Virtual
Secure telehealth across Illinois and Virginia
Trauma-informed
Paced to your system, nothing rushed
Every stage of life
Child · Adolescent · Emerging adult · Adult · Seniors
EMDR-certified clinician on our team · Trauma specialists in Chicago since 2010 · Our founder trained under the team that worked alongside EMDR's creator, Francine Shapiro · Licensed in Illinois and Virginia · Diverse, trauma-informed team
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?
You've done the talking. You understand what happened. Your mind is calm, and your body still hasn't gotten the message.
You tense up for no reason you can name.
You shut down at work, or part of you still acts as if it isn't over.
You lost someone or something, or something happened that left you not quite like yourself.
Years of talk therapy, CBT and mindfulness gave you insight, but they didn't reach the alarm in your body. That is not a failure on your part. It is the gap this practice was built for.
The people you will work with
A team with different training, backgrounds and strengths, so we can match you with the right person. Every clinician is trauma-informed.
Yolanda Simmons-Battle, MA, LPC, NCC
Therapist
Lindsey Brodsky
NYU Intern Therapist
Jazmyne Young
Therapist
April Robinson, LCPC, LPHA
Founder · EMDR Certified
your first contact
Holly Rodrigues
Clinic Coordinator
Social Media Coordinator
Casey Vercher
Clinic Coordinator
What brings people to us
We help people find more whole, rich and connected versions of themselves, especially in moments of deep loss, pain and disconnection. Trauma of any size is welcome here.
The death of a loved one or a child
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A car accident or physical injury
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Betrayal by a partner or loved one
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Chronic discrimination or abuse
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The loss of a career or a dream
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A change that shook your sense of who you are
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Also here for anxiety, depression, relationships, grief, transitions, communication and performing at your best.
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How we can help
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EMDR
A structured therapy for trauma and the symptoms talking alone did not reach. Offered online and in person, with April.
EFT (tapping)
Gentle, body-based tapping to ease distress and settle your system.
Integrative talk therapy
Humanistic, narrative and experiential counseling, with tools from Adlerian and CBT models.
Children and adolescents
Support for kids and teens, including play-based and experiential approaches.
Couples therapy
Help with communication, conflict and reconnecting.
Biodynamic craniosacral and energy work
Hands-on and distance options that support the body's own settling.
Learn more
Experiential and creative therapies
Play, drama, psychodrama, movement and meditation-based work.
See all healing techniques and modalities
Release. Reside. Reclaim.
Know it. Feel it. Become it.
Release
We help your body and mind let go of what trauma left behind, using EMDR, tapping and body-based work.
Reside
You learn to be with yourself again, in your body, without bracing for the next wave.
Reclaim
You take back the whole self, including the deeper self that the trauma kept at a distance.
We also use Somatic Soul Storying™, a technique developed by our founder, April Robinson, LCPC, which brings your body, your story and your deeper self into the same room.
Meet the Founder
April Robinson, LCPC
Trauma specialist in Chicago since 2010, EMDR Certified, and licensed in Illinois and Virginia. April trained under the team that worked directly alongside EMDR's creator, Francine Shapiro, and developed Somatic Soul Storying™.
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April does this work because she knows what it's like to experience intense pain, recurring losses, and systemic barriers and blocks in life that could shake someone to the core. She has also lived reclaiming herself piece by piece, going to the ends of the earth to learn how to mend, heal, and flourish again. Along the way she was given a gift of knowledge, education, skill, and a diverse set of interests, strengths, and experiences that equip her to help. Her mission is simple: help people who want to be helped.
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Your pace, with support built in
Your system and your schedule are your own, so you choose how fast to go. We decide together in your first session which pace fits.
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Monthly paced EMDR
For clients who want or need EMDR or additional integrative trauma therapies, monthly paced EMDR with April can be woven in alongside weekly counseling with your assigned therapist, if you like.
An example flow:
Weeks 1 to 3: skills and talk therapy with your assigned therapist.
Week 4: two EMDR sessions with April.
Weeks 5 to 7: time to settle and integrate with your therapist.
Weeks 8 and 12: EMDR rounds with April, with talk therapy in between.
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Weekly EMDR with April
If you feel steady and want to feel better sooner, we can work weekly, with check-ins and settling tools between sessions.
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Two-day intensive
Eight to twelve hours over two days, in person, for focused, concentrated work. Private pay, $2,160. Out-of-town option: contact us to inquire and see what can be designed for you.
In their words
Jj, October 2023
"My first appointment with EMDR and I'm already feeling more calm and like I have a tool to use in times of stress!"
MS, former client, 2022
"Working with you was one of the most worthwhile things I ever did. And your perspective, humor and support continue to be a well spring of light & strength that I draw from regularly."
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ML, November 2025
"April is simply amazing. She makes everything make sense... April provides the proper support for you to succeed."
What to expect
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Your first session
An assessment and a plan. You decide the pace, and nothing is rushed.
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Some things may feel louder first
Shifting sensations, tiredness or stronger emotions in the first weeks are common. We tell you in advance.
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You leave with tools
So you can use what you learn on your own, between sessions and after we finish.
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Joining online
Secure, private video, in the same system where you book. Your link arrives by email up to 30 minutes before your session.
Questions people ask us
Can EMDR be done online?
Yes. EMDR can be done online or in person, and both are equally effective. All you need is a private place where you feel comfortable.
Can EMDR make things worse?
It can stir things up, which is why we pace it, prepare you first, and adjust the speed to your system.
Can EMDR create false memories?
No. EMDR does not plant or invent memories. It works on how disturbing a memory feels, so you can recall what happened more clearly and with less distress.
Will this ever fully go away?
In our clinical experience, the triggers we fully process stay resolved. Life still brings new stress, and you'll leave with tools for it.
Does this fit my faith?
EMDR is a structured therapy with no hypnosis and no belief system built into it, and we work with people of many faiths. If anything feels at odds with your beliefs, we talk about it together.
What does it cost, and is it covered?
$225 for the initial session and assessment, $180 for a standard 55-minute session, and $270 for an extended session. The consult is free. We are in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (PPO), Cigna and Aetna, and you can ask us about other plans. Insurance covers the initial and standard sessions. Extended sessions and intensives are private pay.