Lyna Tome

LCPC

She | Her | Hers

Anxiety | Depression | Life transitions | Emerging Adults | Multiculturalism and First Generation Issues | Relationship and social challenges

My Background

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois, and earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adler University in Chicago. I strongly believe that we are social beings striving to be heard and understood, and I am honored every day to provide this collaborative space in any capacity that I can to the individuals I interact with. I find that being a therapist enables me to both model a genuine and trusting relationship, while also providing a challenging but supportive outlet for individuals to examine and reevaluate their most underlying thoughts, patterns, habits, and fears.

In addition to working in private practice, I have an extensive background working with currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, and am subsequently heavily trained in CBT modalities. I find this CBT focus strongly aids me in treating anxiety, mood disorders, and general life-transitions. That being said, I am simultaneously a firm believer that we are a “product of our experiences.” I like to integrate psychodynamic approaches with the goal of increasing client awareness of their underlying narratives and behavioral patterns, and in so doing, collaboratively restructuring them. The ultimate hope is to reshape my clients’ relationships with themselves and with their world. 

I additionally specialize in working with first-and-second generation (“children of”) immigrants, and am fluent in both English and Arabic languages. Being a first generation immigrant myself, I am intimately familiar with the intricacies of integrating the primary cultural identity within which we are raised with the Western, American culture that we are living. I strive to help my clients find the unique balance that suits their lifestyle and shapes their own individual identity, accordingly.

My goal in therapy is ultimately to help my clients find peace. I strive to guide clients in unpacking and understanding the story through which they view the world, and to distinguish it from their authentic self. In doing so, I believe individuals can shift the way they understand and interact with both themselves and their surroundings. I take pride in cultivating a genuine, unbiased, and validating space for my clients. I am solution-focused by nature, and seek to provide my clients with tangible tools and autonomy in their progress, so that they can directly transfer this progress to their unfolding futures. 

 Being from Chicago, I have learned to wholeheartedly appreciate time I can spend outside, and in my freetime, I enjoy anything that enables me to do so. I find solace in activities like gardening, foraging, outdoor running, and camping. I also try to stay involved in my community by means of organizing, activism, and volunteer work.