Lucy Tykal, MA she/her

Master of Counseling Clinician & Pre-Licensed Psychotherapist

Lucy is a pre-licensed psychotherapist in Chicago, IL specializing in body image concerns, disordered eating, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. With lived eating disorder experience, Lucy understands the unique impact of diet culture on our relationships to food and our own bodies and is passionate about dismantling the systems that uphold these insidious ideals.

With a background at inpatient and PHP/IOP levels of care, Lucy has worked with diverse populations and welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and identities into the therapeutic space. Her clinical approach is defined by warmth, nonjudgement, and a touch of humor to create a safe space of growth and reflection for individuals of all ages.

As a Health At Every Size informed clinician, Lucy takes a weight-inclusive, anti-diet approach to wellness and is committed to walking alongside her clients on their path to self-acceptance, working with them to gain insight and confidence with each step. She believes in a holistic approach that addresses the impacts of external forces of oppression including weight-bias, racism, sexism, abilism, ageism, and more in order to validate her client’s adaptive responses to a pathological culture.

Areas of Expertise & Therapeutic Approaches

  • Disordered eating

  • Body image concerns

  • Life Transitions

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Person-Centered Therapy

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)

  • Feminist Theories

  • Health At Every Size (HAES®) aligned

    • As a HAES® aligned therapist, I am committed to practice and advocate for: size inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating for well-being, and life-enhancing movement. Check out the Association for Size Diversity's statement of the HAES® Principles here.

Specialized Training

  • Introduction to Psychodrama and Sociometry - Chicago Center for Psychodrama

  • ACT in Action Training - Chicago Center for Psychodrama

  • Motivational Interviewing (MI) Training

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Training

Education

  • Master of Arts- Clinical Mental Health Counseling, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

  • Bachelor of Arts- Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science, Michigan State University

Book a 15 Minute Discovery Call with Lucy