About Me

If you’re looking for a therapist to truly meet you where you’re at with validation and empathy, please reach out. My approach is flexible and integrative, adapting to your needs and situation, considering bio-psycho-socio-spiritual influences on your life and wellbeing. Together, we will balance support and processing with skills and resource enhancement, tailored to you and your goals. Working with children and youth, I adjust for their stage of development through play, activity and age-appropriate talk strategies. I specialize in nature-based therapy and use both traditional EMDR methods and nature-based adaptations. We can do sessions outdoors, in office or online. I was “raised” as a counsellor in trauma-informed, intersectional, feminist theory which remains with me in my prioritization of trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship, efforts to level the power differential between therapist and client and acknowledgment of client wisdom, strength and expertise on their own experience. I recognize that we live in social, cultured and gendered contexts that present disproportionate concerns for gender, sexual, racial and cultural minorities and work to create a safe space for diverse folks in the LGBTQ2SI+, Indigenous and multicultural communities. I started in the social service field in 2005, spending much of my career supporting women and young survivors of violence, abuse and neglect, those with multiple barriers to housing and indigenous communities in northern BC. Areas of Focus: Interpersonal trauma Survivors of intimate partner violence and abuse Survivors of childhood sexual abuse Survivors of sexual assault Intergenerational trauma PTSD and complex trauma experiences Depression Anxiety Stress management and burnout Neurodiversity-affirming support for individuals and caregivers with developmental differences such as autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADH), FAS, and intellectual disabilities Gender and sexual diversity-affirming support Children and youth Chronic pain and illness Traumatic Brain Injury Self-harm and suicidality Substance use Children’s problematic sexual behaviour Body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs) Therapeutic Modalities: Safe and Sound Protocol listening therapy Mindfulness-based strategies Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF- CBT) Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) Body-based / somatic / sensory strategies Person centered therapy Strengths-based therapy Expressive arts and activity-based strategies Horticultural therapy Nature-based therapy Pain reprocessing therapy Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Age ranges served: all ages. Session Types: Individual adults, children, and youth. Families and Couples Counselling. In Person or Virtual. Email: april.link@islandclinicalcounselling.ca Phone: 778-762-3750 ext. 120 Text: (778) 410-5279 Pronouns: She/Her Registration: CCPA CCC 11255460 BCACC RCC 22349