Veterans' counselor shares his skills

"People I have talked with are really questioning their own souls....".

Veterans' counselor shares his skills

By Julie Muhlstein, Herald Columnist

He's been to war. When veterans talk, Steve Akers understands.

Akers will always understand. He can no longer listen, though. After almost three decades of listening to recollections of combat and its aftermath, the 61-year-old Everett man is retired as a mental health counselor.

"I'm saturated. It's compassion fatigue," said Akers, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam. Until last year, he worked at his own downtown Everett counseling office. His wife, Laurie Akers, also a counselor, carries on his mission at Akers Counseling.

Steve Akers spent his career reaching out to veterans of all ages. Many came to him through his contact with the Veterans Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

No longer working directly with clients, Akers shares his professional expertise and the hard-earned experience of his own battles with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Monday evening, he'll be at Mount Vernon's Skagit Valley Hospital to address a meeting of therapists interested in volunteering with the Soldiers Project NW, which aims to provide free, confidential counseling for active duty military members, veterans and their families.
click post title for more