Today we’d like to introduce you to Queen-ella Pringle Mft, Cfle, Cftp, Lpca, Pmh
Hi Queen-Ella, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve been fascinated by how families navigate stress, trauma, communication, overwhelm, burnout, and major life challenges. Little did I know, this curiosity would shape my life’s purpose—helping families grow and thrive through adversity. One of my earliest memories of stepping into this role was on the day of 9/11. I was in high school in New York City, heading to my homeroom class when I noticed people crying in the stairwell. One girl was completely inconsolable. I stopped to talk to her, and she confided in me that her parents worked in the Twin Towers, and she was terrified for their lives. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the gravity of the situation, but I sat with her, holding her as she cried, offering her comfort in a moment when her world seemed to fall apart. That was the first time I realized the power of simply holding space for someone.
In my third year of college, I decided to join the military, which led me to live in Europe for 12 years. During my time in the military, particularly overseas, friends often became family. High deployment rates meant families were frequently separated, and I found myself befriending and supporting a dual-military family. The mother, pregnant with her third child, faced the challenge of her husband deploying to war. I stepped in as a support system, attending doctor’s appointments, helping with her other children, and even being present for the birth of her baby. I didn’t realize at the time that I was acting as a doula, but supporting her through that journey felt natural. This experience repeated itself with other families, where I helped mothers during pregnancy and childbirth, especially when they were separated from their support systems.
After starting a family of my own, my passion for supporting mothers grew. Though I was no longer on active duty, I continued serving as a reservist while navigating motherhood abroad without the immediate support of family. One of the most significant challenges I faced was breastfeeding. This struggle ignited a passion in me, leading me to become a certified lactation counselor. I supported military families, guiding mothers and fathers in their roles, helping them strengthen their bonds and thrive together. This journey eventually inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling.
During this time, conversations with my own mother uncovered the postpartum challenges she had faced, along with the resources she wished had been available to her. These revelations deepened my desire to support new families, particularly in the perinatal and maternal mental health space. Through my work, I realized that many of the anxieties I experienced as a new mother were common, and being part of lactation support groups helped me in ways I hadn’t understood at the time. Reflecting on my life’s journey, I see how family healing has always been woven into my experiences. It has shown up in different phases of my life, contributing to the knowledge, empathy, and understanding I now bring to my work in helping families heal, connect, overcome conflict, and move forward with strength.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey to becoming a licensed mental health professional has been anything but smooth. It’s a path filled with many challenges to overcome. I completed my final year of college while serving on active duty, often studying in the middle of the night to make it through. After earning a four-year undergraduate degree, the process continues with a master’s program, which requires hundreds of hours of clinical practice before graduation. But even after that, licensure demands passing several exams, depending on your specialty.
Living overseas posed a significant obstacle for me, as I didn’t have access to the clinical internships I needed to move forward with my training. I had to pause my studies for a while until we relocated back to the U.S. in 2017, allowing me to finally fulfill my requirements and resume my path. Now, in private practice, I reflect on how my resilience and tenacity have carried me to this point. The journey over the past 15 years has been filled with challenges, but the rewards have been immense, and I wouldn’t trade any part of the experience.
We’ve been impressed with Sankofa Family Counseling & Wellness , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a family therapist dedicated to helping families build their capacity to thrive without being consumed by stress, overwhelm, or anxiety. I provide therapy for individuals, couples, and families, with specialized expertise in areas such as perinatal and maternal mental health, postpartum parenting, transitional families navigating separation or divorce, parental burnout, youth/teen social-emotional development & anger management, and infant mental health for children aged zero to five. Essentially, I work across the entire spectrum of family life, supporting parenting, human growth, and development throughout all stages.
Beyond therapy, I also offer group counseling, lead workshops, and speak at events, with plans to introduce family wellness retreats soon. Additionally, I collaborate with local schools and nonprofits to promote social-emotional growth and development in students. I’m well known for my work with teenage anxiety, infant mental health (ages 0-5), emotional dysregulation, and anger management in children, as well as helping families maintain healthy relationships during separation and divorce.
What sets me apart from other family therapists is my blend of professional expertise and life experience. Beyond meeting educational requirements, my personal journey allows me to deeply empathize with the complex challenges families face and the lack of support they often experience. I’m especially proud of my ability to not only provide therapeutic support to families but also consult for small businesses through *Cornerstone Visionaries Consulting & Coaching*. I help organizations support parents in the workplace by promoting effective parenting practices, which in turn enhances employee productivity and satisfaction.
I’m available for speaking engagements at businesses or organizations to empower parents to thrive both at home and in the workplace. While my services are currently offered virtually with evening and weekend availability, I’m actively searching for a location to offer in-person sessions in the near future. My goal is to be a trusted community resource, healing communities by helping families heal.
What does success mean to you?
Defining success as a family therapist is multifaceted, as it goes beyond just symptom relief or temporary improvements. Success, to me, means helping families develop lasting, meaningful changes that promote resilience, connection, and growth. It involves improved communication, stronger relationships, emotional regulation and stability, and healthier parenting practices to name a few. Ultimately, success is not measured by perfection but by progress and the ability of families to grow together, even in the face of adversity. When families can heal, reconnect, and move forward with hope and strength, I consider my work successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sankofafamilycounselingandwellness.com
- Instagram: sankofa_family_counseling
- Facebook: Sankofa family Counseling Services
