Hidden Gems: Meet Crystle Lampitt of CL Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystle Lampitt.

Hi Crystle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved to the United States in middle school after spending years living in Southeast Asia. I was the weird Indonesian-American kid in the middle of Kansas who dressed and spoke differently. While I made friends and eventually adjusted, I was very lonely and spent hours reading books and watching TV to escape. I always thought TV hosts, like the ones on MTV or E! had the best jobs– they were always smiling, glamorous and surrounded by important people. So I decided to pursue a career in media. I started behind the scenes as a production assistant, videographer, and editor then worked my way in front of the camera as a TV Host and Producer at a local TV station. For a long time, I loved it — I was a sidelines reporter for the MLS soccer team, Sporting Kansas City, I covered local events as a morning newscaster, and eventually I produced and hosted a show featuring local music artists, then began co-hosting a daily morning show.

BUT.

I was working around the clock. My life wasn’t my own. I was constantly under a microscope, I worked insane hours– sometimes starting my day at 3am to be on the morning newscast and not finishing it until 11pm covering a soccer game. I was also working part-time as a model and a dog-sitter to make ends meet. This wasn’t the glamorous life I anticipated. Eventually, my body started to give out– I was diagnosed with autoimmune illness, and I couldn’t slow down enough to take better care of myself. I found myself in toxic, chaotic, and at times abusive relationships. I couldn’t hack it anymore. I needed help. Thankfully, I found a wonderful therapist, and after much hard work, my mental health and my physical health began to improve. I was so grateful to have what felt like a second chance at life that at age 30, I decided to go back to school to pursue a career in mental health. I am now a licensed psychotherapist with my own private practice and I get to support others on their journeys to a happier, healthier life. I am also a speaker (most recently at TEDx), presenting at schools and organizations about the importance of being trauma-informed and dispelling myths about mental health that keep us sad, sick, and stuck.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I specialize in trauma & I treat adults grappling with issues related to PTSD, CPTSD (complex, chronic, prolonged trauma), anxiety, depression, codependency, abuse recovery, body image, multi-ethnic identity, highly visible careers, adoption/biological parent discoveries, and the vast array of difficult experiences that come with being human.

I’d like people to know that if they’re experiencing symptoms or are stuck in patterns that don’t “make sense,” they’re not crazy. They are likely stuck in a fight/flight/freeze response due to a real or imagined threat. Working with a trauma-trained therapist is a must because these responses are physiological, not just “in their heads.”

I am most proud of my certification in NARM, or the NeuroAffective Relational Model. At this writing, there is only one other therapist in Kansas City who has completed this training (a wonderful colleague of mine who is also a local therapist!). This therapy method is both a cognitive and somatic approach to integrating trauma, utilizing attachment-based and neuroscience research, so that we can have greater access to our own agency, clarity, and vitality.

When I say trauma, I don’t just mean shock trauma (like getting in a car accident or going to war), I am talking about any traumatic event (emotional or physical) that overwhelms our coping capacities. Trauma does not just refer to the event that occurred, but the injury you sustained from the event. Trauma is not just what happened to you– it’s also what didn’t happen FOR you. The scars left on our hearts and psyches are often overlooked, pathologized and/or minimized, and my work aims to support my clients in processing their pain so that it no longer calls the shots in their lives.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned that many of us need to slow down, and many systems are not set up to prioritize to human wellbeing. No, the social distancing and isolation of COVID-19 lockdowns are NOT conducive to health and happiness, but we need to stop acting like our previous pace of working around the clock, hustling 24/7, and never resting was working either.

Contact Info:

• Email: crystle@clwellnesskc.com
• Website: www.clwellnesskc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystlelampitt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connectwithcrystle
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/crystlelampitt
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@crystlelampitt?lang=en

Image Credits
Dan Compton