“Strong Am I”- artwork by Wak If you’re reading this, you’re probably a woman who has been defined by your strength. Keyword: defined. This has been your scarlet letter, stamped on your chest from the first time you showed an ounce of resiliency. It has become your defining characteristic and therefore, the expectation placed on…
Author: Ms April
Co-owner and co-founder of the St. Louis Play Therapy Institute. Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist who owns her own practice where she lives in St. Louis, MO. A passion chaser who left retail management to pursue her calling with children and their families. The “Fun Auntie” who enjoys borrowing & spoiling the children in her village. "Life is short. Chill."
MANAGING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IN TRUMP’S AMERICA
Artwork Cred: Universoul- Keith O’Keith Yeah, I said it. It’s Trump’s America, whether we want to accept this reality or not. He may not represent you individually or your beliefs, but he’s the man with the nuclear codes. Many of us may not accept him as our president but denying his title doesn’t take away…
CLOSED MOUTHS DON’T GET FED
Artwork By: Laurie Cooper, “Face Reality (Female)” I’ve always been that girl; loud, sassy and not afraid to speak her mind. Personally I was labeled angry, crazy, and gangsta (Born and raised on a military base, that shit’s real gangsta). As a professional, I struggled with scaling that back. I was labeled aggressive. Hard to…
It Takes a Village: Take Your Role Seriously
Artwork by: Larry Brown, “Sowing Seeds” As a single 30-something woman with no kids, I’m constantly asked, “When are you going to settle down and have kids?”. Or some other passive-aggressive way of encouraging me to reproduce before I “get them old eggs”. (P.S. Angela Bassett has ten-year-old twins…chill). MIND YA BIDNESS My response to…
Innocence Lost: An Old Reality for Our New Generation
Artwork: Wak, Watch Where You Pointin’ That Thang!!! “Ms. April, did somebody die?” four-year old Justin asks as we pass by a makeshift memorial. Justin lives in the same neighborhood where Mike Brown was killed two years ago. Understanding the importance of giving children age-appropriate answers to their questions, I respond, “Yes honey, someone died.”…
When Doing it For the ‘Gram Goes Wrong
Artwork: “Hip Hop Youth”by Banksy We’ve all seen the viral videos: kids cursing about their presents, twerking on each other, dressed with chains and their pants sagging and the list unfortunately goes on. We laugh. We re-tweet. But we don’t think about the consequences, legally and mentally, that are the results of our crying face…
He’s Only Three and He WILL Remember
Artwork By: C’Babi Bayoc, “Safety Net” It’s Monday night and I’m curled up on my couch ready to indulge in my favorite form of self-care: ratchet T.V. (don’t judge. It’s my self-care J )And my guilty pleasure is none other than Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. This episode focuses on Scrapp DeLeon preparing for a…
H.E.R. Crisis 