Alison is a Certified Grief Coach and Grief Educator. She was trained by Lisa Connors of The Institute for Life Coach Training (ILC) and was certified by Dora Carpenter of the Institute for Professional Grief Coaching (IOPGC). She was trained and received certification as a Grief Educator by David Kessler, the world’s leading expert on grief and dying.

Alison also has a B.A. in History from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, an M.S. in Communications & Information with a Journalism and Electronic Media concentration from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, a Post-Baccalaureate in Secondary Education (History, Geography, Government/Political Science certification) from Trevecca Nazarene University, and a partial certificate in Film (Writing & Producing) from Watkins Film School (she’s a film school dropout!).

Before becoming a grief coach and educator, Alison was involved in journalism, education, and filmmaking. She’s an award-winning producer and writer with more than 15 years of experience in the film industry. She’s worked as a producer, director, writer, script supervisor, and production coordinator for many award-winning films and projects, including short films, documentaries, and commercials. She competed in the Nashville 48-Hour Film Project for six years and was part of a winning team for four of those years. Two of those four films were also selected at the national 48-Hour Film Project’s Filmapalooza to screen at the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival. When Alison’s not working as a grief coach, writer, filmmaker, in her family’s hardware business, or traveling, you can probably find her hanging out with a bunch of dogs and ducks on her farm in beautiful southern Middle Tennessee.

“I never considered becoming a grief coach until after my parents died. I honestly didn’t even know what a grief coach was until my therapist suggested I look into that career field. My mom passed away, rather unexpectedly, in February 2019 after a short 2-week battle with a rare Stage 4 colon cancer. My dad passed away only 14 months later in April 2020 from a rare lung cancer (he wasn’t a smoker). I’d moved back home to live with them about 5 years before Mom passed away. So, after my dad died, I was left alone in the house, surrounded by their belongings, with a sudden mouse infestation, and the beginnings of a global pandemic. I felt incredibly isolated and alone. A year after my dad died, I reached out to a therapist who had previously helped a friend of mine through her grief after the loss of her father. My therapist was critical in helping me get through the pit of grief and see new goals and opportunities, while still keeping alive the memory of my parents. I began writing small essays and vignettes. Memories. Feelings. I started to write about what I wanted to change in my life. It was through all of that writing that I began to realize I wanted to help people in situations similar to mine. I didn’t want anyone else to feel like they were alone in their grief. My goal now is to help others no matter where they are on their grief journey.” – Alison P. Cook 

Alison is also a Certified Grief Educator. She obtained her certification from David Kessler, one of the world’s leading authorities on grief, and co-author of two books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross, including On Grief and Grieving, which updated her 5 stages for grief. His first book, The Needs of The Dying received praise from Saint (Mother) Teresa.