Pauleena Akers, LCSW, CSW

Pauleena Akers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who combines structured thinking with a holistic outlook to support people navigating stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and life transitions. She uses Cognitive Behavioral techniques to help identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts, paired with broader holistic and mindfulness-informed strategies to strengthen coping skills, improve sleep, and address mood concerns.

Her journey into helping others began after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in 2014 and starting work as a substance abuse counselor the following year. She completed a Master of Social Work at Valdosta State University in 2018 and pursued professional licensure in 2022. Akers holds the credentials LCSW and CSW - LCSW means Licensed Clinical Social Worker and CSW indicates Clinical Social Worker - and provides clinical services in Georgia.

Her professional background spans work with at-risk newborns, older adults, and adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings, giving her experience with diverse needs and life stages. She is prepared to address issues such as self-esteem, intimacy-related concerns, compassion fatigue, ADHD, postpartum mood concerns, and career-related stress. Pauleena emphasizes that therapy is not one size fits all and focuses on building goals collaboratively to support forgiveness, self-acceptance, anger management, anxiety reduction, and easing depressive symptoms.

Outside of her clinical work, Pauleena has been married to her high school sweetheart since 2012 and is a mother of two elementary school aged girls. She enjoys travel, reading, outdoor exploration, family time, and discovering good food, and she encourages a view of life that moves beyond mere survival toward thriving.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Pauleena integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered approaches to guide online work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to stress or low mood and offers practical strategies to shift those patterns; it is often helpful for anxiety, depression, sleep concerns, and coping with life changes. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a collaborative, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist supports the client's goals, fosters self-acceptance, and helps explore values and life purpose.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Pauleena works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best align with their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting plans as progress unfolds to ensure a good fit.

Online therapy with Pauleena offers flexibility in how care happens - via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging - so people can connect in ways that suit their schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of support while balancing work, family, or other responsibilities, and they allow licensed professionals to provide consistent, goal-focused care across different formats.