About Ikenna - The Official Stuff
Credentials: Licenced Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) under the supervision of Laura Morlok (LCPC)
Graduate School Degree: Masters of Science (MS) - Clinical Mental Health - Hood College
Clinical Internship Experience: Playful Therapy Connections
My Approach to Therapy
Brains are weird and wonderful. Most of us have demonized, judged, criticized, shamed, and hated aspects of our brains our whole lives.
My experience as a clinical intern for Playful Therapy Connections allowed me to work with neurodivergent kids, teens, adults, parents, and families. I developed my skills in providing client-centered therapy as well as modeling and educating about recognizing, setting, and respecting boundaries.
You are the expert of your life. I want you to gain confidence in recognizing your needs and advocating for them. We often don’t listen to our needs because we’re taught to ignore them or push them away because that would make us “too needy" or “too much”. Then there’s the slippery slope of ignoring needs to the point of burnout.
I’m here to tell you that you are not too much or too needy. And I hope that by working together, you will also fully believe that as well. My therapy space is a place for you to explore and celebrate parts you may have hidden due to fear of being judged or criticized.
Trust doesn’t happen overnight, so we will let those hiding parts peak their heads out when we’ve built a strong therapeutic relationship!
Ikenna Lughna, LGPC - Fun Facts!
01 — Pokemon Trainer
I’m trying to collect cards to create a powerful deck full of water Pokemon! I almost always choose the water starter no matter the generation. Pokemon Go motivates me to get my steps in. My favorite Pokemon are Vaporeon, Lapras, Dragonair, Totodile, and Wartortle.
02 — Healer Main
If there’s an opportunity for me to heal my team in a tabletop, roleplaying game, or first-person shooter…I will most likely take it. I usually play a paladin or a cleric in Dungeons & Dragons, though I’m learning how to play the evil characters as a GM for a homebrew campaign I made for my friends!
03 — Connection through Play
We (kids AND adults) can connect and communicate through play! Play is a great way to process emotions and situations in a more metaphorical way, which can be less distressing than talking about them directly. Building rapport and a strong therapeutic relationship allow for feelings of safety to blossom and for vulnerability to come through naturally.
04 — Parent to 4 Cat Children and 1 Dog Child
We adopted Quacey (blue eyed deaf white boy cat) and Beinn (golden eyed white boy cat) several years ago. We welcomed Tuesday (tabby) on 2.22.2022 when we found her mewling under our fence. Aristotle (gray cat) and Hayley (fox terrier) joined the family in 2023.