April Widdes, LCPC, PMH-C, Board-Approved Supervisor

April Widdes, LCPC, PMH-C, Board-Approved Supervisor, is a licensed mental health therapist with more than 11 years of experience providing individual, couples, and family therapy in Frederick, Maryland and throughout the state of Maryland via Telehealth. She is passionate about helping clients build self-esteem, strengthen self-worth, navigate life’s challenges, and create meaningful change.

April believes therapy works best when it feels genuine, collaborative, and human. She sees her clients as people first and believes the therapeutic relationship itself is an important part of the work. Her style is warm, down-to-earth, compassionate, and supportive, while also helping clients develop practical tools to move toward their goals.

Perinatal Mental Health

April earned her PMH-C and has completed advanced, specialized training in perinatal mental health counseling and has a particular interest in supporting individuals and couples through the emotional journey of becoming and being a parent. She works with clients navigating trying to conceive, infertility and reproductive challenges, pregnancy, postpartum adjustment, pregnancy and infant loss, birth experiences, and the many emotional changes that can come with parenthood.

April understands that the perinatal period can bring complicated and sometimes unexpected emotions. Anxiety, grief, overwhelm, changes in identity, relationship stress, and feelings of not being “yourself” can all arise during this season. Her approach provides a compassionate, judgment-free space to process these experiences while developing practical tools for coping, connection, and emotional well-being.

Therapeutic Approach

April works with individuals and couples experiencing a variety of concerns, including anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, life transitions, relationship challenges, self-esteem concerns, and perinatal mental health concerns.

Her therapeutic approach draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), strength-based therapy, supportive counseling, solution-focused therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples. April is also trained in trauma-informed approaches and incorporates these principles throughout her work.

April’s professional experience spans psychiatric rehabilitation programs, inpatient substance use treatment, and community-based outpatient mental health counseling. She has experience working with a wide range of mental health concerns and diagnoses and brings more than a decade of clinical experience to her work at By Your Side Counseling Services.

In addition to providing therapy, April is a Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (BOPCT) approved clinical supervisor for Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors (LGPCs) and provides clinical supervision to counselors working toward their LCPC licensure.

April earned her master’s degree in Counselor Education for Community Mental Health from McDaniel College.

Outside of the therapy office, April enjoys spending time with her husband, daughters, dogs, family, and friends. She is also an avid plant lover and proud plant owner.

April provides in-person therapy in Frederick, Maryland and Telehealth counseling throughout Maryland.