About Crystal Owens, MS, LPC-MHSP

Counselors must have it all together, right? Well, that sounds nice, but it’s not exactly the truth.

My journey to becoming a therapist had an unusual start.

My first degree was in mass communications from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). (Fun fact: Even though I went to UTC, my diploma actually says The University of Tennessee. Go Rocky Top!)

After graduating, I worked in television for a number of years as a camera and graphics operator for a local news station. I eventually left that media job because I didn’t think I was cut out to hear the difficult details of people’s everyday lives. Oh, the irony!

Several years later, I began to understand that my purpose was not to shy away from painful stories but to actually help people reshape those moments into something better, something greater. What better way to do that than to positively impact the youngest members of society?

So, I started working with kids (and their adults)!

I enrolled at Tennessee State University and completed my master’s degree in Pre-K through Grade 12 School Counseling in 2009. Boy, did I LOVE it! Those kiddos gave me life! Being a source of support for little kids is literally the best thing ever. If you ever want to feel like a rock star, walk with me into a kindergarten classroom, and I’ll show you the ropes.

As I worked with those kids, I noticed that many of their difficulties came from the adults in their lives. Helping a child at school is great, but the caregivers are the ones who will impact a child’s life forever. So, I went back to school again. (Yep, I’m a total nerd.) This time, I enrolled in another master’s program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lipscomb and graduated in 2019. (I got all A’s, by the way.)

I’m so lucky because I learned how to combine all the areas I love into one amazing experience. Each day, I get the opportunity to communicate on the deepest levels with people who trust me.

Outside of work…

I’m usually at home with my son (who plays drums and guitar), my handsome and handy boyfriend, and our pack of crazy critters. We have a ridiculously energetic Aussie Shepherd mix, two spoiled cats, a Russian tortoise named Basil, and two large tropical aquariums.

My daughter is at college, so I regularly bombard her DMs with all of the Instagram and TikTok reels I can find (because she secretly loves my mom jokes).

I’m always up for a good yard sale or thrift store treasure hunt. You can also expect me to tell you about the random things I find during my shopping trips to Aldi or the dollar bins at Target. Hey, who doesn’t like a little retail therapy now and then?

I guess you can say that I’m a regular person who works with extraordinary people. I can’t wait to meet you. Everyone is welcome!