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