COMMUNITY IMPACT

Crystal Mullen-Johnson is the CEO and Founder of Strive Counseling Services, LLC, which proudly serves clients at two locations in Birmingham and Demopolis, Alabama. With over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, Crystal is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Private Independent Practitioner, and a Registered Play Therapist. She holds both her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degree in Social Work from Alabama A&M University.

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A recognized voice in the field of mental health, Crystal has been featured as an expert contributor in The Birmingham Times, About Town Magazine, and various  AL.com publications. For two consecutive years, she served as a featured mental health expert for The Birmingham Times. She is also the author of "21 Day Journey to Strive for a Healthier You", an interactive mental health journal designed to promote self-care and emotional wellness.

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Crystal is the Founder and President of Nurture of Alabama, Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to providing mental health counseling and support groups to historically marginalized communities. She has also served on the board of the United Dreamers Foundation, a nonprofit that offers mentorship, scholarships, and benevolence to at-risk students. Her community involvement extends to her roles on the Advisory Council for STREAM Innovations, Inc., a nonprofit that encourages students to explore their interests in Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM). In 2025, she also served on the Wine, Women & Shoes Event fundraising committee supporting Baptist Health Foundation programs. Crystal is a proud and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, exemplifying a lifelong commitment to service, scholarship, and sisterhood. Crystal Mullen-Johnson is in Leadership Birmingham 2026 cohort.  She is also a member of Kiwanis' Club of Vulcan in Birmingham, AL.  

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Impassioned about providing useful resources to the community about the importance of mental health awareness and wellness, she launched the Community Mental Health Awareness Initiative in 2019 in partnership with the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services. The initiative’s goals are educate attendees about mental health conditions, provide free community resources, reduce mental health stigmas and debunk false information about mental health. This drove her to host a monthly educational learning sessions on Saturdays at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library free of charge. Even in the face of COVID-19 pandemic, Crystal Mullen-Johnson found ways to continue to further the initiative creating a virtually platform user-friendly and accessible to all.

 

As an advocate of good physical health and devotee of personal wholeness, she has co-hosts yoga sessions with a licensed yoga instructor to offer an alternative to therapeutic practice in coping with mental health issues. Crystal Mullen-Johnson is pioneering a new approach towards personal wholeness and awareness with the emphasis upon developing harmony and balance of mind, body and soul.  

 

She has been recognized by the City of Birmingham as 1 of 200 Front Line Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was recognized by the Mayor’s Office during the 2020 #StrongHer Campaign as a game changer for Birmingham in promoting Mental Health.  She is the recipient of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award for 2020. She received a Proclamation from the Mayor for her Mental Health Awareness Initiative.  She has been featured as an expert on local radio stations, podcast and the news outlets in both Birmingham, AL and in Charlotte, SC. 

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A native of Demopolis, AL. Crystal Mullen-Johnson in her leisure enjoys journaling, serving in her church community, reading, exercising, traveling, golfing, and spending time with family/friends. She is the founder of Nurture, a book club, which aims to empower women to read, gain knowledge and connect socially to discuss relevant topics.  While she enjoys serving in the community to promote change her true joys of life is her 17-year-old son, Ethan Johnson and her Labradoodle, Prince Johnson.