April A. Quigley
Maine LCPC #CC5861, Pennsylvania LPC #PC007448
I have been licensed in Pennsylvania since 2014 and Maine since 2020, and I have held National Certified Counselor status since 2015. I am trained to work with individuals across the developmental spectrum including children, seniors, and meet clients where they are in reaching their goals. I use a solution-focused, polyvagal/trauma-informed wellness model with mindfulness-based CBT, Motivational Interviewing and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to identify barriers in reaching SMART goals to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, adjustment fatigue, and relationship conflict. I encourage resilience, creativity/autonomy, and wellness strategies. I have experience across a variety of settings/levels of care from partial hospitalization (PHP), residential/respite, enhanced personal care home (PCH), school-based including elementary, secondary, and college counseling, and outpatient (OP) services including telehealth amid COVID19 pandemic. I am only providing care via telehealth at this time.
What to Expect
A typical first session will offer an initial assessment with preliminary diagnosis using person-centered care model with DSM V criteria. Collaborative treatment planning is part of the therapeutic relationship between a client and myself to focus on areas to build strengths, develop insight, and expand on coping skills. You are the expert in your life. My role as your counselor is to meet you where you are and help move forward in reaching your goals through therapeutic treatment activity. Counseling is a process of doing something today for your future self. There are times that I may ask you to work on things we discuss outside of session. Ask questions and make your own assessment about whether you feel comfortable working with me. I can also provide referrals for other care options.
Counseling has both benefits and risks. Risks may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness, because the process of counseling often requires discussing the unpleasant aspects of your life. However, counseling has been shown to have benefits for individuals who undertake it. Counseling often leads to a significant reduction in feelings of distress, increased satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, greater personal awareness and insight, increased skills for managing stress and resolutions to specific problems.
Confidentiality
It takes bravery to present to counseling. Trust, respect, and confidentiality are key elements to every counseling session. I have a fiduciary, legal/ethical obligation to every person who presents to counseling to protect their privileged health information.
There are limitations to confidentiality/privileged information discussed in session that include the following situations:
- Threat of serious harm to self or others.
- Reasonable suspicion of child abuse, or neglect of a child, or abuse, neglect or exploitation of an incapacitated or dependent adult;
- Court order;
- Voluntary release signed by client or guardian;
- During supervisory consultations.