Akemi McGoogan

Akemi McGoogan is a licensed clinical social worker with 18 years of practice. She brings a motivational, goal-focused approach that centers on shifting thoughts and building momentum. Akemi emphasizes practical steps to move people from feeling stuck to feeling hopeful and purposeful.

She trained with a Bachelor of Social Work from NC Central University and a Master of Social Work in Direct Practice from SUNY Albany. She describes her work as collaborative and warm, aiming to meet people where they are without judgment. Akemi blends cognitive tools with mindfulness and acceptance strategies to address daily stressors.

Her main focus areas include anxiety, depression, stress, grief, relationship concerns, parenting strain, and career issues. She also lists additional areas such as caregiver stress, cancer-related challenges, adoption and foster care, aging and geriatric issues, fertility and fatherhood concerns, and hospice and end-of-life counseling.

Akemi uses a mix of approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment-Based work, and client-centered methods. She frames therapy as practical and action-oriented, often emphasizing small changes that build confidence and momentum.

She notes specific interest in supporting people who identify as LGBT and those coping with compassion fatigue or attention difficulties. Akemi also writes short-form resources for mothers and has authored several books aimed at postpartum support and stress reduction.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to values-based actions. It is useful for anxiety, low motivation, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying thought patterns and testing them with concrete behavioral experiments to reduce symptoms like panic or persistent worry. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing intense emotions and improving distress tolerance during hard moments.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist will collaborate with clients to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That decision can evolve as work progresses and needs shift.

Confirm current session options before booking, since formats are not specified in the biography. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so therapy can match daily routines. Licensed professionals use these approaches to support grief, hospice and end-of-life concerns, parenting strain, anxiety, and career issues in ways that focus on skills and practical steps rather than promises of outcomes.