Akemi McGoogan, LCSW, CSW

Akemi McGoogan is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people change thoughts that keep them stuck. She draws on practical strategies to address anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, depression, and the everyday strain of parenting and work. Akemi brings 18 years of experience and a direct, motivational style to sessions.

Her work begins with small, manageable steps. She helps people notice thinking patterns, set realistic goals, and try new behaviors between meetings. That hands-on approach is meant to build momentum so clients feel more capable in daily life.

Akemi uses a mix of approaches tailored to each person. She often includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to challenge unhelpful thoughts, mindfulness to ease reactivity, and acceptance-based strategies to clarify values. Sessions are practical and focused on what the client wants to change next.

She has a special interest in issues that touch parenting, adoption and foster care, blended family situations, and caregiver stress. She also supports people coping with grief, end-of-life concerns, fertility and fatherhood issues, and chronic illness or cancer-related stress.

Akemi trained at North Carolina Central University and earned a master’s in Direct Practice Social Work from SUNY Albany. She holds LCSW and CSW credentials and practices in Georgia. Her background includes working with adults across many life stages and circumstances.

People who seek her help can expect a warm, goal-oriented counselor who emphasizes practical change. She encourages realistic steps, accountability, and developing tools clients can use long after sessions end.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions

Akemi blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into online work. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can help with anxiety, sleep problems, low mood, and motivation. ACT encourages noticing difficult feelings and choosing actions that match personal values, often useful for grief, life changes, and chronic stress.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist and client review goals, try techniques, and adjust what they do together. That ongoing feedback helps shape whether sessions emphasize behavior change, mindfulness, values work, or a mix of methods.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for in-depth conversations and practicing skills together. Phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, coaching-style support, or when a shorter touchpoint fits into a busy day. These options aim to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into real life.