About Game Changers
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Our Mission
To cultivate lifelong well-being for individuals of diverse capabilities through collaborative recreational therapy services and the empowering experience of leisure.
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Our Vision
To be the leading community resource in Virginia that inspires and educates individuals of all capabilities to embrace the transformative power of leisure as an essential component to achieving and maintaining well-being over the lifespan.
COre values
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We believe that successful implementation of the therapeutic process and pathway to well-being is one achieved through an interactive partnership between GCC and our clients and stakeholders.
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We believe the ultimate goal for every human is to establish and maintain well-being. Living each day with well-being is what makes life worth living.
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While leisure can often be devalued in our culture, we believe it is essential to maintaining physical, psychological, cognitive, social and spiritual health.
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We want our work to matter for those we serve. We will listen to the client and other relevant stakeholders to determine what is truly important and make that the focus of the work we do together.
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Absolutely everything we do is evidence-based.This means that our work is purposeful and grounded in research and expertise.
GCC’s work is grounded in helping all we interact with including clients, caregivers, families, employees, referral sources and the community at large to establish, improve and/or maintain well-being. Therefore, we have adopted Seligman’s PERMA™ Theory for Well-being, which is rooted in positive psychology, as the basis of every service we deliver. PERMA™ is evidence-based and focuses on helping individuals to flourish over the lifespan.
Meet the Game Changers
Kirstin and Faith are the dedicated professionals behind Game Changer CoLab, LLC. With their combined experience, they hope to pave the way for life-changing leisure and recreation in Virginia and beyond.
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Co-Owner
Dr. Whitely is a highly experienced recreational therapist with a career spanning over two decades. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees in Leisure Studies with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation from Kent State University. Dr. Whitely furthered her education by obtaining a Doctorate of Health Administration from Capella University. Her professional journey includes 13 years dedicated to the field of mental and behavioral health, where she focused on serving clients who experienced traumatic events and substance use disorders.In addition to this, she also has 6 years of experience in health management. Drawing on this extensive experience, she is currently an Associate Professor of Therapeutic Recreation and co-owner of Game-Changers CoLab. Her areas of research focus include curriculum development, improving well-being, and growing RT/TR small businesses. Her passion for promoting well-being extends beyond her professional life, as she enjoys camping, exercise, reading, and quality time with friends and family.
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Co-OwnerFaith is a highly motivated young professional with experience serving individuals on the Medicaid Waiver since 2022. As she became more familiar with the system, she began mentoring peers who were navigating it themselves, offering guidance and support.
Faith holds a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation from Longwood University and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Her ongoing work within the Medicaid Waiver Program has fueled a deep passion for empowering both clients and providers. This passion ultimately led to the founding of Game Changers CoLab—a venture dedicated to improving lives through meaningful recreation and support.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Faith enjoys sewing, reading, playing pickleball, and spending time outdoors. She believes strongly in the power of recreation to foster well-being and community and hopes to extend its benefits to underserved populations.