Allison B. Friedman, known to her friends as Allie, submitted her first manuscript to Doubleday when she was five years old.  Sadly, it was rejected, but she did receive a personal note from an editor encouraging her to keep writing—so she did.  Writing, like breathing, is essential for Allie, who has joyfully produced award-winning short fiction, prose poetry, years and years of newspaper and magazine columns, and original content for a weekly radio show called “The Therapy Sisters.”  Allie’s work has been featured in a number of small literary presses, including the literary journal Beanskeeper, and she was a winner of the Poughkeepsie Journal’s “Tailspinners” short story contest. An active member of the Wallkill Valley Writers community, Allie has published her work in the group’s anthology.  Her short story, “Sahara Affair,” was born in the Wallkill Valley Writers Workshop, and was published in 2013’s award-winning anthology, “Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Writers of the Hudson Valley.”

             A practicing psychotherapist, Allie wrote a newspaper column, oxymoronically entitled “Understanding Adolescence” and a monthly column about wellness in “Living and Being” magazine for a number of years. The voyeuristic observation of the intricacies of the human experience is endlessly fascinating to her. She has been a frequent contributor to a number of professional websites, including the Parent Resource Network, where Allie served as a staff writer and was on-call for the website’s “Ask the Expert” feature.  Allie was honored to deliver a keynote address at the annual conference of the National Association of Social Workers on the subject of utilizing creativity in social work practice. Allie’s love of writing led to the creation of a therapeutic writing curriculum, which has been well received by her clients.

            Allie lives in New Paltz, NY with her wonderful husband and, at any given moment, some or all of their collective seven children.  She wouldn’t know an empty nest if she was sitting in one. Current projects include a  memoir, the completion of a novel which she swears will not defeat her, building a blog (allisonbfriedman.com) and spending as much time as possible with her newly minted granddaughter!

Psychotherapy Solutions is an eclectic private practice which incorporates individual psychotherapy and projective writing as a healing modality for individual and groups.  Allison's areas of expertise are treating young adult women and adolescents.  In addition, Psychotherapy Solutions presents health and wellness workshops and speaking engagements on topics related to wellness, stress reduction, and healing.  The practice is based in New Paltz, NY, but Allie travel to present workshops for agencies and corporations and in the public and private sectors. Allison also has training as a life coach and works with clients both in person and via the Internet and phone consultation. She was privileged to preset the keynote address for the NASW-NY chapter's annual meeting, and spoke about  how creativity helped her to carve out a uniquely interesting social work career.

Allison began her career as a social worker and primary therapist at Hall-Brooke Hospital,  where she worked  on an inpatient adolescent unit. She then worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker Associate at High Meadows, where she developed and implemented a multidisciplinary treatment team model for the residential treatment facility. She held the position of Psychiatric Review Consultant for Aetna Life & Casualty.  

She has had her own practice, Psychotherapy Solutions, for the past 30 years. In her practice, she works with individuals, groups and families. She specializes  in working with young adults, adolescents and women.

Master of Science in Clinical Social Work and Clinical Services for Children and Families, Columbia University School of Social Work (1981); Bachelor of Science wth Distinction in Human Development and Family Relations, University of Connecticut (1979);  School Social Work Certification, State of New Jersey (2001-Present); Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New Jersey (2000-Present); Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New York (2002-Present);  Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of Connecticut (1986-Present)

Her greatest challenge has been balancing her  family, her writing endeavors, and her practice.  Because she loves them all!

She is a fearless and excellent communicator who is able to connect to all ages. She has excellent written communication abilities and is a good leader who is not judgmental.

Her greatest accomplishment is her family.  Dave and Allison have raised 7 children together, and all are loving, hard-working young adults.  Professionally, she is quite proud of  organizing and administrating international participation in the Million Mom March of 2000 as the International Outreach Coordinator for the Million Mom March for Sensible Gun Laws.

I plan to publish a memoir this year, complete a novel, and see as much of the world as possible in the company of loved ones!  I am also perfecting my skills as a new grandmother!

Memoirist, playwright, and novelist Laura Shane Cunningham has mentored and shepherded her through her writing career. She has been inspired by her beloved late father, writer Harper Lee, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Oprah Winfrey.

She would like to be remembered as a loving wife, mother, daughter and sister. She wants to be remembered as  woman who was kind and had the generosity of spirit to heal others and restore their health.

National Association of Social Workers (1979-Present); Academy of Certified Social Workers (1979-Present); Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education (2008-Present); American College Personnel Association; Mid-Hudson Women’s Network  (2003-2008); Connecticut Society for Clinical Social Work (1984-1988); Diplomate Status, American Psychotherapy Association (1999)

Her short story, "Sahara Affair" was selected for inclusion in a 2014 anthology, Slant of Light was awarded a USA BEST BOOK AWARD (USABookNews.com) in 2014 and a Beverly Hills Book Award in 2014. Several other awards for Slant of Light are also pending.  Allison's short story "Pillow Talk" was published in the Wallkill Valley Writer's 2015 Anthology. In July, 2017, Allison participated in WritersRead in NYC.  She was one of 12 authors chosen to read their work on the theme of "The Great Outdoors" for a live audience , live streaming, and television broadcast.  Her performance remains in the video archives of Writersreadonline.com.

Million Mom March, Planned Parenthood, National Association of Social Workers, The Susan Komen Foundation, Family of New Paltz

She loves to travel, write, read, and go to museums and the theater.  Alison also enjoys live music, particularly concerts given by her son, Dylan Emmet, a rising recording and performing artist  (www.dylanemmet.com)