ABOUT
Amanda Akers, MA, LPCC
I’ve taken a bit of a roundabout route into counseling. Before getting my degree in clinical mental health, I worked in education policy, owned a kids’ adventure camp, wrote educational materials, and spent many years as a bilingual fourth-grade teacher. I like to say this isn’t my first rodeo; I’ve just switched events. What ties it all together is a need to be useful and a serious curiosity about humans and how we’re wired, how we connect, and all the unique ways we make our way through this world.
What I love most about this work is getting to know the whole person: the constellation of events, relationships, experiences, thoughts, and feelings that make each of us such a uniquely perfect response to our own lived experience. It’s a real honor to sit with the varied, complex parts of a person, help them uncover their strengths, and support them as they build purposeful lives and healthier relationships, with others and themselves.
Clients tend to describe me as warm, funny, and genuine. I work from an intellectual but practical place. I’ll take your inner life seriously without making you feel fragile or talked down to. You’ll leave sessions feeling accepted and supported, and like you were treated as a capable individual the whole way through.
Amanda Akers, MA, LPCC
Licensed in the state of Colorado: 0024667
MY APPROACH
My work is grounded in two frameworks: Carl Rogers' person-centered approach and Dan Siegel's Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB). Rogers found that people heal best when they're met with unconditional positive regard, genuine empathy, and congruence. In practice, this means you won't be judged for what you bring into the room, and you'll get a real person in return.
IPNB treats mind, body, and relationships as one integrated system. When that system gets overwhelmed or dysregulated by trauma, loss, and real life, we can easily land in rigidity (stuckness, shutdown) or chaos (overwhelm, unpredictability). Our work is about finding the steadier space in between.
Because many patterns first took shape in relationships, relationships can also be healing spaces, including the therapeutic one. Expect an honest, collaborative dynamic, not a one-sided evaluation. Together, we'll build mindfulness of your thoughts, feelings, and nervous system responses, trace the roots of old patterns and identify how they still show up today, and develop regulating habits you can rely on. The goal isn’t to become a different person, but to come home to yourself as you grow more adaptive and self-aware, to move in your body and your environment like you belong here.
FEQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What can I expect in a first session?
We’ll start with a free consultation, by phone or in person, so we can both get a feel for whether this is a good fit. Your first official session runs about an hour. It’s an intake session, so I’ll ask a lot of questions about you, your history, and what’s bringing you to therapy. There’s no pressure to have it all figured out; that’s what we’re here to do together.
How long are sessions, and how often will we meet?
Sessions are typically 45 minutes, and I usually recommend meeting weekly to start. Like almost everything in therapy, though, this is a collaborative decision. We’ll talk about what actually works for you, your schedule, and your needs, and adjust as we go.
Do you take insurance, and what are your fees?
I accept most insurance plans, including Medicaid. For private pay, fees are $125 for a 45-minute session and $150 for a 60-minute session. Jackrabbit Counseling never wants cost to be a barrier to care. If fees are a concern, please reach out to talk about sliding-scale options.
Do you offer in-person sessions, telehealth, or both?
Both. In-person sessions are held at 2518 Monument Road, Grand Junction, CO 81507, and telehealth is available anywhere in Colorado.
Is therapy right for me?
You’re the person best suited to answer that, and the fact that you’re asking is usually a sign that some support could help. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy, and reaching out doesn’t mean you’re broken. People come because they feel stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure of themselves; because they’re moving through a transition; because they’re grieving, or carrying old trauma, or moving through depression; because a relationship pattern keeps repeating; or simply because they’ve never had space to really understand themselves. The best way to find out is to try it. There’s never any obligation to continue.
How do I know if we’re a good fit?
The relationship between client and therapist is one of the most important parts of successful therapy. Research consistently shows the quality of that connection matters as much as any specific technique.