The Short Story
I am an expert in thriving after adverse life experiences and trauma.
Trauma can come from adverse childhood experiences, overwhelming life events, and for many, spiritual or religious abuse while in high-control churches or families.
Life can be more than challenging but I believe in Post Traumatic GROWTH after Post Traumatic Stress.
Much of my work has been enabling my clients to not only heal but thrive after adversity or abuse and truama.
Emotional abuse, sexual abuse, spiritual/religious abuse, and high-control church environments.
My first career was as a minister but it was short-lived–six years.
Eventually, I started a private practice as a psychotherapist in the western suburbs of Chicago.
I began to work with a lot of clients who came in for depression, anxiety, and relationship/marriage problems.
For many of them, “adverse childhood experiences”, life challenges, or bad experiences/bad theology in their church made things much worse for them.
It was harder for them to go from being depressed to feeling great, to go from being fearful and anxious to knowing what they wanted and acting on it with audacity and positive expectations.
My twelve years of experience as a therapist gave me insight into the psychology and spirituality of human behavior and human performance.
Essentially I discovered how to quickly identify hidden internal obstacles (everyone has them, even ultra-high performers) and eliminate them
I learned how to unlock deeper potential in individuals and organizations.
You can find out more about how I help people from my book or my digital audio course/workbook.
I enable my clients to go beyond their hidden limitations and make co-create the life they really want.
The Longer Story
I grew up in a military family until age 16, moving every two to four years and my favorite years were the four years we lived in Italy.
Fast forward to high school where I met my wife — I saw her on stage rehearsing for a play, fell hard for her—and we married three years later during college.
We have two amazing adult daughters, two incredible sons-in-law, four granddaughters all under age nine, and a grandson five years old–and they all call us “Mimi” and “Pops.”
I had a deep passion for helping people to learn and grow, and interestingly enough, my first career was as a minister.
However, after five years I knew that wasn’t the right fit for me.
I went into sales—first with Metropolitan Life Insurance and later with Motorola.
Then my wife turned things upside down for me in the best of ways.
She asked, “Why haven’t you ever done anything with your graduate degree in psychology?”
I thought about it and realized it was because I didn’t think I could make a good living as a therapist.
After more thought, I took an entry-level job in the mental health field and a year later began a part-time private practice as a therapist.
I continued my private practice for twelve years in Naperville, IL.
That’s where I learned how to rapidly help people change things they didn’t think they could change.
Along the way, I gained insights into human performance, behavior change, and what it takes to be truly happy at work and in life.
I never diagnosed a patient—my strategy was to help them get clear on their ideal future and how to make it happen.
In reality, I was coaching before coaching became a profession.
That turned into specializing in helping even the strong performers go beyond their current success and onto higher levels of what was possible for them.
I have coached or trained employees from organizations such as Alcatel-Lucent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Brickman, American Cyanamid, Ashford University, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Kraft, The F.B.I., The U.S. Marshals Service, Hershey Hotel, Marriott, The Chicago Tribune and American Red Cross.
I have been quoted in media outlets such as The New York Times, New York Post, U. S. News and World Report, The California Executive, The CBS Interactive Business Network/BNET.com, and People Magazine. I’m a former writer for The Official World Poker Tour Magazine on the psychology of poker. I was also a frequent guest coach expert for www.womenworking.com from 2011 to 2015.
My audio program, Enlightened Happiness: Seven Keys to Creating an Exceptional Life addresses different content than my book and has convenient 15-minute segments to listen to while driving or exercising.
Contact me today or by phone (678-778-9012) or by using the “Contact” button at the top of this page or via email: alan@alanallard.com
Comments From Others About Alan:
From a Sales Manager
“Alan’s coaching has been key in my moving forward in not only my career but also in dramatically changing my personal life. I now have a new job at almost twice my previous income. Alan was the perfect ‘GPS’ that pinpointed exactly where I was and how to get to where I wanted to be. It is worth the time–and worth so much more than the investment.” Frank Cole, Sales Manager
From a Regional Sales Manager:
“When I think about what great coaches do, they have one thing in common. They bring out the very best a person has to offer. Alan has a very keen ability to discover, unlock, and foster those from within. His specific and customized approach has been extremely impactful in my life.
As a result of working with Alan, I have been the beneficiary of an increased level of confidence, much more effective communication and the ability to bring both my personal and professional life into high definition.
The most exciting results for me however, lie in the gains that have been produced within my relationships and ability to lead individuals in a large and complex environment. In today’s business when truly positive sustainable results are at a premium, I can think of nothing that has been more rewarding to that end than the coaching I have received from Alan.” Scott Watson, Regional Sales and Operations Manager, The Brickman Group
From A District Manager In Prudential Insurance Company:
“Thank you for the recent seminar you conducted for our sales representatives. Your message was both well-targeted and received. The feedback that I’ve gotten from my associates is already overwhelmingly positive.
In our business, dealing with emotions and attitudes is most essential to success. That is why I believe your message was most appropriate for my representatives. They constantly have to deal with rejection, call reluctance and the emotional highs of their successes. Therefore, dealing with their emotions in these areas will certainly benefit them in their sales effort. Once again, Alan, I look forward to a continued relationship.” Richard R. Mittman CLU, ChFC, District Manager, The Prudential
From A Top ReMax Realtor:
“I have experienced many workshops and seminars in the past 10 years, but none that has had the impact on me like this one. Your vast knowledge, sincere interest, and distinct teaching style made all the difference. You have empowered me to take my business and personal life to new heights, and I am grateful!” Christopher Cobb, Re/Max of Naperville, IL