Lindsay Akers

Dr. Lindsay (Talley) Akers is the Director of Clinical Services at His Story as well as being a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist, and Certified Child-Centered Play Therapy Supervisor. She is passionate about working with children, teens, and adults to provide a safe, nonjudgmental, and empathic space to journey alongside clients and work together to find healing and growth. Lindsay approaches counseling primarily from a person-centered perspective. She believes that just as we all get wounded from relationships, it is also through relationship that we can find healing. She works with clients to further their insight while also working to attune to clients with deep empathy and authenticity to help clients feel seen, heard, and understood. Lindsay uses principles from interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, and various developmental models in her work with clients of all ages.
Dr. Akers completed her master’s in biblical counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary and earned a doctorate in counseling from the University of North Texas with a focus on play therapy and animal-assisted therapy. From her training and her life experience, Lindsay has found a passion particularly in working with parents. As a mom and a play therapist, Dr. Akers is able to not only empathize with parents but also to balance theoretical ideals with the realities of life. She has been with His Story since 2016, although she took a brief hiatus when she moved to a different state to work with college students. Her primary areas of focus in play therapy include:
– abuse or neglect
– anxiety
– perfectionistic tendencies
– low self-concept
– wetting or soiling after toilet training
– child/parent relationships
With older clients, Lindsay works to come alongside clients using talk therapy and expressive arts. She has a heart for clients helping clients understand the root of their difficulties within the context of their unique histories and then journeying with clients to find healthier ways of being. Her focuses include:
– identifying and processing emotions
– relational traumas
– women’s mental health
– low self-concept
– anxiety and depression
– parenting concerns
Dr. Akers is a published author and has presented at various mental health conferences across the country. When she’s not in the office, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her family, holding dance-offs with her toddler, exploring different National Parks, hanging out in the Texas Hill Country, and taking her golden retriever for a swim.
Dr. Akers has two published works:
Teaching and Supervision in Counseling – Person Centered Supervision: A Realistic Approach to Practice Within Counselor Education
Journal of Creativity in Mental Health – Repairing the Trauma Bonds of Sex Trafficking Victim Survivors with Animal Assisted Therapy
UNT Doctoral Dissertation – Child-Centered Canine-Assisted Therapy: An Investigative Look at Integrating Therapy Dogs into Child-Centered Play Therapy