Author: April Kirkwood, M.Ed

April Kirkwood, M.Ed., has Masters degrees in both education and mental health counseling from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. She has worked as a social worker in an inpatient hospital, as a therapist assisting treatment teams, and has led intake, discharge, group sessions and summer programs.

Kirkwood has over 26 years’ experience as a middle and high teacher and counselor in both Ohio and Florida. She has worked as the dean for a guidance department of a K-8 school specializing in PBS (Positive Behavior Support) and peer mediation. As well as a lead English instructor for Broward County Schools in Florida, where she was instrumental in mentoring new staff in the area of raising freshman and sophomore state scores in reading and writing.

She also has experience leading weekly court ordered parenting classes, directed at addressing school attendance issues; and has worked with inner city families as a liaison, uniting counselors, school staff and parents.

Her new journey takes her from the shoes of educator to boots of an author and speaker, grounded in her love of the mental health field as well as sharing her personal struggles with love. Kirkwood shares insights about seldom talked about learned behaviors of ‘lust’ and ‘romance’ during critical adolescent times in the growth of each of us. This relatively untouched developmental milestone is key to raising healthy sons and daughters, and to heal areas in our own hearts and minds that keep us stuck in repeating

dissatisfying romantic commitments. She has taken the road less traveled as a woman’s advocate bridging the world of psychology with spirituality as a therapist specializing in holistic practices empowering young and old to learn a new way of placing their hearts in the hands of the right kind of lovers.