Hi! I’m MaryIrene Allen!

 

I am a Utah original, but have lived in many different states throughout my adult life. I have been settled in Indiana now for 14 years, where my husband, children, and I call home. I am the youngest of 6 children, was raised with the encouragement to start and build a family, and it has been one of my life’s greatest and most challenging experiences to be a mother and raise my 4 children.

 

During my life, I have sought out meaningful relationships, and I love the interactions I have with others. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church), and throughout that experience, I was able to use my love for others in many leadership roles, including Presidency of the Young Women organization, Presidency of the Primary organization, and as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for members of the congregation.

 

I have always been a self-learner, and read for greater knowledge and understanding on a variety of topics. Marriage, parenting, and mental health have been topics I have returned to time and time again. Several years ago, this learning led me into hours of self-reflection about who I was and how I wanted a change for my future so that my marriage, my children, and I could all thrive. We, as a family, have undergone a major faith transition, and decided to resign from the Mormon Church.

 

I have experienced the changes and challenges that take place as one transitions from parenting small children to teenagers to young adults. At times, I felt very alone and unsure of how to proceed in the struggles that these transitions brought. I know the need for support and understanding.

 

I have people I love dearly who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, which led me down an incredible path of reassessing what I had been taught, and to begin building better understanding, compassion, and love for those in that community. These life experiences, plus my love for helping people, has brought me to the place where I am now.

 

It is now my life’s purpose to act as a guide for people who are walking through these types of transitional times in life. Maybe you are the one going through it, or perhaps you have someone close to you that you’d like to better understand and support.  I will ask powerful questions that lead you to introspection and understanding about your life and the direction you want to move. I am here to listen to you, validate and encourage you, and hold you accountable to the actions, steps, and goals you set along the way. If you resonate with me in any way, please reach out…I look forward to meeting and working with you.