Pauleena Akers

Pauleena Akers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who focuses on practical steps people can take when life feels stuck. She helps with stress, anxiety, career concerns, grief, intimacy questions, sleep problems, and self-esteem. Pauleena aims to set clear goals with each person and work toward them at a steady pace.

She uses straight talk and thoughtful questions to uncover how thoughts affect feelings and behavior. Pauleena applies Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered conversations, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing techniques to help people notice patterns and try different ways of responding. Sessions are down-to-earth and action-focused, with space for reflection as well as small experiments to try between meetings.

Pauleena trained with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and earned a Master of Social Work from Valdosta State University in 2018. She began her clinical career working as a substance abuse counselor and moved into broader social work roles across inpatient and outpatient settings. Her background includes work with newborns at risk, older adults, and adults with varied needs.

She brings six years of clinical experience and holds CSW and the Georgia LCSW credentials. Pauleena often works on building forgiveness, gratitude, self-acceptance, anger regulation, and managing depressive or anxious symptoms. Her style blends practical tools with a supportive, goal-minded approach.

Outside of work she is married with two elementary-aged daughters and enjoys travel, reading, outdoor time, and good food. She encourages people to aim beyond surviving and toward thriving.

How Pauleena’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the person's lead. The therapist reflects what is said, helps people make sense of their feelings, and supports choices that align with personal goals. This approach suits worries about life direction, relationships, and self-esteem.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, behaviors, and feelings connect. Pauleena uses short experiments and thought-challenging to test unhelpful beliefs and try new responses, which helps with anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.

Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to the present moment through simple exercises. This can reduce quick reactivity, support stress management, and make small daily changes feel more doable.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to figure out which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. Plans are adjusted over time based on what helps.

Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, cut down travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Discuss scheduling needs during the matching step to find times that work with everyday life.