Striving Higher Counseling was founded on the belief that people deserve more than surface-level solutions, because we believe people are more than symptoms, diagnoses, or coping problems. Every person carries a story, wounds, strengths, relationships, beliefs, and a deep desire for meaning and connection. Therefore, we walk alongside people through those realities with compassion, clinical skill, and grounded truth. Our goal is not simply symptom management. But meaningful transformation and whole person care.
Striving Higher Counseling exists to create a safe and honest space where people can confront what is keeping them stuck, rediscover who they are, and move toward healing with clarity, courage, and purpose. We believe real growth happens when people are both supported and challenged with compassion, truth, and consistency.
Our approach integrates evidence-based counseling practices with a biblical worldview in a way that is relational, respectful, and individualized. Faith is never forced, but it is foundational to how we understand identity, healing, relationships, and transformation. Whether faith is discussed explicitly in sessions or simply reflected through the counseling environment itself, we believe counseling should honor the whole person: mind, body, and spirit.
Thomas Luster is the founder of Striving Higher Counseling and Striving Higher Ministries. He is an Undergraduate from Kent State University with a Dual BA in Psychology and Justice, and graduated from Southeastern University with two Master’s -- Ministerial Leadership, concentrating on Leadership Development; and Professional Counseling, and is a member of the Alpha Chi Honors Society.
With more than two decades of ministerial leadership experience, a background as a retired professional athlete, and a degree in professional counseling with advanced training, Tommy brings a relational, grounded, and practical perspective into the counseling room. His counseling style is direct, compassionate, collaborative, and deeply relational. He believes healing happens when people feel safe enough to be honest and supported enough to become brave about growth.
Tommy works from an integrative counseling framework, drawing from evidence-based therapeutic approaches while honoring the whole person — mind, body, relationships, story, values, and spirit. When desired by the client, counseling may also include prayer, Scripture, and direct faith conversations. His work commonly includes anxiety, trauma, shame, identity, emotional disconnection, relationship conflict, attachment patterns, spiritual concerns, life transitions, personal growth, men’s issues, young-adult development, athletes, ministry leaders, couples, and families. Rather than forcing clients into one rigid counseling model, Tommy tailors therapy to the person sitting in front of him. Every person’s story, culture, experiences, goals, and needs are different.
Tommy Luster
Co-Host on Bringing Intimacy Back Podcast
with Dr. April Brown