Qualifications and Areas of Practice

April is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with many years of experience helping individuals and couples resolve their relational and sex therapy challenges. April has unique expertise having worked extensively with clients and partners from diverse cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. She is passionate about helping individuals and couples to grow in their intimate relationships at all stages of their relationships. She’s aware that folks need help in the early phase of establishing their relational boundaries and expectations regarding monogamy and communication skills. She’s also sensitive to the fact that many couples run into periods of sexual stagnation in their life together whether it’s around marriage, birth of a child, or after many years into a committed relationship. April uses the Sex Esteem® method to help each partner bolster and gain more nuanced communication skills to express their erotic needs in a way that their partner can hear them less defensively. She is helps her clients grow towards the goals they’ve set for themselves.

April specializes in treating a variety of sexual disorders, along with intimacy and relationship challenges including:

• low/absent desire
• sexuality throughout the lifespan
• infidelity/affairs
• modern dating and coupling
• erectile disorder (ED)
• performance anxiety
• discrepant desire (each partner has very different needs for the other)
• premature (rapid) and delayed ejaculation (DE)
• compulsive sexual behaviors
• self-esteem and body image related concerns
• orgasmic disorders
• relational concerns (communication and boundary issues)
• sexual health assessment
• performance anxiety
• sensuous spirituality
• sexual pain or Genito Pelvic Penetrative Pain Disorder (GPPPD)
• past emotional trauma
• past sexual assault, childhood abuse and/or boundary crossings that interferes with current sex life

Communities:

• Traditional Coupling
• Folks from religious and or strict backgrounds (Orthodox Jewish, Mormon, Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Hinduism, and those that may have been raised in a unique community)
• Vanilla Interests
• Polyamory
• Consensual Non-Monogamy
• LGBTQIA+
• Kink/BDSM (Lifestyle) interests

In addition to sexual and intimacy related issues, April has many years of clinical expertise treating clients with a range of general psychotherapy issues, including:

• Anxiety and Panic Disorders
• Depression
• ADHD, Executive Functioning Issues
• Anger and Stress Management
• Pre-marital Counseling
• Family of Origin Relational Trauma
• Navigation through Family Life Cycle
• Foster Care and Adoption Support
• Contemporary Issues in Gender and Ethnicity
• post-separation & divorce co-parenting
• loss and bereavement

Academic Background

April earned her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seton Hall University. After working with individuals and couples for several years, April witnessed how significant growth in her clients’ sexual lives improved their individual mental health and their relationship vitality. She expanded her sex therapy expertise graduating from The Post-Graduate Systemic Sex Therapy Program at The Council for Relationships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Theoretical Orientation

April’s goal is to create a safe, accepting and comfortable environment for her clients, which sets the table for growth, self-awareness and self-acceptance within the individual. She utilizes the CLS Sex Esteem® therapeutic approach which is bio-psychosocial model looking through multi-lenses affecting one’s sexual development and beliefs. Included in the Sex Esteem® treatment are the specific techniques of:

• Couples Systemic Therapy
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Hakomi techniques

She is dedicated to working with clients from a holistic perspective exploring the different systems which have affected her clients, while also considering the client’s personal make-up (family of origin, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, etc.) when collaborating on their personal and relational goals.
April’s therapeutic stance is one of collaboration and integration as she utilizes evidence-based techniques and interventions that are associated with a wide menu of systemic perspectives. This approach allows her to be culturally competent and thorough in her biopsychosocial assessment of her client and will ultimately help to ensure that the interventions, home assignments and questions asked are curated to the specific needs and interests of her client. She respects the daily complexities that each of her clients face as they make conscious choices to strengthen themselves and their relationships. April believes that supporting and encouraging clients’ innate strengths, they can jointly collaborate to set goals to not only gain insight but to also make meaningful changes to transform their lives.

Professional and Community Associations

April is an active member of The American Association for the Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT).