Laura Akins , LPC

Laura Akins is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas with 34 years of experience helping people find more peace and meaning. She focuses on everyday struggles such as stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, and low self-esteem. Her style is calm and down-to-earth, centered on listening and practical conversation rather than jargon.

She aims to make sessions feel like a respectful conversation between two people. Laura draws on real-life experience alongside clinical work to relate to emotional pain and life setbacks. She often helps people cope with relationship difficulties, codependency, abandonment concerns, and challenges tied to family of origin.

Her clinical approaches include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), client-centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), and Motivational Interviewing. She uses these methods to help people clarify values, manage difficult thoughts and feelings, and change unhelpful behavior.

Laura also supports people dealing with first responder stress, compassion fatigue, substance misuse, impulse control, and issues around commitment and control. Sessions can include practical tools, emotion-focused work, and coaching-style conversation about life purpose and next steps.

Her graduate research looked at spiritual development, and she can help clients explore spiritual perspectives if that matters to them. Laura works with individuals who want a thoughtful, experienced counselor to talk things through and plan concrete steps forward.

Therapeutic approaches you can use online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and commit to actions that match those values. It focuses on noticing difficult thoughts and feelings while still moving toward a meaningful life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is about identifying patterns of thinking and behavior that cause distress and testing new, more helpful ways of responding. It often includes concrete exercises and practice between sessions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) attends to emotions and attachment needs, helping people understand feelings and reshape important relationships.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what does or doesn't help. Together they will try methods that fit the client's needs and adjust the plan over time based on what is working.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for flexibility. Video sessions allow face-to-face interaction and exercises that benefit from visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and messaging offer ongoing support between sessions or a way to share thoughts in writing. These options make therapy easier to fit around work, caregiving, and other commitments while keeping the focus on real progress.