Get to know Allison

At a young age, I spent twenty-one days out in the woods on an Outward Bound program and in my early twenties traveled solo in Europe for a year. Both of these adventures became significant factors in helping me to discover a sense of “I” after being raised in a tribe.

Following graduation from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Psychology in 1990, I had various jobs including working for Greenpeace for two years as an environmental educator and fundraiser. Four years later I began my graduate studies in social work from Case Western Reserve University and graduated in 1996 with a focus on alcohol and drug addiction.

One month after graduation I married and became, at age twenty-eight, the step-parent of five teenagers. To further define my counseling skills and to also learn how to survive the challenges of my new family system, I participated in an 18-month postgraduate training program from the Gestalt Institute in Cleveland. This incredibly valuable training provided me with the foundation of how I approach all of my work today.

In 1998 I began my work as a college therapist at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College for seven years. Strong mentorship and experience led to tremendous counseling skills practice as well as designing and implementing counseling programs and workshops for the college student population. At this time, my husband Michael Plasha opened up his first yoga studio. Always a teacher and mentor to me, Michael introduced me to hatha yoga with a special interest in Raja yoga (Psychology of yoga). It was during this time that we began integrating our learnings and co-leading workshops locally and nationally.

After years of infertility, Michael and I were led to adopt. After the arrival of our son Saul who was born in Guatemala, I resigned from the college to focus on my training to become a life coach and help raise our son. Shortly after completing certification from The Coaches Training Institute I opened up a private practice and delved into the life coaching model.

For four years I stepped completely away from my role as a therapist and referred clients out who were struggling with issues best addressed with a counselor. However, I felt like I was holding back on providing years of therapist training and expertise. So from 2010 to 2013, I returned to Penn State Behrend part-time while maintaining my private practice. It was during this time period that I was able to reintegrate my role as a therapist and practice extensively the life and leadership coaching brand that I now offer.

Two years after the arrival of our daughter Tizita, born in Ethiopia, I decided to return to a full-time, private life coach practice. I am blessed to work with clients locally, nationally and internationally. I meet my clients face to face or coach them via phone or zoom. Because of modern technology, I get to visit places like New York City, Spain, Alaska, the Netherlands and Florida (to name a few).

Always holding a deep desire to learn and grow, five years ago I completed a ten month Leadership training program through the Co-Active Training Institute (formally The Coaches Training Institute) in Asheville, North Carolina. This program was a game changer for me and further expanded how I work with all of my clients and how I interface with the world. The most exciting doors that have opened are the opportunities of working with small businesses and teams.

I will be entering my 19th year in private practice. I continue to be in awe, hold excitement for the endless possibilities this amazing field holds and further expand. I am so blessed to walk with so many incredible humans.

When I initially started my own business, I promised my husband that my business would grow with our children. And indeed I have held true to that promise. Our son Saul is a sophomore at John Carroll University and our daughter is a freshman at Saint Vincent Academy in Savannah, Georgia.