I believe all people can learn to thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally
With intentional daily practices that foster greater joy, resilience, and connection
Hi, I’m Alan.
As a person diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in sixth grade, my nervous system is extremely sensitive to the world around it.
I spent much of my young adult life trying to make my tics go away - things like sniffing, blinking, and head jerking. I wanted to feel in control of my body.
It wasn’t until I was working as an educator that I began to learn about things like mindfulness and positive psychology.
And what began as a quest to support my students’ mental health and wellbeing turned into a huge (and unexpected) personal learning experience for me.
I realized it was possible not to struggle in all the ways I had been struggling. I realized not everything actually had to be so hard.
As I learned more about nervous system-informed modalities, I discovered practices that helped me manage overwhelm and navigate conflict and challenges.
Practices that changed how I showed up for the people and the world around me.
Practices that helped me discover greater ease. Experience greater joy.
And now I want to bring what I’ve learned to you so you can have these tools for regulating your nervous system sooner than I did.
And so together, we can find the steadiness to make larger changes in an overwhelming world. Create cultures of belonging and wellbeing. Seek systems that are more just.
And finally have what we all need to thrive.
A few highlights about my background…
My work as an educator and administrator
I’ve been in education for more than 20 years. As both a classroom teacher and an administrator, I’ve worked to create cultures of belonging and wellbeing through co-curricular, advisory, and student support programs.
My commitment to fostering safe + inclusive school environments
I’ve served on the National Advisory Board for GLSEN, and I also support LGBTQ+ youth in crisis as a volunteer counselor for The Trevor Project’s digital crisis & suicide hotline, TrevorChat.
My training in nervous system-informed methodologies
I’m certified and trained in Somatic ExperiencingTM trauma therapy, mindfulness in education, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, positive psychology & positive education, and vinyasa yoga.
My time designing and leading year-long certification programs
As a professional teacher trainer with Mindful Schools, I’ve taught thousands of fellow educators from all over the world both to practice and to teach the science of wellbeing and resilience.
My work improving treatment options for Tourette Syndrome
In partnership with Mass General, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Bowdoin College, I’m co-developing MBIT – a promising non-pharmacological treatment option for people with Tourette Syndrome.
My academic background
After graduating from an independent high school in New Jersey, I earned degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Chicago. I also studied in Italy on a Fulbright Fellowship.
"Alan is a delightful person. Even when he is integrating mindfulness tools, there is seriousness and weight and real purpose to what he does. He's funny, engaging, and really easy to work with. So if I have any programming needs within the mindfulness, mental health area, I connect with Alan and see how we can work together.”
“I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop that Alan hosted for LGBTQ+ educators, and he has this calming presence, which is also coupled with an immense sense of humor that allows folks to be their authentic selves in the spaces that he's leading.”
Humans aren’t one-size-fits-all. I believe practices for wellbeing shouldn’t be, either.
To make lasting changes that support wellbeing, you don’t just need daily practices: you need practices that make sense for you and your nervous system. That means incorporating practices into your everyday life that are:
Authentic
They are tailored to you and how you respond to overwhelm.
Accessible
They are easy enough to learn, lean into, and maintain.
Practical
They work with your routine to help you find greater ease.
Bottom line for me is that he is incredibly smart and incredibly empathetic. But he's got all of this wonderful training that allows him to speak with confidence in this semi-therapeutic way, and he's also able to analyze things and adjust. He's very authentic, too. And that matters: not being bullshitty when the stakes feel so high.”
You deserve to have what you need to thrive.
And the best part is - you can.
To see how we can work together, take a peek at my specialized services.
I offer facilitation, consulting, and 1:1 support for:
- Schools + educators
- Tourette Syndrome + tics
- Individuals + teams
Or get in touch and let’s chat about what you need.
Feel supported. Find joy.
With right-for-you practices that add ease - not overwhelm.