- Family of origin issues
- EMDR and somatic work
- Mindfulness practices
About April
April Shields is an LPC, LPCC (Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) practicing in Wisconsin with 15 years of experience. She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, life changes, ADHD, relationships, coaching, and compassion fatigue. She also focuses on attachment issues, communication problems, dissociation, family of origin issues, forgiveness, life purpose, multicultural concerns, self-love, and somatization.
April frames therapy as a collaborative process. She talks with each person to clarify goals and what gets in the way of change. Sessions are grounded in straightforward conversation and practical strategies. Clients can expect to look at how past family patterns affect current choices and relationships.
Her approach blends client-centered work with mind-body practices. She uses somatic techniques such as guided breathing and meditation alongside talk-based methods. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, mindfulness, and solution-focused tools are part of how she helps people process difficult memories and move toward clearer decisions.
April aims to help people build more self-trust and self-compassion. She encourages small experiments and step-by-step changes rather than sweeping promises. Many clients work on clearer communication, managing anxious thoughts, and responding differently to old family expectations.
Practical skills are emphasized in sessions. That can include simple breathing practices, short behavioral steps, or clearer ways to express needs to others. She guides clients toward noticing what helps them feel more confident and less stuck.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting to help people clarify goals and choices. Online sessions using this approach tend to center on conversation, identifying next steps, and checking progress week to week.EMDR involves guided attention paired with memory processing to reduce the impact of distressing memories. In practice it can be used to revisit troubling experiences and reduce their hold on daily life, with pacing set by the client and therapist.
Mindfulness therapy teaches simple practices for noticing thoughts and bodily reactions without judgment. These skills can help with anxiety, stress, and managing responses that come from old family patterns.
Choosing an approach is collaborative. The therapist will talk through goals, present options, and try approaches that fit the client’s needs and preferences. Adjustments are made over time based on what proves helpful.
Confirm which session formats are available before booking, since specific formats are not listed in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around work or caregiving, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists and licensed professionals often use conversation, guided breathing, or brief grounding practices effectively over distance.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Wisconsin, California, Arizona
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
Which concerns does she address related to family patterns?
She works with family of origin issues, attachment concerns, communication problems, and how those patterns affect current relationships and choices.
What is her general therapeutic style?
She uses a collaborative, client-centered approach that combines talk therapy with practical techniques and body-centered practices.
How much experience does she have?
She has 15 years of clinical experience working with stress, anxiety, trauma, and related areas.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LPC and LPCC credentials and practices in Wisconsin as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.
In which languages can sessions be held?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How are sessions scheduled and what about formats?
Please confirm current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats. The site matching process helps identify session options.
What does therapy cost and how are payments handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.