THERAPIST

April (Lynch) Smith, LPC

Take a big inhale through your nose and a big exhale through your mouth.  Notice how that breath felt in your body. Try again with a longer exhale this time, maybe even making an “H” sound as you exhale if it feels good for you. Bring your shoulders to your ears and then slowly roll them backwards to notice your shoulder blades and upper body relax. Begin to soften your entire body by starting to mentally scan from the crown of your head, over your facial muscles, neck, shoulders, back, all the way through your body to the tips of your toes. Notice your feet firmly planted on the ground and how that feels in your body. Imagine a string is pulling your spine through the crown of your head to the sky. Soften your face and smile. Reorient to your space and notice what in the room makes you feel calm and connected to the space. Be here in the now. This simple grounding practice is a glimmer of what you may experience in a therapeutic space with April.

April believes in the mind, body, soul connection with use of “top down” (cognitive) and “bottom up” (bodywork) approaches to fully integrate a human as a whole through noticing their needs and autonomous choice.  April supports her clients in practices like Polyvagal Therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Psychoeducation, Motivational Interviewing, CBT/DBT, Boundaries, and Nervous System Regulation.  Gentle stretching and simple practices like yawning or softening our body movements throughout the day help us slow down and create a sense of safety and attunement by stimulating our vagus nerve.  This allows our body to move from “fight/flight” or “fawn/freeze” into feeling more calm, confident, courageous, and compassionate.

April enjoys guiding clients to notice daily glimmers or awes of the nervous system to rewire desire, creativity, curiosity, clarity and connection to Self and others.  We may find these glimmers in nature, laughter, cuddling pets, sunbathing, or watching a sunset. April believes each person has the innate wisdom and inner resources within to access healing or a pathway to wellness. In a world with chronic stress, adversity and trauma it can be easy to get hyper-focused, overstimulated, or overwhelmed with the daily triggers in our society.  

In a therapeutic alliance established through warmth, compassion, and acceptance, April is ready to work with you on regulating your nervous system and helping you find a deeper connection to all of the parts of yourself that may have dealt with emotional, cognitive, physical, occupational, or interpersonal burdens along the way.  This may look like reconnecting to your inner child, hobbies, passions, and overall moving from surviving to thriving or obtaining more quality of life and well-being. Healing is not linear, as you will experience discomfort in the healing process, but April will be there to guide you through the unpredictable and predictable shadows. Without darkness, you wouldn’t know the light.  If you are ready to collaborate with April and create your own pathway to Self-healing and wholeness with guidance and safety, she welcomes you into her therapeutic space via telehealth or in person sessions at Resilience Counseling & Social Skills Center’s Midlothian office.