Allison is a writing coach and author. She has written over a dozen books, including her most recent book Indestructible: Leveraging Your Broken Heart to Become a Force of Love and Change in the World. I met Ally at a writer’s conference she was hosting in Nashville, Tennessee. There, she brought back to life some pivotal things within me. She reminded me of the power of story and the power of creativity. In my interview with Ally, she tells a bit about her own story: her experience with heartbreak, surrender, and the beauty she’s found amidst it all.

I was 23-years-old when I was first introduced to Erin Gruwell’s story in the 2007 feature film Freedom Writers. I remember being enamored with Erin’s story; how she used writing as a tool for healing and bridge building in a Long Beach, California English classroom filled with at-risk youth and racial tensions in light of the Rodney King riots. Not only did 100% of Erin’s students go on to graduate from high school, but they also became co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book, The Freedom Writers Diary.

I had so many “aha” moments interviewing Hillary McBride, it’s hard to know where to begin summarizing our time together. Hillary is a Vancouver-based researcher, therapist, and doctoral student. She is also the author of Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves As We Are and is featured on “The Liturgists” podcast and “Other People’s Problems.”

If you have ever struggled with body image or are a mom wanting to pass along positive messages around body image to your daughter, this one is for you.