April Balzhiser, LCPC

April Balzhiser is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois with 18 years of experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship and family struggles, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, addictions, and struggles with intimacy or self-esteem. April also supports those coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and mood-related concerns.

April uses clear, direct work in sessions. She focuses on what is going on now and practical steps people can try between meetings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is part of her approach, along with client-centered listening, Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. She likes to match methods to a person's needs and goals.

Her background includes long experience in social services and mental health settings. That work involved domestic violence, sexual assault, child welfare and foster care, alternative schooling, and family concerns. Those roles shaped how she sees safety, boundaries, and practical coping strategies.

In the therapy room April emphasizes meeting people where they are. Sessions aim to build small, manageable changes rather than big leaps. She encourages clear communication and steady progress at a pace the person can handle.

People who choose April can expect straightforward talk about patterns, relationships, and daily habits. The work often combines skill-building with time to process painful events. The goal is to leave each session with one or two things to try before the next visit.

How her approaches translate to online work

April commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered work in online sessions. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety or depression. Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and creating a respectful space where people can talk through relationship and family concerns.

She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills when emotional regulation and distress tolerance are needed. DBT skills teach breathing, grounding, and communication techniques that can be practiced between sessions and applied to intense moments.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. April will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or has not worked before to shape the plan. That collaborative process helps decide which methods to try first and how to adapt them for online formats.

Online therapy offers flexible options including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face interaction for skill demonstrations and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is low or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work for quick updates, coaching between sessions, or people who prefer writing. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or family schedules while maintaining regular contact with a licensed professional.