April Tuck

April E. Tuck, M.S., C.S.C.

April Tuck was raised in rural New England in a family environment that fostered her strong relationship with Nature. “I grew up within a community that taught me to recognize all things seen and unseen around me possess consciousness, that there is a fundamental connection to be respected and honored. With this concept as a foundation, I recognize that all aspects of earth are held sacred; that without each member of this cosmos intact, there is imbalance. Shamanic practice serves to strengthen my commitment to reducing pain, suffering and spiritual ignorance in this world.”

April started onto the path of shamanic practice in 1980 after discovering Michael Harner's seminal book, The Way of the Shaman . “I was thrilled to find an accessible academician whose research confirmed my personal experiences. It was not difficult to align the practices with which I had grown up with those of core shamanism. Following this path has been a great sustaining joy for me.”

Traveling throughout Europe, the Middle East and Central America has allowed her to explore the threads that unite the healing practices of various cultures. Such experiences have been amplified by her studies with different faculty from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, including Michael Harner, Sandra Harner, and Alicia Luengas Gates. She is a Certified Shamanic Counselor and has an active shamanic healing and counseling practice in Vermont and Boston. She now teaches Harner Shamanic Counseling for the Foundation.

April holds her B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Ithaca College and M.S. in Communication Disorders from University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist as well as a Human Resources professional. “I find my academic training in communication disorders meshes perfectly with the shamanic work I undertake. It's all about building and enhancing communication!”

What April's Harner Shamanic Counseling students say:

The HSC training I received has been invaluable both for myself and my clients. I appreciated April's openness to questions, and the direct and no nonesense manner in which she presented the techniques. While I have not been called upon to offer this service as of yet, I feel it has made me more sensitive to the concerns of my clients, and better capable of addressing them.
–Ben Jezirski

The HSC work is among the most powerful I have encountered, not only for myself at the training, but in use with clients afterwards. With regard to the training itself, I really loved it. April is a very focused teacher and that discipline translated into a very practical, useful training. I came away, not only with insights and new practices for myself, but a method I can use to help clients develop their own disciplined work and connection to helping spirits.
–Susan Rossi

Can't say enough how much I appreciate the HSC training, and in particular your way, your teaching style. You were steadfast and grounded. It was a great experience.

The class was profoundly significant for me. I'm eager to begin to offer Harner Shamanic Counseling in my community.

It was a truly amazing week. I really can't tell you how much this training impacted my life — in part because I can only sense it at this point. It was an amazing experience — so beautifully guided and held by April!

Thanks, April. Wowzers — what a powerful experience. You have gone to the front of the line of "most influential people" in my life. Your dedication is much appreciated.