Work with me
I work with individuals, couples, and families who want to understand what is happening, but do not want to stop there. We pay attention to patterns, relationships, context, and the systems around a problem. Then we look at what is changeable, what is not, what matters now, and what you want to do next.
Three ways to work with me
01
Individuals
Individual therapy can be a place to think clearly about a relationship, role, belief, career, transition, pattern, or version of your life that no longer works the way it once did.
We can look at how you got here without assuming you have to stay here. The goal is not simply to understand yourself better. It is to help you recognize what matters, what choices are actually available, and what a useful next step might look like for you.
02
Couples
Couples often know what they are arguing about. The harder part is understanding what keeps the argument going.
Our work can include communication, conflict, trust, household labor and mental load, changing roles, intimacy, expectations, and the patterns each person brings into the relationship.
We look at what is happening between you, what each person is experiencing, and what the relationship may need to function differently.
03
Families
Family problems rarely exist inside one person. Roles, histories, expectations, loyalties, transitions, caregiving responsibilities, and old ways of relating can all shape what is happening now.
Family therapy creates a place to make those dynamics easier to see and to work on what can actually change between people.
This may include adult family relationships, changing family roles, caregiving, conflict around aging parents, parent and child relationships, and difficult conversations that keep getting stuck.
How I work
I listen carefully, notice patterns, ask direct questions, and offer perspective. I am interested in where something came from, but I am equally interested in what is happening now and what might be possible from here.
Sometimes the work is about changing something. Sometimes it is about accepting what cannot be changed and deciding how you want to respond to it. Sometimes it is about realizing that an option you thought was unavailable is actually on the table.
Therapy with me is collaborative. I will not decide what your life should look like for you, but I also will not sit silently while you try to figure everything out alone.
Practical details
I provide therapy through Cardinal Counseling Group. Telehealth is available statewide in Georgia, and walk-and-talk therapy is available in South Gwinnett County, including Lawrenceville, Loganville, and Snellville. Current fees, appointment availability, and scheduling are maintained there so you always have the most up-to-date information.
Clinical status and supervision
Zakiya Muwwakkil Akerele earned a Master of Family Therapy from Mercer University School of Medicine. She practices under the clinical supervision of Dr. Amanda Nicholson, LMFT.
This work tends to fit people who want a therapist engaged in the conversation: someone who asks questions, notices patterns, offers perspective, and helps you consider your choices and the practical changes available to you.
If you are looking for therapy that stays entirely nondirective, I am probably not the right therapist for you.
We can start with what is happening now.