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RO DBT Notice: I have discontinued skills classes. The RO DBT individual portion can still be completed with me. ​
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Waitlist notice: Prospective clients can contact me using the form on this website or via email. I will contact you to schedule a consult call when you are next on the waitlist. The waitlist is estimated at 6-8 months.
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All services are telehealth. 

 Valerie Akins, LCSW, LCDC, LCAS

I have extensive training in treatment for emotional overcontrol and interpersonal relationships. Treatment approaches include ACT & RO DBT, aiming to improve coping with thoughts and emotions, and enhance relationships.

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I specialize in working with adults with maladaptive perfectionism and disorders of emotional overcontrol. These can include chronic anxiety, depression, social anxiety, Avoidant Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, and eating disorders.

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Additionally, as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor & Chemical Addiction Specialist, I work with substance use disorders and how they present as emotion suppression strategies.

 

I have worked in all levels of care, from Inpatient Psychiatric & Detox, Residential Eating Disorder treatment, PHP/IOP, and outpatient.

 

My therapy style is supportive, interactive, goal-focused, and educational. I focus on providing compassionate care and openness for my clients while challenging them to explore options, new skills, communication, and behaviors.

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My clients typically track their moods and thoughts, have homework, and work through evidence-based models with me.

Most of my clients see me for individual counseling and attend a series of psychoeducation-focused classes to learn interpersonal skills, mindfulness, and how to handle thoughts and emotions.

Therapy focuses heavily on processing interpersonal relationships, exploring the sense of self, and finding meaning and purpose.

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Specializations

ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based therapy used to treat a wide array of disorders by improving psychological flexibility. 

 

Treatment focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and emotions as part of the human experience. It uses mindfulness to help clients be present, observe their thinking, open up, and take effective action toward valued goals.

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IPT

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an evidence-based, time-limited treatment used to treat mood disorders based on attachment theory.

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Treatment focuses on improving coping with interpersonal problems (grief, relationship disputes, role transitions, and difficulty making and maintaining relationships). Resolving relationship struggles improves mood.  

RO DBT

Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) is an evidenced-based therapy used for disorders of overcontrol by targeting loneliness.​​

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Treatment focuses on enhancing social connection by improving biotemperament (threat sensitivity). This allows more emotional expression, which improves social signaling and connection. Treatment also teaches flexible responding and openness and practices healthy self-doubt to enhance self-awareness. ​

Mood &

Thought

Disorders​

  • Anxiety & Overthinking

  • Depression

  • OCD

  • Bipolar

  • Schizophrenia Spectrum​​

  • Self-Criticism

  • All or Nothing Thinking

 

Personalities​​

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  • Avoidant Personality (AvPD)

  • Obsessive Compulsive Personality (OCPD)

  • Schizoid Personality

  • Maladaptive Perfectionism

Eating & Substance Use Disorders

  • Anorexia, Orthorexia

  • ARFID

  • Bulimia

  • Binge Eating

  • Body Image

  • ​Substance Use & Chemical Dependency

 

Relationships

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  • Loneliness

  • Social signaling

  • People pleasing

  • Role disputes​

  • Role transitions 

  • Attachment

A note for those seeking treatment for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: Treatment with me incorporates ACT and RO DBT, but also evidence based CBTp (CBT for psychosis), and CFTp (Compassion focused therapy for psychosis). 

Treatment Goals

Openness

Increase openness to emotions, new experiences, unexpected situations, and feedback.

Flexibility

Reduce hyperperfectionism, needs for planning, structure and order.

Social Connection

Improve assertive expression of emotions to others, and build stronger relationships.

What is Overcontrol?

Behaviors

  • Cautious & Avoid risk

  • Procrastinate or Overwork

  • Delay impulses & Goal driven

  • Mask either positive or negative emotions

Emotions

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Irritability

  • Bitterness & Cynicism

  • Envy & Resentment

  • Fear Failure & Rejection

Thoughts

  • Perfectionism

  • Comparisons

  • Self-Judgment 

  • Distrust

  • Rumination

  • Rigid thinking

  • Detail Focused

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Overcontrol is excessive self-control. It is "too much of a good thing." Overcontrol has high threat sensitivity, high restraint of impulses and expressions, and high levels of detail focus.

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Overcontrolled clients:

  • have rigid thinking and behavior, prefer structure and order

  • are cautious and detail focused and tend to be perfectionists

  • are hesitant to engage in new experiences, or situations that are unpredictable

  • can delay gratification to achieve a goal

  • inhibit emotional expressions of either positive or negative emotions

  • have low awareness of emotions and tolerate high levels of distress

  • struggle to feel truly connected with others

Insurances Accepted

In-Network With: 

  • Aetna

  • Ambetter

  • Humana & Humana Medicare

  • Medicare

  • Superior (Except Star Plus/Superior Medicaid)

  • UHC/UBH, Optum, UMR, Oscar, UHC Medicare​​

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Using insurance means you will have a mental health diagnosis submitted to the insurance provider.​​

Out-of-Network

Out-of-network with: 

  • Cigna

  • Magellan

  • Scott & White (BSW)

  • Tricare

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Insurance companies may reimburse a portion for out-of-network providers. Check with you insurance policy to verify coverage.

I can provide you a superbill to submit to your insurance provider. 

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Insurance may also approve a single-case agreement for specialists who are out-of-network.

Self-Pay Rates

$150 per 45 minute session

$175 per 55 minute session

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$50 per group session

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Sliding Scale rates offered

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Good Faith Estimate 

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Insurance
Rates

Get in Touch

Address

6010 W Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano TX

(Telehealth Only Provider)

Phone

469-756-0880

Email

valerie@openacceptance.com

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