Lana Copeland

Therapy has always been an important part of my life and has forever been in the back of my head as what I was meant to do. I was raised by a therapist and surrounded by artists, and my educational journey reflects this. I graduated from Knox College in 2016 with a BA in Studio Art. Amongst many important life lessons, through painting I learned to trust the process. This lesson carried into graduate school, which I began in 2018. I graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2022, with my Masters in Counseling Psychology, with a focus on addiction treatment. I was drawn to addiction treatment for many reasons. I appreciate the view of addiction as a coping skill gone awry, how it requires looking at a person in a holistic way, and the ability to provide my clients with a nonjudgmental, stigma-free experience that many are not used to. Since graduation, I have worked at Thresholds, providing both individual and group therapy to those struggling with addiction and/or mental health struggles and whom have limited resources to receive treatment. I love the work that I do, and look forward to expanding beyond Community Mental Health and working independently with clients through Headway.

As a therapist, I aim to show up as my authentic self. I am naturally curious, and work to meet clients where they are and respect them as experts on themselves. I believe that therapy should be individualized, and therefore my approach may be a bit different depending on a client’s needs and presentation (for example, some people appreciate handouts and homework, some appreciate mindfulness and meditation in session, some require gentle feedback whereas others prefer directness, etc.).

I strongly value creating safety within the therapeutic relationship, as I believe that the relationship between therapist and client is the most important tool in therapy. With my clients, I strive to be nonjudgemental, warm, and understanding, while also gently holding them accountable. I do not identify with one particular treatment modality, but instead incorporate aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and relational therapy in my work. Finally, I am full of hope for the people I work with. I firmly believe that everyone is capable of creating the lives that they want to live, and my goal is to help you to see all that is within yourself already that will help you to get where you want to go.

In our first session, you can expect to share what brought you to therapy and what you hope to accomplish (if you know this already, some do not and that’s okay). My primarily goal is to begin to build safety and connection in the first session. Collaboration starts from the beginning, so to begin I will be asking questions in order to get to know you, and I will do my best to follow your lead.