We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lynell Cooper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lynell below.
Hi Lynell, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
I was a high school junior in Muncie, Indiana, when I found out I was pregnant. Despite the challenges, I maintained a 3.75 GPA and held onto my status as a 21st Century Scholar, which meant my higher education would be fully funded. Eventually, I was accepted into the Groups Program at Indiana University Bloomington, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree and two minors in just four years.
But the journey wasn’t easy. During high school, I faced significant adversity, especially from the administration. They often shuffled teen moms and so-called “unruly” youth off to local career centers as part of Bill Clinton’s push for vocational jobs. It felt like they were chasing funding rather than fulfilling their mission to support students like me. Yet failure was not an option. I was the youngest of four children, and no one was at home waiting for me. My older siblings moved on and didn’t look back; the only thing holding me back was my age. But I knew I had a bright future ahead. I, too, had overcome the hidden battles of witnessing domestic violence in my home, amongst other things like addiction, neglect, and a gammon of normalized abuse.
Reflecting on why I decided to start my own business in 2015, I realize those experiences played a big part. By my 30s, I worked for various nonprofits and government agencies, but I had grown tired of constantly adjusting programs just to secure funding. I wanted to focus on the mission, not just the money. So, I leaped. In the fall of 2015, I left my full-time job and began my entrepreneurial journey, becoming a licensed clinical social worker and founding Rose Project Counseling & Consulting, LLC.
My goal was clear: to build an organization for youth and families facing domestic violence, family violence, and issues like addiction, which often intersect with these struggles. Just like my own experience, I knew that children in homes with addiction and violence are at higher risk of neglect, making them vulnerable to predators and limiting their access to opportunities like higher education.
Now, in every family I work with, I see positive changes. I witness children growing more resilient and parents becoming whole through counseling, support services, and other interventions. These outcomes affirm the beliefs of my younger self—the 16-year-old who, despite all odds, decided, “I will graduate. I will earn my degree. I will start my own business and be the change I want to see.” Today, I’m proud to say that I’ve encouraged hundreds of families to find their paths to resilience and hope.
Lynell, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
About Me: Born and raised in Indiana, I am a dedicated wife, mother of three, and proud grandmother to my two-year-old grandson, King Daion. I serve as the Executive and Clinical Director of my private practice, Rose Project Counseling & Consulting, LLC. Alongside my practice, I am a faculty member at the Phylis Lan Lin School of Social Work and Counseling at the University of Indianapolis, where I also completed my Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2018.
My Services & Practice: I began my journey with Rose Project Counseling & Consulting, LLC, in 2015, with a Bachelor’s degree. Recognizing the importance of continuous growth, I remained committed to my personal and professional development, completing my MSW and becoming a Senior Abuse Intervention Program Facilitator. My role focuses on rehabilitating individuals who have engaged in abusive behaviors. I am also trained in various therapeutic approaches, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Informed Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and in addressing Narcissistic Personality Disorder and ADHD.
I specialize in working with clients and families experiencing complex trauma, offering intensive therapy alongside a multidisciplinary team of professionals to support their path to a healthier, more fulfilling life. At Rose Project, we provide in-home and community-based services and telehealth options for mental health counseling. Our services include online courses for Abuse Intervention for Perpetrators, Domestic Violence classes for Victims, Parent Education, and Supervised Visitation for safe reunification and co-parenting support.
Our team is committed to delivering high-quality, ethically sound services. Every staff member is trained in CPR/First Aid and Safe Sleep practices and is equipped to provide services safely and effectively within the home environment. We are also dedicated to culturally competent service delivery, ensuring that each client’s background and needs are respectfully considered throughout their journey with us.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn shame. Early in my career, while training to work with both those who abuse and their victims, I learned to compartmentalize. I became skilled at separating my own experiences and emotions from the people I was helping, focusing solely on what or who was in front of me. But in doing so, I learned to hide.
Behind that compartmentalization, I was struggling. I witnessed family members going through abusive situations, and I faced my own experiences with abuse. I had challenges raising my oldest child and often felt like I was failing—in my relationships and as a mother. But the truth is, I wasn’t failing. I was doing exactly what I often shared with my clients: “the best that I could, with what I had at the time.”
The more I accepted that truth, the more I found success in creating healthier and more secure attachments in my life. I learned to let go of, or distance myself from, old relationships and patterns that had been normalized for me as a child. It was a journey of self-compassion and growth, and most importantly, of unlearning the shame that had kept me hidden for so long.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
If I were to go back and choose a career all over again, honestly, I wouldn’t pick the same path—LOL! Instead, I would choose a focus in organizational leadership and behavior. In my work, I’ve encountered many corporate professionals who struggle with self-awareness or, at times, use their positions of power to avoid facing their trauma or maladaptive behaviors. Often, they rely on self-medicating behaviors to mask their need for healing. I want to help break through that.
If I could, I’d pursue a dual major in clinical social work and organizational leadership. I see the potential to empower leaders to speak their truth without fear of judgment, cancellation, or job loss. By encouraging this openness, I believe they can not only begin their own healing but also positively impact those who look up to them. I want to help create environments where authenticity and vulnerability are seen as strengths—ultimately fostering healthier workplaces and communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theroseprojectindy.com
- Instagram: roseprojectcounseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theroseprojectindy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lwcooperlcsw/
