Today we’d like to introduce you to Deondra Crippen
Hi Deondra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, I guess I would begin with my last couple years in high school. I had a strong desire to go to college to become a doctor in the mental health field; however, my family and I weren’t in the best financial position to cover the cost for college. Although there was an option for scholarships, everything in me felt like college was still out of reach due to other needs such as transportation and the things needed to sustain me while I was away. So, after talking to a few different recruiters from various branches, I decided to sign up for the delayed enlistment program for the Air Force when I was a Junior in high school. The ASVAB test was given to our class already, so I just had to make the decision to go. I shipped out a month after graduating high school and spent the next 4 years of my life fulfilling the duties of my enlistment. During that time, I got married and started a family. Due to the demands of my career field and my husband and I both being enlisted; I made the choice to separate after my enlistment ended so that I could provide some stability for our children. After failed attempts to go back to school, moving to two different states, and starting over career-wise, I made up in my mind that my opportunity to pursue my dream was over. So, I worked to help with the household and settled into my way of life, until I talked to my best friend on the phone one day. She asked me when I would make the decision to go back to school. I gave her all my reasons why it just wasn’t a good time, and she told me in the most direct way that she could that she didn’t care about my excuses, lol. She reminded me that there were so many other people who had made the decision as single mothers, and the fact that I had help made the possibility even greater. She asked me to write my vision and to be as specific as possible… then, put it in my bible in the book of Habbakkuk 2:2-3. She told me that she previously did the same and was able to see where God had answered her prayers. I told her I would try it, and I followed through on that promise. Once I did as she had instructed, I took it one step further and made an appointment to speak with a guidance counselor at a university close to me that offered online class options. With the support of my husband and kids, I signed up for my first class at the age of 31 years old and later stopped working to speed up the process of finishing. Our family struggled financially during that time, but I truly believed God for something bigger at the finish line. My friend had awakened the drive that I had once before to succeed, and she helped reignite my faith in a way that I had never tapped into before. Fast forward, I finished my BAS degree at the age of 34 and enrolled in a master’s program. My dream was almost altered again, because I had to drop all the classes I had enrolled in after being accepted into the program. We were scheduled to move again, because my husband received orders, and we didn’t have much time to prepare to leave. Later, we found out that we would not be relocating, so I was able to reenroll the next semester. I also started work as a Contracting Officer to help offset the financial burden. Going to school full time, working full time, raising kids who were very active in extracurricular activities, and still finding time to spend with my husband, family, and friends was sooooo hard!!! However, God gave me the strength to keep going and I finished my Master of Arts in Counseling at the age of 36. I revisited my vision along the way and saw how God had started answering the prayers I had written for me and my family. That gave me motivation to keep going and to keep believing for greater. After taking my licensure exams at age 37 and getting my temporary license to practice under supervision at age 39, I resigned from my Senior Contracting Officer position to pursue my career as a therapist full time in private group practices. It has not been an easy road at all, especially starting off with little to no clients. As time passed, I began to build my client caseload and learn more and more from hands on experience, supervision, and colleague collaboration. During that time, I also co-authored a book on grief with a colleague that was created to provide a resource for a grief group I created and was leading at the time. After going through the Women Veterans Leadership program, signing up for a business coaching and mentorship program, and enduring some major losses personally, I prayed and made the decision to go into private practice. I founded Rooted in Purpose Counseling, PLLC in 2023, and officially began seeing clients in March 2024 when I was 45 years old. I wanted to share my age during my journey, because it is so easy to think that age matters when it comes to pursuing your dreams. However, as long as you still have breath in your body and believe it’s possible, it can still be done. I feel like God developed so much in me during that time. He reminded me that delay did not mean denial… and that He would restore the years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! I feel like there were so many challenges along the way. When you make the decision to walk away from your job that is helping sustain the household, that can cause some issues… lol. Although my husband and I knew that it was for a bigger goal, it still put a big strain on things… including our relationship at times. We had to adjust our budget, and we had to make necessary cuts to things that we would typically do with the kids and each other. It’s not easy explaining to your kids that we can’t do some of the same things we used to. It’s also not easy when life happens and new needs arise, but the funds are low. In addition to that, I also faced the struggle of not being accessible like I was before, because there was not much free time. Going to school meant spending time in class, writing research papers, doing other homework assignments, and being away from my kids. Once I went back to work full time, that limited quality time even more. Not only did I have to do the usual homework, papers, class, commit to internship hours to qualify for graduation, and prepare to pass final and licensure exams… I also started my day at 4:30 AM so I could meet for van pool and get to work by 6:30 AM. I missed a few school programs, senior meetings for my daughter, nights to help with college applications, and didn’t get a lot of sleep or leisure time with my family. My husband was a trooper, because he stood in the gap so many days and nights for me to ensure things were taken care, but it was a challenge. Spending time with my family means so much to me, and it was heartbreaking to not have that. I would check in with the kids periodically to see what they thought about things, and we would always say to one another, “it’s a big sacrifice, for a small amount of time, to obtain the goal.” They told me they understood, but I could see the shift in our connection, and I felt ALLLLL the mom guilt. I missed being with them and I knew they missed me too. They weren’t afraid to tell me that either. I welcomed their honesty, because it was important for them to know that what they felt and thought about things mattered to me. Kids can be very resilient, but I know the weight of things in life get heavy for them too. So, there were a lot of exhausting and tearful days and nights. It took a lot of prayers and support from my loved ones to not quit.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Rooted in Purpose Counseling, PLLC, our mission is to bring genuine connection and empathy to the services we provide, while helping our clients understand and process unresolved generational trauma and the grief that it brings. Because trauma is so impactful and creates a lot of grief that changes us, we take a holistic approach towards growth that deals with the whole person — mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We serve a diverse clientele but specialize in services for Black and Hispanic business and veteran women. A large portion of our clients are veterans, military affiliated family members, and/or businesswomen, ages 18 and older, who have suffered with the effects of intergenerational trauma that can present as high functioning anxiety, depression, grief/loss, muted voices, perfectionism, hyper-independence, and more. Being a Veteran with over 13 years of Federal service and spending 20+ years in the military community, I am very passionate about ensuring women veterans are included in the population we serve, due to the added pressures of the mission.
Our name speaks to our specialty, because it is our desire to help our clients become more aware of the patterns they are rooted in. The things we are exposed to in life, including in our families that have been normalized, have a way of shaping us even when we aren’t fully aware of it. It impacts the way we handle conflict, parenthood, and communication. It affects our identity and view of ourselves (e.g. Who am I? Am I enough? What makes me worthy?). It can also impact our view of the world and how safe and secure we feel inside, in life, and how we nurture our closest relationships. Our history is also reflected in how we express or suppress our needs. We desire to help our clients break free from the generational chaos and dysfunction that tend to run in families so they can begin healing from the cycle of pain and the effects of the secrets that caused them to suffer in silence.
We currently provide personalized services for individuals and couples, ages 16+, addressing abandonment challenges, abuse/neglect, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, intergenerational trauma, relationship challenges, spiritual growth, and stress management. We accept most major insurance plans through Headway from Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Carelon Behavioral Health, Cigna, Oscar Health, Oxford, Quest Behavioral Health, United Medical Resources (UMR), and United Healthcare. We hope to expand this offering soon to include other insurance panels. We also contract with CenterStone Military Services, which is a resource provided through the Wounded Warrior Program and provide a superbill for reimbursement through The Loveland Foundation therapy program for approved program participants. For those who prefer to use private pay options instead, this is also available. We are in the process of expanding our service offerings to also include speaking engagements and customized workshops.
Brand wise, I am most proud of the logo because it honors three very important parts of my life: my grandmother, my mother, and my relationship with God. Each detail is reflective of something significant pertaining to those three things. I believe the thing that sets us apart is the population we serve, our ROOTED Framework, and the fact that our individual lived experiences are unique. I am a survivor of trauma also and know that nothing we ever go through is wasted… and no one can creatively draw from those experiences or connect with others the exact same way. So, we bring that unique quality, authenticity, compassion, as well as intentionality to help our clients do the work to heal, feel empowered, and obtain mental wellness.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Yes… I learned how important life and our connection to other people is. Covid taught us the value of spending quality time with the people we love, because their presence in our lives is not guaranteed. I also learned how delicate our mental health can be. Covid stripped away so much, including our sense of safety and security. Everything we knew changed in a matter of weeks and months. The level of isolation that was required was also overwhelming and the silence sometimes deafening. That was such a painful experience that left a lot of us grieving in so many ways… and many didn’t even realize how layered the grief was. There are people still working to recover from the devastation it left in its tracks. I will say, it was interesting how Covid helped reduce the stigma associated with mental health but can’t say that I am surprised. There were so many challenges that came to the surface. I’m glad that people feel more comfortable with reaching out for help without fear of judgement, and that we are creating spaces for people to nurture their mental and emotional well-being. I just hate we had to endure something so devastating to get there.
Pricing:
- Individual Intake: $140.00
- Individual Follow-up: $120.00
- Couples Intake: $160.00
- Couples Follow-up: $140.00
- Speaking Engagement and Workshops: Request a Quote
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rootedinpurposecounseling.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedinpurposecounselingpllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BFtDxnfb1/
- Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/deondra-crippen-san-antonio-tx/433211
- Other: https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/listing/deondra-crippen-ma-lpc-rooted-in-purpose-counseling-pllc/
