Olayinka "Mary" Akeju , LPC

Olayinka "Mary" Akeju uses practical, evidence-informed therapies to help people manage stress, anxiety, and relationship strain. She is an LPC with 17 years of experience and works with people facing trauma, mood concerns, and life transitions. Her style is direct and collaborative, aimed at helping people notice what matters and build skills that fit everyday life.

Mary draws on approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to address thought patterns, unhelpful behaviors, and values-driven living. She also uses attachment-based and client-centered methods to strengthen emotional connection and self-understanding. Sessions focus on clear goals, skill practice, and real-world steps clients can try between meetings.

Her experience includes supporting people with parenting challenges, grief, addiction concerns, eating and sleeping difficulties, and compassion fatigue. She also assists those coping with ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and the fallout from trauma or abandonment. Mary pays attention to how past relationships shape current patterns and to practical ways to change them.

People describe her approach as collaborative and respectful of cultural differences. She helps clients set short-term aims and track progress toward them. Therapy often includes learning emotion regulation skills, improving communication, and creating routines that support well-being.

Mary practices in New Jersey and conducts sessions in English. She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, and she works with international clients. Getting started involves a short matching questionnaire and scheduling an initial session.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters most and take steps toward those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and major life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and practicing new skills to reduce symptoms and improve functioning. It is commonly used for anxiety, mood concerns, and coping with stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, whether that means skills practice from CBT, values work from ACT, or attachment-based exploration. Sessions are tailored to the client's needs, and adjustments are made over time based on what helps most.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and guided skill demonstrations. Phone sessions can be a simpler option when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to send quick updates, practice skills between meetings, and fit therapy into busy days. These options aim to increase flexibility and make it easier to keep consistent contact with a licensed professional.