Growing up, I was a walking contradiction. Always in the gifted classes, labeled bright, creative, and hilarious, but also flighty, aimless, and airheaded. Teachers couldn’t seem to make sense of me. They praised my intelligence, but questioned how someone so scattered could have ever landed in their room. While my peers were immersed in social groups and team sports, I lived in my own beautiful world, full of ideas and vivid daydreams, where I felt gleeful and alive. But the demand from others to "come down to Earth" and fit in was endless. So, I tried. But was always painfully confused and lost in those spaces. Most school years, I’d find my misfit best friend, my person, and hold on tight. Then the cycle would repeat: new year, new expectations, new lifesaver best friend. Wash, rinse, repeat - until graduation.

College was jolting. Suddenly, I was in charge of everything, with perfectionism and anxiety as my only tools. I completely spiraled. Panic attacks hit hard, I lived in emotional dysregulation, and I clung to rigid rules to try and make sense of the chaos. It felt like I was drowning in never-ending intensity. Yet, the pressure to be perfect only grew. Somehow, I white-knuckled my way through, graduated, and went straight to grad school for counseling, thinking, This will fix me. This is the answer.  Spoiler: it was not. My symptoms only worsened. But I just kept going. Finish grad school, start my career, get married, have a baby. Each step felt like a possible new lifeline, but instead of saving me, the pressure just continued piling.

When my first baby came, everything truly crumbled. My anxiety was finally unmanageable. Burnout had become my baseline and I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Somehow, this just did not feel like the whole story for me, though. And then my toddler was diagnosed as autistic, Level 1, and profoundly gifted. This is when my world shifted forever. Supporting him became everything. It was motherhood  that cracked me wide open.

Once he started school, I finally committed to regular therapy for myself as the client. Four years later, I got my autism diagnosis, and, finally, everything made the most sense. No, this wasn’t just extreme anxiety and boughts of depression. It was profound neurodivergent burnout from a lifetime of trying to BE  in a world that wasn’t built for my brain.

My diagnoses seemed to open door after door. Understanding them helped me leave a career no longer suiting my needs, open my own business, and dive headfirst into my special interest: learning about, educating, and supporting 'high-masking' or late-discovered neurodivergent individuals and their families. And here’s the wildest part: as soon as I settled into a life that honored who I truly was, the anxiety and depression faded... nearly completely. My theory, here, is that this was because my differences in processing and experiencing were never true weaknesses or personal failings. They were always just my way of being that, when not understood or supported by the society I lived in, funneled me into neurodivergent burnout exacerbated by my own internalized shame and ableism.

I know, so deeply, what it’s like to exist in overwhelm, lost, and trapped in cycles that are not serving you. But I also know that you know that there’s GOT to be a way out. What's that out? Unsure? Fair, but I know that you know you'll find it. No, it’s not easy. And yes, it’s worth it. I’m honored to get to be here to walk that path alongside you.

My philosophy is grounded in the belief that every neurodivergent individual must be understood, validated, and supported without being pathologized. I approach my work with a deep respect for your lived experiences and a commitment to affirming your unique needs and strengths. For me, fostering community is at the heart of of this work, as there is a limit to how much growth and healing we can achieve working in individual therapy or coaching. Neurodivergent people, in particular, thrive when they are in spaces where they feel seen and understood.

I work diligently to create as safe and inclusive of an environment for you as I possibly can. It's critical for my approach that I remain intentional in this endeavor so that you may feel as comfortable as possible to show up just as you are. I aim to remove a fear of judgment or a pressure to mask in all groups I facilitate and I believe trust is built through compassion, consistency, and mutual respect. My work is centered on providing you a space where you feel you belong. One for you to get to explore, share, and grow at your unique pace, alongside those who get you.

In our group sessions, you can expect a mix of discussion, education, and experiential work that’s designed to feel both structured and organic. In the hour or so we meet each week, we’ll cover practical tools, share personal insights, and cultivate a safe space for meaningful reflection. These groups will not be simply me lecturing. Each session is a dedicated window time for a small group of people who have shared lived experiences and goals, to get to learn and grow together.

A typical session might start with an ice-breaker or check-in, then we'll move into a topic or an exercise, applicable to your life and personal goals.

There will be plenty of room for open discussion and group processing and feedback from Allison and other members. You will have opportunities to reflect individually, either during or after a session, in a way that will deepen your own learning/experience.

You’ll experience the power that comes when you get to simply exist in the presence of a safe and affirming community - the deep sense of connection that enhances your self-exploration journey in a way that individual therapy or coaching cannot. You will never just be there to listen, but to also be truly seen, heard, and supported when it matters most to you. Expect an increased confidence that will help you to make real, lasting, necessary changes in your life naturally and effortlessly.

You’ll walk away with a personalized toolbox of strategies, ideas, and techniques tailored to your needs.

These tools will vary from group to group, but typically include effective emotional regulation skills, understanding/managing cognitive overload, and fostering self-compassion in order to live better and more authentically.

Group cohorts will also equip you with insights and practices to help you better navigate and manage relationships, work/school issues, and parenting (if applicable) with clarity and ease.

Most importantly, you’ll leave with a renewed sense of what is possible and hope for the journey ahead.

The answer here is, of course... with some caveats! I tend to operate on a 3-month waitlist and individual sessions with me are $250/hour. So while scheduling individually with me is definitely possible, I highly recommend joining our group format for quicker and more affordable care! 

Group members still get direct access to me, along with the added benefit of deeply affirming community support. It’s a great way to get started accessing the tailored support you need as a neurodivergent individual right away!