therapy at the Philadelphia School of Psychoanalysis.
I focus my clinical work on relationships and transitions that are typical in the lives of teenagers and young adults including: college to post-college life, changing jobs, moving to a new city, the coming out process, etc. Additionally, I have extensive experience working with individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, anger issues and trauma.
I have particular interest and experience in helping individuals integrate their spirituality and faith into the therapy process. I use an integrated, yet adaptable, psychodynamic/psychoanalytic approach with most clients and believe that therapy is a great way to enable you to reach your full potential.
My Therapeutic Approach
First and foremost I think building a relationship is key to therapy. I prefer to take some time to get to know you better by listening and asking questions. Creating a safe space for you to talk and feel comfortable sets the tone for our ongoing work together. As the process continues we may delve deeper into your thoughts and feelings but always at a pace with which you are comfortable. I will not try to force you to talk about anything that you are not ready to discuss.
Over time exploring thoughts and feelings helps to expose patterns of thinking and acting. It also helps us to understand where they came from. By becoming more aware of these thoughts and actions you become better able to accept or change them and to begin to heal from any pain they have caused. We will work together to accomplish the goals you set for yourself. One of the things that is important to keep in mind is that much of the way we think and feel has developed over our lifetimes so it will likely take more than a few sessions to begin to harness the change we want to see, as with everything in life it is a process.