Pauleena Akers, LCSW, CSW

Pauleena Akers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, low mood, and life transitions. She focuses on practical steps people can use right away. Pauleena speaks plainly and aims to make therapy feel understandable and doable for busy parents and adults.

She blends cognitive behavioral ideas with client-centered care and mindfulness skills. That means she helps clients notice unhelpful thoughts, try different ways of thinking, and practice simple exercises that calm the body and mind. Sessions are conversational and goal-oriented, with room to address grief, career worries, sleep problems, and intimacy concerns.

Pauleena earned a Master of Social Work from Valdosta State University in 2018 and holds a Georgia LCSW. She began in substance abuse counseling after a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, and has six years of clinical experience across inpatient and outpatient settings. Her background includes work with newborns, older adults, and adults needing social services.

Clients often work on clear goals like reducing anxiety, improving communication, or rebuilding self-esteem. Pauleena uses motivational interviewing techniques to help people find their own reasons to change and stay motivated. She also supports coping with compassion fatigue and postpartum mood concerns.

Outside of work she is married and has two elementary-aged daughters, and she enjoys travel, reading, and trying new foods. Pauleena aims to help people move beyond simply surviving to living with more purpose and ease.

Approaches you can use online

Pauleena uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice patterns of thinking that worsen stress and mood. CBT involves identifying thoughts, testing them, and trying new behaviors to see what helps. It often suits worries, low mood, and sleep or work-related stress.

She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy. Client-centered work focuses on listening, empathy, and helping clients set their own goals. Mindfulness practices teach simple attention and breathing exercises to reduce reactivity and increase calm, which can help anxiety and compassion fatigue.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Pauleena will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, then adjust methods over time. The plan can change as needs shift so clients stay engaged and see progress.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer flexibility. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and messaging let clients share thoughts between sessions or use brief check-ins during busy days. These options help people fit therapy into work, family, and travel schedules.