Hanifa AkpeLPC, LCPC

I love being a therapist AND I cannot work harder than you. I always tell my clients that therapy is a relationship- WE are in relationship together. We are working together and I cannot do more work than you. Therapy is one hour a week, sometimes a little more, and clients have so much life outside of our one hour together- doing the work is important.

I've had many people (including family and friends) ask, "Is it ok if I have specific qualities that I am looking for in a therapist?" And I always answer with, " What, you have preferences? Great!!" Yes, it is totally fine to have preferences when looking for a therapist! The search can be difficult. I always share that the core of therapy is the relationship; if you don't have a great therapeutic relationship with your therapist, it will be hard to do great work and achieve your goals. That means that you should feel comfortable and confident in the therapeutic relationship that you and your therapist are building- if that means preferences need to be met for you, then so be it!

Clients are the experts of their own experiences. Although a professional with years of training and experience in the mental health field- I can never tell a client how he/she/they think, feel or experience an event. I listen, and provide insight, and help to make meaning, and teach to reframe so clients can live their best lives. I can never tell a client, "No, this is your experience."

• Georgia, Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC011215
• Illinois, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, 180011154

As a child, I always knew that I would one day become a lawyer; I was the kid who wanted to BE Ben Matlock. After a semester of majoring in Political Science however, that quickly changed. My objective changed, but not my overall goal of helping people. I switched my major to Social Work and interned, before later getting hired to work for a 24 hour Crisis Intervention Shelter. After receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, I became a preschool teacher for two years- that was such a fun experience. After graduating from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with my Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology with a Counseling Specialization, I practiced therapy for DCFS wards in Specialized Foster Care. Four years later, I decided that I wanted to focus more on the adult population. I moved into the private practice setting in Chicago and worked with a diverse population of individual clients and couples. My specialties include working with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and/or difficulty with life transitions/adjustment/stressors; LGBTQ+ clients; grief and loss; issues of identity; relationship challenges; and couple's counseling. I transitioned back to Atlanta in December 2019 and I look forward to meeting you and the work that we will achieve together.