Allison graduated from the Nashville campus of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2015 with her Master of Science in Social Work. The program opened doors for her to intern with the Nashville Children’s Alliance and the Sexual Assault Center, both of which serve victim/survivors of trauma and their caregivers. Through these opportunities, Allison developed a desire to continue working with populations impacted by violent crime. This led her to Catholic Charities, where she provided therapy and education to children affected by trauma. Allison continued to specialize in working with children and families, and moved on to the Sexual Assault Center in a full-time therapy role.

During her time as a therapist, Allison also facilitated trainings for caregivers and professionals who were looking to better support victim/survivors of trauma. This gave way to training becoming a strength and an interest. Allison spent the next two years traveling across Tennessee as a Statewide Sexual Assault Training Specialist. She was able to educate college campuses, ride-share companies, and mental health facilities on the neurophysiology of sexual assault and the journey to find resilience as a mental health provider. It was in this role that Allison was introduced to Tracy and Leigh Ann and the Circle process. It clicked instantly, and she started using Circle regularly in her work.

In 2019, Allison took a break from the social work field, and she started facilitating trainings internally for a tech start-up. This pivot was a necessary reset while she determined where her professional values were leading her.

It turns out her values align strongly with the Circle process. Allison believes that our relationship with ourself is a stepping stone in our relationships with others. She believes in the power of introspection, of walking alongside others, and of gentleness. She believes that we all contain multitudes and we are worth the time it takes to discover them all. Allison believes in Circle.

As she invites the former social worker back into her life, she is honored to make Circle part of this growth. In the meantime, Allison is living in Nashville with her partner and her dog. She’s practicing yoga as much as possible and trying to learn the pottery wheel. And she’s staying open to what comes next.