About Me


My name is Allie, I'm 28-years-old, and I live in upstate New York with my husband, 2 dogs, and 2 cats. A sudden and debilitating mental illness changed my life in May 2013, just days after my 21st birthday and my Junior year of college ended. I endured several hospital stays, different diagnoses, and countless medication changes. Throughout my struggles, I realized that I wanted to help other people dealing with mental illness, but it took time before I was ready to become an advocate.

I began training my psychiatric service dog, Joey, in the beginning of March 2015, and he helped me get my life back. I started documenting Joey's story and training online, which led me to writing about my own experiences with mental health. In the Fall 2015, I participated in a writing workshop run by the TMI Project that culminated in a public reading of a piece about my battle with mental illness. The experience was life-changing and inspired me to begin sharing my journey and insights about living with a psychiatric disorder. I've had my writing about mental illness published on mtv.com, The Mighty, NAMI.org, and in Project Semicolon: Your Story isn't Over. I then became a young adult presenter for the National Alliance on Mental Illness's Ending the Silence program, where I was able to travel to local schools to talk about mental health.

In 2019, I received my B.S. in Community and Human Services from SUNY Empire State College and that Fall, I began pursuing my Masters in Social Work from Fordham University. I'm currently working as a peer specialist and wellness coordinator at the Mental Health Association in Ulster County, where I had once been a client.

I want to show people what it is really like to live with a psychiatric disorder as a young adult and provide support to individuals and families experiencing mental health issues. It's time to end the stigma attached to mental illness and reshape society's opinion on mental health issues.


Please take a look at my YouTube channel to learn more about my mental health story and what I am doing to maintain my mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.





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