APRIL GRIFFIN: 
EMDR AND COMPLEX PTSD THERAPY

MSW RSW RCC Founder/Therapist 
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Rate: $170 per 50 minutes session
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Available: Tues. 8am-12pm (in-person/virtually), 2-5pm (virtual)
Wed. 9-12 (virtually)
Thurs. 12pm-6pm(in-person)
Friday 9-12pm (in-person/virtually)
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FNHA, & CVAP approved provider
Registered in BC, Ontario, & Alberta

Inquire directly as she may have a waiting list for new clients
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I believe that counselling is a process where we can unearth, share and transform some of our deepest pain and shame that we have held for a very long time in a space  of relational safety and support.  Counselling can also enable us to feel empowered and energized with new approaches and skills to deal with current challenges we are facing in our lives and relationships.
 

As a therapist my style is warm but direct and at times goal-focussed.  My clients have shared that although some of the work we do together can feel deep and evoke strong emotions, afterwards they feel lighter, and more peaceful after our sessions. At other times clients have left sessions feeling ready to face a problem with new skills and confidence, decreased self-judgement and more self-understanding. After working together for some time clients have shared they start to feel more confident, less self-critical and experience less emotional reactivity as they discover they have more space to react and choose to act in a way that best aligns with their own needs and values.

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My greatest joy as a therapist is connecting together on a human level and witnessing the things about you that are beautiful and glimmer with hope underneath the pain and suffering that have seemed ever present and stuck in your life.

       Area of Focus:

• Complex Trauma

• Emotion Regulation Issues

• Substance Use

• Anxiety

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Therapy Modalities:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)​

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

• Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

• Motivational Interviewing (MI)

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

• Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT, Greenberg)

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April's Counselling Experience:

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My journey to becoming a counsellor started 20 years ago while providing foot care in the downtown Eastside; as residents soaked their feet in warm water I was privileged to listen and bear witness to their stories of pain and resilience.   

Since then I obtained a Master of Social Work from the University of British Columbia and I spent over 10 years in the public health system providing counselling for those who have experienced trauma, substance use, relationship issues, and a broad range of mental health issues. I am DBT Trained and EMDR Certified and am passionate about ongoing professional learning.

I started Emotion Wise Counselling out of a passion to offer increased access to counselling for those who have experienced more than their fair share of adversity in life. It is my hope that through Emotion Wise Counselling people with complex trauma and mental health issues can experience transformation and growth.

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More About April:

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In my own life- being a mother to three children has been one of the biggest challenges that I have faced and has helped me grow as a counsellor and a person.  My biggest adventures have been living in Egypt and Ukraine where I was immersed in culture and language.  My greatest joys in life include spending quality time with friends and family, singing, swimming in lakes and oceans, biking, playing soccer, learning new languages, and Friday pizza night with the family. 

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Education and Training:

-Masters of Social Work (2012), University of British Columbia

-Introduction to DBT, DBT Centre of Vancouver

-EMDR Training, Institute for Creative Mindfulness

-Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Immersion Training, AEDP Institute

-Ego State Therapy with Robin Shapiro, EMDR Advanced Trainings

-EMDR 2.0, EMDR Advanced Trainings

-Flash Training with Ricky Greenwald

-Emotion Focused Therapy