Testimonials

Alison is a phenomenal coach who excels at deep listening that feels free of judgment. Throughout our coaching sessions, I went through a very difficult time in my marriage. I was also seeing a counselor, but the support I felt from Alison made me feel as though I could be even more vulnerable with my emotions and circumstances than I could with my counselor. I knew that she was not just going to give me advice or tell me how to feel, and that she would truly listen. She asked hard questions even though she knew they might make me uncomfortable, which is something I needed. I did not come into coaching seeking support regarding my marriage, but Alison allowed me to lead the sessions and supported me however I needed on that day. Alison taught me that I can be open and honest and vulnerable, even with thoughts or feelings that I was afraid to say out loud. I would recommend coaching with Alison to anyone who wants to focus on their mental health. Her experience as psychiatric nurse and her innate being has equipped her to offer deep, therapeutic, and healing support for those seeking it.

Jessica, NY

I was in the middle of a very stressful school year and dealing with feelings of depression and anxiety. Working with Ms Jackson allowed me to open up – not just with others, but myself as well. I feel like I am much more equipped to cope with my many life stressors and generally take better care of myself, with regards to diet and exercise, after many sessions. It was great working with her – like talking to an old friend that I didn’t realize I had. She was able to help me examine myself truthfully, yet humorously, in ways that therapists have never been able to do. I learned breathing exercises, which I would not normally do, they now come seamlessly and without thought. That helps me when I am feeling tight and on edge. I really do feel more connected with myself, which helps me feel more connected to others in my life. Alison has allowed me to see that I am more capable and competent than I let myself believe all these years. My sessions would let me remember who I really am. A calm, cool, confident and caring person. I would recommend her coaching to anyone really. I can’t think of any type of person outside a medical crisis that would not benefit from these sessions.

Daniel, SC

I have enjoyed working with Alison so much. She has been instrumental in helping me get through a very challenging season of life. Alison’s background in psych nursing gives her a very unique perspective on issues surrounding mental health. I was completely overwhelmed and on the verge of breakdown when we had our first session together and even though I felt like I was just dumping all my troubles on her, she was able to piece things together and make connections where I was unable to. She helped me shift my perspective regarding difficult and strained relationships with my dad and brother. For me, that was a huge, monumental shift because I had long been holding onto resentment and bitterness and only seeing my side of things. She also helped me reframe how I was seeing some of my problems through a “negative-only” lens. Some of the analogies she used have really stuck with me and I’ve come back to them over and over again to remind myself that life issues are all about how you choose to view them and sometimes in the broken mess you need someone to help you see the beauty that’s underneath. She has so much wisdom to impart and she gets in there and asks tough questions right out of the gate to get to the heart of the struggles you’re facing. I was truly able to be my complete vulnerable self with her and it was amazing. I would recommend Alison as a nurse coach to anyone who is struggling to overcome life’s obstacles or just wants to gain a new fresh outlook on on their life and health.

Amber, SC

I cannot say enough great things about working with Alison! Our sessions focusing on mindfulness have been so beneficial to my mental health and wellbeing. During our sessions I felt seen, and that Alison was fully present. After each session, I always felt so much lighter and more at ease. I really appreciated Alison’s flexibility, willingness to push me outside of my comfort zone and make me dig deeper. I am looking forward to witnessing Alison’s progression. I know that any client who works with Alison is in good hands and will benefit from her wisdom, compassion, and intuitive ability.

Christina, RN, KY

My time working with Alison has been joyful and positive.

More importantly, the seeds that were planted during that time have germinated and will continue to grow as long as I continue to nurture them.

This is the beauty of a coach like Alison. The coach coaches; the one being coached does the work ongoing.

Allow me to illustrate. When I began my coaching sessions with Alison I had just made a major job change which was all very positive on the surface.

During my coaching, however, Alison was able to help me realize and identify the past hurts and disappointments from my previous job that I had carried with me into my new job. We were able to work together to clarify the issues, set goals, review the goals to see how they were being met and to come up with new goals moving forward.

With the help of Alison’s coaching skills I was able to free myself from the past messages that might have held me back. I continue to draw on her messages of support to keep me moving forward.

I would recommend Alison to anyone looking for a professional, caring coaching experience.

Karen, NC

I highly recommend Alison for her wonderful coaching skills. I was in a stuck place, struggling to make some important decisions about my life as well as acknowledging my need to get a handle on my overall health well-being. This horrible pandemic didn’t help my situation as I had become complacent, comfortable in treading water and being inactive. Through my coaching sessions with Alison, I was able gain some insight into what was keeping me stuck through practiced breathing and mindful meditation exercises. She gently challenged me to dig a little below the surface to uncover those thoughts and behaviors that were preventing me from moving forward. She helped me to break things down so that I was able to develop specific life goals. Being a nurse, she was able to provide me with health and medical recommendations to follow up on with my medical provider. She also gave me important tools, exercises and activities to practice in order to remain committed to my goals. Her laid back, humorous and nonjudgmental approach was refreshing and provided me a comfort level in exploring some difficult thoughts to help me in moving forward. I would recommend Alison to provide coaching to any friends or colleagues who are struggling to move forward in their lives. I work with caregivers who are taking care of loved ones with chronic and debilitating health issues. Although I can’t break confidentiality with my clients, I could see Alison being an incredible coach and motivator for these folks.

Kathy, SC

Alison's voice was always calm, pleasant, and relaxing. She had an innate ability to choose descriptive imagery when guiding meditation (I love the image of swirling light!) - like an author describing a pictorial scene. It's amazing how her skill as a mindfulness coach could reach the depth of my soul and make me not only "see" the painted imagery, but also "feel" it - like a safety net enveloping the entire body. Clearly her years and experience as a Psych nurse have served her well! Alison is a natural master of meditation and mindfulness, and I recommend her to anyone whose soul needs a restful break from the hustle and bustle of life's business!

Kimberley, IN

Before we started with the nurse coaching sessions, my life was a whirlwind of stress and anxiety. Going through a pandemic, helping my ailing mother, running a busy petsitting business, being pregnant and then having a child, living in a 800 sq. foot condo brimming with stuff, and trying to navigate the housing market was enough to make my stress boil over. It was as if I had a divine intervention, in the form of Alison. Our sessions were a time to quiet the mind, get things off my chest, and to sit with the patterns and things in my life that were making it hard. It was nice to have an unbiased person to listen and hear my frustrations, work through my stressors, and give me encouraging words to get through the week.

Alison has a naturally warm and inviting personality and it was very easy to come to her with my issues. She has experienced being married and having a boy. She related well with me, which is huge. I love that she took time for us to breathe and make the space we met in safe and cozy. The world seemed to melt away when we were in "session". I loved that she remembered and cared for what we had discussed before. We built on the work we had done from the last session. We recapped which helped create continuity and flow.

I would say from working with Alison, I found my peace with my relationship with my Mom and sister. Being the constant giver was/is exhausting and I felt unappreciated and unheard. Talking through this with Alison helped me to gain clarity and set good healthy boundaries with my Mom. We are in a better place and I am trying to communicate my feelings and needs more. Letting go of fear and guilt and the need to people please has been a hard task for me, but I am learning to lean on my community more as I need it being a new mom.

Since our sessions, I have eliminated some of the stressors that were bearing down on me. (finding and moving into a bigger home without an HOA was a big one!) I have also learned to accept the beauty of my imperfection and the need to take time for me. Time to "clean and repair my cape" is important and vital to my success. Recharging my body, energy, and mind are things that help ensure I don't burn out. It keeps me in balance which reflects on my home, family life, and relationships.

I would recommend Alison to any new mother! It is a huge learning curve as it is. Navigating this unique time during a pandemic has been more than challenging. Thanks for the opportunity to listen and help me thrive. I truly appreciate the time we shared!

Stephanie, SC

Before I started my coaching sessions I had made a rather drastic decision to try and sell my art studio building as well as retire from my 50 year career of teaching art to close to 100 students a week. I was feeling extremely tired and overwhelmed at the time, and not used to these feelings as a person who is always in control. I started talking to Alison and soon realized that her sessions were giving me the confidence to recognize I had made the right decision to change the things I wanted to be in control of, and to relinquish the ones I did not want to control anymore. I am in a much better state of mind now knowing that change is coming and it will be a good thing for me.

Alison is a very good listener and has a very low-key way of asking questions that make you think about what’s going on in your life. She has helped me recognize patterns of behavior that stem from my childhood, that are not serving me anymore. For me the most devastating thing was letting all of my students down, but because, for me, so many of my students have become some of my dearest friends that was the hardest part. I was concerned about letting down my friends. Alison made me realize that I have to make decisions that are going to benefit me as well as my daughter (who has autism) in our future. I also know I can’t keep up the pace of my teaching schedule anymore, so when the time comes, I’m sure I will have some workshops but not all the teaching responsibility will be on me. I know that I will always be affiliated with art in some form, I would like time to explore my creativity and paint some of my own work. But the job of giving all of my mental artistic creativity to my students each week has left me a little depleted. Alison has helped me recognize that and given me some great mindfulness support to help me re-focus on myself a little more every day. I would recommend Alison’s coaching sessions to any friend that is in need of someone to listen to them. She is very good to see your truth and help you find it as well.

Julia, SC

I was at a crossroads in my life as Alison approached me for the opportunity to have her as a coach. Approaching retirement age, I was aware of changes approaching me: I would be losing a part of my identity as I would no longer be a nurse, I would be looking at more time with my husband, the perplexing aspect of ‘redefining’ myself, having ‘time’ on my hands, the daunting tasks of decluttering my home, the financial aspect retirement would bring, and trying to figure out how to take care of the creative side of my being. In other words, I felt a lot of self induced ‘pressure’ to get all this figured out. This was on top of my work environment going through multiple changes also – which led to it being a very stressful place to work.

Working with Alison has lightened my internal load considerably as she assisted me with my identifying feelings and thoughts regarding all these issues. I realize how much I was focusing on the ‘shoulds’ in my life and putting pressure on myself to be the best in all those areas, to figure out and have answers in a short time, and in effect frustrating myself even more. She encouraged me to look at what made me ‘me’ – my roles, what is important to me, and this brought me to realize I have many interests, connections and desires. We did not dwell on how all these are important to me and may change as life circumstances change- but I feel better equipped to meet changes at this point. We also looked at how my childhood experiences have influenced my decision making today. Alison had me to close my eyes at different times and visualize situations, and how they were reflecting in my body – this was difficult for me to look at myself, but it worked to have me ‘slow down and think.’

Working with Alison was like meeting a friend for coffee. We used Facetime which allowed me to be at home – I believe this allowed me to be more open and trusting in my disclosures. Allison used humor – that is important to me as a coping skill. It was also refreshing to have worked with her as I shared work frustrations. She listened and showed empathy – that was very important; a I felt a kinship with her as a nurse.

I believe I learned several things from this experience. I feel better about myself as a person – I am ok with being imperfect at times, (I probably will always have a touch of this personality trait). I can better say now ‘stop,’ and just ‘be.’ I have slowed down, accepted the messiness of being creative, accomplished a bit of decluttering, gone and had fun with my husband Warren. This process has allowed Warren and myself to have conversations as I shared ideas with him.

As nurses, we go into the field to care for others; it is difficult to say we need assistance ourselves. Too many times, life gets in the way – or we get by on ‘putting one foot in front of the other’ – or we just go about life on automatic – until we become burned out. Healthcare itself is a stressful environment in which to work. Services like nurse coaching is much needed. Life coaching is needed.

Leanne, SC