Allison began her writing and teaching career at 8 years old, with all her stuffed animals neatly lined up as her first students. A life-long lover of words, she won her first essay contest in 5th grade, her favorite teachers in high school were always the English ones, and she went on to earn a bachelor's in English from Columbia College (of SC) and a master's in writing from the University of South Carolina. Having taught college writing courses for 15 years, she recently became certified by The Therapeutic Writing Institute as a journaling instructor and will be fully certified as a community journal facilitator by 2023. She aspires to inspire as many people as possible to experience the powerful, life-giving practice of journaling. She’s a monthly contributor to The Glorious Table, an Ann Voskamp intern, and maintains her own blog Writing is Cheaper Than Therapy. She is married to her husband Ben, has three amazing kids, three dogs, and too many chickens. She loves anytime spent outdoors, great conversation, and at least two cups of coffee a day.