It’s Time To Start Feeling Calmer And More In Control
April Mendyka, LPC — Licensed Therapist in Michigan offering online therapy in Michigan and Georgia
You’re probably here because you feel overwhelmed, stuck in your head, or frustrated that things haven’t shifted in the way you hoped.
You’re looking for therapy that helps things finally shift - not just understanding what’s happening, but actually feeling calmer, more regulated, and more in control in your day-to-day life.
What Working Together Looks Like
Sessions with me are thoughtful, grounded, and collaborative. I’m actively engaged, reflecting back what I’m hearing to make sure I truly understand you, then helping you connect the dots between your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Many clients tell me they leave sessions feeling clearer and more organized, especially when their inner world has felt jumbled or hard to put into words.
I’m especially skilled at noticing subtle themes and patterns that are easy to miss, connecting information quickly and making sense of complex inner experiences. This often leads to meaningful “aha” moments and deeper insight that creates lasting change. My style is real, down-to-earth, and relational. I bring curiosity, presence, and a steady, human approach while still holding space for depth and care.
I work best with clients who are:
✓ Insightful and reflective, but still feeling stuck or overwhelmed
✓ Wanting to get to the why beneath their symptoms, not just manage them
✓ Open to being gently challenged and exploring patterns over time
✓ Looking for therapy that feels engaged, thoughtful, and human
✓ Ready to invest in deeper, meaningful work
Internal Family Systems Therapy
IFS helps get to the root of what’s keeping you stuck in survival mode. We work with the parts of you that learned to cope early on, allowing your nervous system to settle, your inner critic to soften, and your self-trust to grow. This approach supports lasting regulation and change from the inside out.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR is helpful when patterns feel stuck beyond what talking or insight alone can shift. By helping your nervous system process past experiences that still fuel anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional reactivity, those experiences lose their intensity and no longer run the show. Over time, this creates more ease and control in how you feel and respond.
Intensives
Therapy intensives offer a focused way to do deeper work in a shorter period of time. They’re ideal if you’re ready for meaningful change, want to move beyond weekly sessions, or need dedicated space to work through something specific with care and intention.
Why This Work Is Different
Growing up, I was deeply curious about why people think, feel, and behave the way they do, especially when their reactions didn’t seem to make sense on the surface. As a child and young adult, my own emotional struggles were often hidden behind achievement, perfectionism, and doing “all the right things.” I learned firsthand how easy it is for pain to go unseen, even by ourselves.
That lived experience shapes how I work today. I know that anxiety, self-criticism, people-pleasing, and emotional overwhelm don’t come out of nowhere. They’re often rooted in early experiences, unspoken rules, and the ways we learned to cope the best way we knew how at the time. My goal is never to pathologize or “fix” you, but to help you understand your patterns with compassion and clarity so real change can happen.
My clinical background includes trauma-focused work with children and teens, where I was trained and certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). That experience fundamentally changed how I understand adult struggles; it became clear how often present-day symptoms are connected to earlier experiences that were never fully processed. From there, I pursued advanced training in EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients heal what’s underneath their symptoms, not just manage what shows up on the surface.
Clients often tell me they feel deeply seen, understood, and relieved in our work together. They describe sessions as clarifying, grounding, and different from therapy they’ve experienced before. I’m known for being attuned, thoughtful, and fully present - someone who can hold complexity, notice what others might miss, and help make sense of experiences that have felt confusing or overwhelming for a long time.
Our Values
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Authenticity
We believe that the therapeutic relationship is essential for the success of our clients. We are intentional in remaining honest, genuine, and mindful.
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Balance
We understand that attaining a work/life balance is essential for functioning optimally in all that we do. We value rest and relaxation as much as consultation and continuing education.
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Empowerment
We empower clients by providing a safe, collaborative space where they can explore their inner world, build self-trust, and make meaningful changes at their own pace. We empower our team by fostering a culture of trust, autonomy, and professional growth.
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Excellence
We hold ourselves to the highest standard in all that we do and remain committed to exceeding the needs of the clients we serve. We continuously evaluate and improve our processes for greater efficiency.
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Growth & Development
We are committed to taking care of our minds, bodies, and spirits by actively engaging in activities that promote growth, both personally and professionally.
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Integrity
We live by our values rather than simply professing them. We value honesty and stay true to our word. We abide by the legal and ethical standards of our profession.
Specialties
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Anxiety can feel like being constantly “on” - stuck in your head, tense in your body, and unable to fully relax even when nothing is wrong. We’ll work to help your system settle, understand what’s driving the anxiety beneath the surface, and create relief that actually lasts.
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If you’re used to taking care of others, setting boundaries can feel uncomfortable, guilt-inducing, or even unsafe. We’ll explore where these patterns began and help you build the self-trust and internal safety needed to speak up and put yourself first without fear of losing connection.
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Perfectionism and self-criticism often start as ways to stay in control or avoid getting hurt, but over time they become exhausting. We’ll work to soften the inner critic, understand what’s driving these patterns, and create more compassion, flexibility, and ease in how you relate to yourself.
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Early relationships shape how we cope, connect, and protect ourselves - often outside of our awareness. Through deeper, relational work, we’ll gently explore these early patterns so you can feel more grounded, connected, and less reactive in your present-day life.
Learn More
My Background & Experience
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Experience
I began practicing counseling in 2017. I earned my Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from Central Michigan University and my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University. Go Green!
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Professional Experience
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified EMDR Therapist, Certified TF-CBT Therapist, and an IFS Level 2 Therapist. I began my career at a non-profit and later joined a group practice. I opened EMPWR Transformative Therapy in January 2022.
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Just for Fun
When I’m not empowering women to live more fulfilling lives, I enjoy boxing, painting, making flower arrangements, spoiling my two dogs, playing the ukulele, and listening to The Office on repeat while I work on interior design projects.
You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. I can help you feel more grounded, clear, and in control.
When you’re ready, I’d love to help you take the next step.