We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Krystal L. Culler, DBH, MA. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Krystal L. below.
Dr. Krystal L. , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?
Recently my Virtual Brain Health Center celebrated its second anniversary. We had our wellness event of the year packed with top-notch programs and engaging speakers. Fortunately, we had a wonderful response and welcomed students from across the world to our center.
I am so humbled to have received many kind notes of appreciation for our collaborations, events, programs, and services over the past two years. One, in particular, came from a student who has regularly engaged with us since our initial launch in 2020. She wrote how she has felt more empowered and supported to make changes for a happier, healthier life. She also shared her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery with us by stating that she needs our center as part of her recovery.
My eyes were full of tears and my heart was smiling as I read her kind correspondence. When we launched our center, I had no idea how others would utilize our services or if people would even be interested in brain health programs. But we’ve supported thousands of individuals to date. I keep these types of kind notes in a box to review on days that are challenging.
One of our goals for the center was to create a sense of community within our virtual programs and services. I lack the appropriate words to convey my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for each and every student, group, and community who has welcomed our center into their homes (via Zoom) and their lives. We have met our students’ four-legged companions and grandchildren, expanded our social networks, shared laughs and tears, and more during our programs.
Our students’ engagement and support of our center are remarkable, and they inspire our ongoing service. I have been overwhelmed on more than one occasion by our students’ commitment to better brain health and the incredibly kind individuals, groups, and organizations who champion brain care for all. I have received so much from so many people and they inspire my passion for my work, projects, and more.
Dr. Krystal L. , 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?
I work in the field of brain health and wellness with a focus on equity in serving aging adults, caregivers, families, communities, and providers. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with individuals of all ages and I’m trained in a lifespan approach to adult development and aging; therefore, I carry this over to my work in the wellness field. For years, I have stated that brain health and wellness are for everyone- every single person- with no exclusions.
When I look back on my twenties it seems that all roads led to the brain in one way or another. I was 27 years old when I had my seizure and my “5-year plan” at the time went out the window. (I was in a Ph.D. program and was planning to be a university professor.) My mom was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and my grandmother, with who I was very close, was nearing the end of her journey with Dementia. Women’s brain health issues were at the forefront of my personal life.
I had recently finished my master’s degree in the psychology of adult development in aging and had spent just shy of a decade working with individuals with developmental disabilities, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and other brain-based diseases as a direct care provider. All roads were leading back to the brain while making brain care a priority for myself, my family, and the communities I served.
It took my own brain misfiring to abruptly redirect my career path but it was a true blessing in disguise. In about two years’ time, my brain and body healed from most of the trauma that stemmed from this isolated event, but I still have lingering effects that I manage today that have manifested in other brain-based diseases. However, over the past decade, I have learned a lot on my personal brain care path and I am still a student. Fortunately, I found my way to understanding more about the mind-body connection, exploring spirituality/meditation, and other aspects of wellness for my personal care which transferred over to my work life, too. While finding tools to support my own brain care, I found an area that is of growing interest to many aging adults- brain health and wellness.
Luckily, the brain health and wellness field encompasses many things and I get to be a lifelong learner every day while building off of my doctorate in behavioral health and training in aging. Although brain health is the field I choose to work in, it is also personal as I have to continuously work on my personal brain care for my own well-being every single day. I carry this forward to my work in striving to share brain care for all.
At the Virtual Brain Health Center, we aim to be a one-stop shop for individuals looking for ways to understand brain health and wellness. We provide live, online classes with industry experts to individuals, groups, communities, and providers looking for ways to support their optimal brain care. We translate the latest research into actionable steps people can take in their daily lives to build a better brain.
We also offer a robust resource center for individuals looking for additional resources to support their personal brain care and free healthy brain check-ups (also known as memory screenings). We are known for providing additional educational resources including infographics on an expansive range of brain health-related topics, blogs, and short videos. We offer a wide variety of free programs in partnership with our collaborative partners during Brain Awareness Week (March) and Active Aging Week (October).
Being a virtual brain health center has helped us expand our reach to nearly every state in the United States and Australia, multiple provinces of Canada, and over 55 countries across the world (including Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America- far beyond Northeast Ohio! The Center has also been able to create a supportive learning environment where we can partner with individuals and experts across the world, all looking to share brain care for all. I am so grateful for the individuals and groups who have welcomed our center into their homes and lives as they take up the charge for better brain health.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Brain health is a hot topic in aging and general wellness. The majority of adults rank brain health as one of their top health concerns next to heart health. Essentially, everything starts and ends with the brain, yet few of us know how to support our brains to thrive.
At the Virtual Brain Health Center, we get to talk about all things brain health and wellness with individuals, carers, families, groups, communities, and providers. Our message is the same but it is tailored for each audience that we support. We get to share information about brain wellness but it is our students, groups, and communities who take action to drive their personal health goals. It is such a rewarding experience to know that when people are empowered with knowledge and practical health tips. Tiny shifts lead to big results in their lives. I am grateful to be able to launch a Virtual Brain Health Center to work in an area that I am personally passionate about with an incredible colleague and friend, LeAnne.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I initially met LeAnne Stuver, M.Ed., BSN, when I interviewed for my first industry job as a director of a new center for brain health that was co-located on a senior living campus. Once I was hired, she was one of the few people who took the time to welcome me to the organization and supported me as I learned how to navigate my new work environment. Over time our departments, lifelong learning and brain health, collaborated on many programs and services for residents, staff, and community outreach. Over time, we both moved on from that organization but kept in touch.
In watching the early events of the pandemic unfold, I reached out to LeAnne about an “idea” that I wanted to share. As a trusted colleague and invaluable resource, I informally pitched the idea of a “Virtual Brain Health Center” to her. Fortunately, she loved the idea and asked how to help. The rest has been our center’s history in the making so to speak.
Our mutual interest in quality programming for aging adults and passion for sharing reliable information about health and wellness is the foundation of our center. LeAnne has been our Director of Lifelong Learning and Co-Founder since our inception. Collaboratively, we offer over four decades of experience in supporting adults to live active and vibrant lives. We have an established record of developing, implementing, and creating international and national award-winning programs in brain health and lifelong learning. Our previous work has been recognized by the American Society on Aging, Mather Lifeways Institute on Aging, International Council on Active Aging, and the Road Scholar Lifelong Learning Institute. We continue our journey by supporting others on their path to optimal brain care.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://virtualbrainhealthcenter.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualbrainhealthcenter/ | https://www.instagram.com/drkrystalculler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirtualBrainHealthCenter
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualbrainhealthcenter/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkrystalculler/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VirtualBrainCtr | https://twitter.com/DrKrystalCuller
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_e3b9WXoyZz7ExsBgMDqqQ