We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laurel Brennan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laurel below.
Hi Laurel, thanks for joining 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?
Many years ago, I was taking a break from my occupational therapy career to be a stay-at-home mom but taught fitness classes and did personal training at the local Y to stay engaged, connected, and physically fit. A community member, Joe, rolled up to the front desk in a wheelchair one day looking for personal training. He had polio as a child and for most of his life used crutches to assist in walking. As an older adult, he developed Post-Polio Syndrome which put him in a wheelchair. His wife was helping him with his transfers for his ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) and he was concerned that she might hurt herself helping him. He wondered if he could get strong enough to do his own transfers. We hit it off right away and I was hopeful that we could meet his strength and functional goals. We met regularly for personal training and Joe got stronger and stronger. The dumbells and resistance bands were soon no longer adequate and we had to rearrange the weight room so it was accessible to get him to the pully system to access heavier weights. One day, he rolled in with a big smile and was excited to share that he had completed his transfer from the wheelchair to the shower chair and back again…totally on his own! He was thrilled (and so was his wife). This was the beginning of an extended friendship. I was honored to attend his big 80th birthday bash and adopt his dog when he and his wife decided to downsize to a condo. This extended connection is the type I enjoy most –walking alongside as an equal partner on a health journey.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I am the founder and owner of RootCauseology where I help women optimize brain health and reduce dementia risk by creating therapeutic partnerships and addressing root causes.
RootCauseology was launched in early 2020 to help others seeking to prevent or reverse cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Research has demonstrated that cognitive decline is multifaceted and is impacted by many body systems. Billions of dollars have been spent looking for a “magic pill” but none have been found. We have learned that taking a whole-person systems approach not only improves current symptoms but reduces many risk factors of cognitive decline and other chronic diseases.
Behavior and lifestyle change can be challenging. Finding out the best place to begin and the next best step is difficult alone. So, I walk side-by-side with clients to find the “Just-Right” interventions to optimize many areas that impact brain health including sleep, diet, gut health, exercise, toxicity, stress management, mindset, and supplementation. I also coordinate with like-minded physicians, other organizations, and resources when appropriate.
This whole person/systems-based approach is called functional medicine and moving beyond symptoms toward addressing root causes was a personal journey before it was a professional one. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2006 and after much research, thought, and discussion with family and medical professionals, I chose to use lifestyle intervention instead of disease-modifying drugs. My mom was also diagnosed with dementia in the early 2000s and we learned a lot from her journey that ultimately ended in 2019 and inspired the creation of RootCauseology.
My personal background as well as my education and training as an occupational therapist, health coach, registered yoga teacher, functional medicine practitioner, and ReCode 2.0 coach and practitioner with Apollo Health, all blend well together to best serve the population I am now passionate about helping.
Services through RootCauseology are both in-person and virtual, individual and in groups. The “Just-Right Challenge” is always sought after to find which methods of learning and support are optimal for each individual.
For example, the Happy & Healthy Brian Course is designed for the self-guided learner with an online course through a HIPAA-compliant portal. But as part of this course, we also meet weekly in a group, monthly one-on-one, and daily if needed through secure messaging.
We have a group support structure because so often this improves learning, motivation, and inspiration.
We offer a 10-Day Keto Kick-Start group, a Clean Eating Kick-Start group, and a group for the Elimination Diet. Food is a large part of the intervention because it is so immediately influential and greatly impactful for health over the long term. We also meet weekly for Just-Right Vinyasa Yoga on a virtual platform and monthly in the community for free classes. Many people share that being part of a group to both give and receive support is extremely valuable.
Some clients prefer one-on-one attention or are not keen on the virtual platform–so we make accommodations as needed. Clients who chose individual appointments choose from a Happy & Healthy Gut Program, DNA Deep Dive, Restorative Sleep Deep Dive, and Micronutrient Review that include a comprehensive intake, functional testing, interpretation of the testing, and a personalized treatment plan. Clients who are unclear about which functional test would be the most beneficial typically choose the Four 1:1 Sessions as we decide together which testing would provide the most value. Most of the packages also include group or private yoga to support stress management and fitness.
The most recent of the offerings within RootCauseology are the retreats. In October 2022, we had a phenomenal first Yoga and Brain Health Retreat at Casa Om Potomac in Martinsburg, West Virginia! Connecting and supporting one another in person is irreplaceable and I am thrilled to now be able to offer this option. Three different retreats to accommodate a variety of price ranges and time commitments are planned for 2023:
May 21, 2023 (8 am-4 pm)
Brain Health 101 Retreat at Bon Secours Conference and Retreat Center in Marriottsville, MD. This retreat will be helpful for those focused on the prevention of cognitive decline or for those experiencing Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
August 18-21, 2023
The Yoga and Detox Retreat will again be at Casa Om Potomac and will focus on ways to maximize healthy detoxification – one of the focal areas critical for optimal brain health. The twelve-bedroom mansion at Casa Om sits on top of Indian River Cave and one of the highlights of the retreat is a trek to the cave for a meditation session. (check out the photo from 2022)
October 14-21, 2023
We will wrap up the 2023 retreat season with a Yoga Eco Retreat in Costa Rica. Our journey begins on the outskirts of San Jose, where we’ll stay at a luxury hotel in a beautiful sanctuary perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. Then, we head to the Arenal Volcano area to embrace the ways of sustainable living and healthy eating at the Rancho Margot Eco Lodge, where we will be surrounded by lush gardens, forest trails, flowing mountain rivers, and beautiful views. Here, we will come together for daily farm-to-table experiences to enjoy organic meals made 100% from scratch, partake in daily yoga and workshop sessions, and head out on spectacular excursions.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Coming from a family of helpers (my mom was a teacher and my dad was a psychologist and pastor) I was taught by example to help others and be generous with my time and energy. As someone who enjoys helping, I sometimes became overwhelmed when I believed I couldn’t do enough. I have had to learn to establish healthy boundaries, protect my own well-being, and recognize that I can’t help everyone. The first recognition came in graduate school when an internship turned into a job at a residential treatment center for children and adolescents. I was tormented by the toxic environment of the facility, the high staff turnover, and the children who were suffering. When I went to my favorite professor and mentor for guidance, she encouraged me to let go of what I could not control and to recognize that the small positive impacts I was having on the children were enough. It was a tough pill to swallow and I have had to revisit this lesson again and again.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I didn’t play lacrosse in college to become resilient, I played because I loved the game and wanted to stay in shape, but resilience is one of the greatest lessons learned. I was not a stand-out player but I had grit. When I was tired, I showed up anyway. I ran the 5-mile hilly golf course run in the rain after a 3-hour practice. I showed up early to lift weights off-season even after staying up late to write a paper. I sat on the bench most of my freshman year but got in for a few minutes to play in the big stadium at the NCAA Final Four. I went to practice after practice, in-season and off-season, rain and shine, wind and snow for four years. My coach honored my team-player attitude and perseverance my senior year with a newly-minted award but I didn’t appreciate it until many years later when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. As part of my resilience journey, I have learned that celebrating small victories (e.g. cutting 30 seconds of my timed mile, or getting an amazing night’s sleep) is critical for mindset. I also learned to depend on teammates and keep pushing through tough times…for successes and joys are always right around the corner.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rootcauseology.com/
- Instagram: @rootcauseology
- Facebook: @rootcauseology
- Youtube: Rootcauseology with Laurel Brennan
Image Credits
Kathy Shilling, Adam Stultz