01 · Who Pauleena works with

Pauleena works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Pauleena lists 12 specialisms and 11 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Pauleena chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Pauleena's own words

What Pauleena says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

We live in a society that seeks instant gratification, but there is no way to short circuit the path to success. I'm Pauleena, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and we can sets goals and navigate that path together. I use Cognitive Behavioral & Wholistic approaches to help you become the best version of yourself. I'll question your thoughts, provide alternative perspectives, and challenge you to dig deeper to give us both a better picture of what you're thinking and feeling. I completed a Bachelor's of Art degree in Criminal Justice in 2014. The following year, I began working as a substance abuse counselor and knew that therapy/counseling is what I wanted to spend my life doing. I went on to complete Master's Degree in Social Work from Valdosta State University in 2018 and sought professional licensure in 2022. I have spent the past 7 years providing social services to an array of populations including at risk newborns, geriatrics, and adults- in both inpatient & outpatient settings. I have loved every minute of it. The thing about working with a therapist is that we are not "one size fits all". If you have had a bad experience with therapy/a therapist in the past, don't let that skew your experiences moving forward. Give me a chance to work with you on forgiveness, gratitude, self-acceptance, anger management, reducing anxiety, and easing depressive symptoms. A little more about me: I have been married to my high school sweetheart since 2012 and we have 2 elementary school aged girls. In my free time, I enjoy travelling, reading, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with my family. I am also a big foodie-a good meal is the key to my heart! The goal of life is not to merely survive; the goal is to thrive

Pauleena Akers, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Pauleena works

The 4 approaches Pauleena lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Pauleena lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Pauleena's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Pauleena runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Pauleena practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Pauleena's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Pauleena at this point.

2. Naming Pauleena specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Pauleena is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Pauleena.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

2 questions worth asking Pauleena

Built from what Pauleena actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Pauleena's - Pauleena has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Georgia

Licence

GA LCSW CSW008162

Licence number

CSW008162

Licence expires

30 Sep 2028

NPI

1679254643

Years in practice

6

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Pauleena's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Pauleena. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.