Hyde Park Counseling & Therapy

April K. Robinson, is the owner and executive director of Hyde Park Counseling & Therapy. She has noted that her most defining characteristics include her sense of duality and empathy, which lend themselves to the high level of diversity and compassion infused throughout her work. That sense of duality and diversity is evident in her background, training, treatment modalities, and the people she serves. She has a background and extensive training in both counseling psychology and theater arts. After graduating from Southern Illinois University with two Bachelor’s degrees (B.A. Psychology, B.A Theater Arts), April completed her Master’s Degree at New York University graduating with M.A. in Applied Psychology: Counseling. Additionally at this time she attained a specialization in drama therapy. She completed her internship at Greenhope Services for Women in the Harlem area of New York, NY. She later completed doctoral coursework towards her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision and is ABD status. She has other complimentary training that embodies eastern and western philosophies and supports the use of narrative techniques, somatic body-based techniques, trauma focused techniques, mind-body- spirit integration techniques, arts based therapies, play therapies in addition to standard talk therapy when appropriate or useful.

April has a distinct background of work experience spanning from diverse communities, including Bronx NY, Harlem NY, Cairo IL, Chicago, IL (and several other smaller suburban regions of Chicago). She has served internationally in Thailand and in various cities throughout the United Kingdom. Having had the opportunity to train in New York City, one of the largest and multifaceted metropolitan cities of world, she has gained a level of diversity that speaks beyond measure. She has an extensive background rendering crisis intervention counseling with individuals who may have suffered from a major trauma or recent onset of overwhelming circumstances, such as death of a loved one, rape, loss of child, loss of home, loss of job, or onset of new mental health diagnosis. She has familiarity with rendering services in various service domains such as in ER settings, community agencies, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, youth agencies, schools, and crisis centers. In addition to direct service provision, she has a background in program evaluation, and working as a surveyor/ auditor of Illinois mental health agencies to conduct post payment reviews, clinical practice and guidance reviews, and accreditation and licensure reviews. She has experience working for two health insurance companies, including the largest behavioral healthcare network in the United States of America. Her 18 years of experience across various arenas and cultures have allowed her to hone her craft in a way that she feels is most reflective of the world’s needs and of her vision in life. Thus, in her current practice she works from a wholistic frame with the goal of helping individuals reach a healed, more whole, integrated version of themselves. Importantly, she operates with a commitment to education, wellness, and positive growth. April's approach to service manifests an understanding of a diverse and vast spectrum of arenas within mental health and wellness. Currently, April enjoys working in full time in practice at Hyde Park Counseling & Therapy and teaching counseling courses at New York University. In her spare time she enjoys engaging in arts, dance, movie watching and most importantly, being trained by her family pets, two toy poodles named Halo and Gabriel!