Years of experience often do count the years prior to licensing, as it's still work experience as a clinician. If they put something that implied their hours worked prior to licensing counted towards their post licensing experience, I may be leary (if they said "20 years experience as an lcsw" when they should have put "20 years as a social worker"). I've not encountered it much though.
Also, just because a therapist works at a crisis center does not mean they are not working as a therapist. It may not be long term counseling or counseling in private practice, but it's still counseling/therapy. The agency I go to for my therapy also has a crisis unit. It is staffed by clinicians. They are all licensed or license eligible clinicians.

I reread your post. If that clinician put those pre-grad school years as "experience in the field", is technically accurate, though somewhat deceptive.