Hidden Gems: Meet Dr. April Givens of Urban Counseling Clique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. April Givens.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have had a long journey to get to where I am today. It all started as a little girl growing up in Alexandria, LA. I went to elementary school, middle school, and then a magnet high school, where I was in the band, nursing program, and JROTC. Upon graduating with honors, I left to go to the US Army, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where I completed my BS in Biology Pre-Medicine. Upon graduating decided I didn’t want to pursue medical school and decided to work in corporate America for various organizations. Later I decided to go back to school and pursue my Masters’s in Mental Health Counseling.

After graduating and becoming licensed in the state of Texas, I decided to work in the field to gain experience in a variety of areas in hopes of one day starting my own organization. I believed the best way to gain knowledge is to have hands-on experience in the settings you would like to gain knowledge from. I have worked for managed care clinics, the courts as an advocate, healthcare insurance organizations, among others. This set the path for me to later leave and work solely full-time in my own organization. Urban Counseling Clique was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2015. I have been providing individual counseling for teens and adults since then. I decided to go back to school to further my education and received my Ph.D. in 2020. I truly love the work that I do and have a gift in helping people.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth. Being a single parent, running a business, and pursuing school all at the same time was definitely a sacrifice I was happy to make. It took a lot of discipline and time management on my part to be able to be successful in them all. My children are now 14 and 6, and I am done with school. I have the flexibility to now enjoy the precious things in life, which is my family. My children love to travel and spend time with mom.

As you know, we’re big fans of Urban Counseling Clique. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Urban Counseling Clique was established to combat the need for mental health in minority communities. We service people from all nationalities and walks of life. This is what makes us stand out. We are truly empaths. People seek us out because we truly care and have proven results in helping people heal from trauma, stress, anxiety, and depression. I am most proud of the brand wise is that we are always busy with clients even before the pandemic. We have had a lot of word of mouth advertising from clients telling their friends and family how we have helped them. I would like your readers to know that we also provide a lot of free resources on our social media accounts. Please follow me there for inspiration and healing.

What’s next?
My plans for the future is to expand on my podcast, create courses and a series of books.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.urbancounselingclique.com
• Instagram: dr.aprilgivens
• Facebook: Urban Counseling Clique
• Youtube: Urban Counseling Clique

Image Credits
Image Shotbymello photographer