Unconditional: Learning to Navigate and Reframe Mental Illness Together

Unconditional helps those experiencing the challenges of intense emotional issues to let them know they are not alone.

Unconditional takes readers through Allison Garner’s own journey with her daughter as they face her daughter’s emotional, mental, and behavioral struggles. With bracingly honest reflection, Allison shares her own struggles learning how to parent a child with major emotional and mental struggles, from multiple suicide attempts to cutting school. She openly admits to the thoughts most mothers never have the courage to say out loud and tackles her own growth head-on to show parents that it’s okay not to have all the answers―and they don’t have to be a “normal” parent or “good” mother. Including excerpts from her daughter’s journal, Unconditional, while not shying away from reality, paints a beautiful picture of hope and growth on an imperfect journey and reassures parents that there is nothing wrong with them or their children.

Allison Garner has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, M.S. in Business Administration, and is a Certified and Credentialed Professional Coach. After serving as an engineer for 20 years in the oil industry with her last position as Vice President of an engineering consulting firm and one of the world’s experts in aromatics extraction, she founded her own coaching practice, Align Coaching LLC. In addition to sitting on multiple boards and advisory committees, Allison has been an elected School Board member for 9 years and served as its Treasurer, Vice President, and President. She published her first book, Think Possible: The Light and Dark Side of Never Running Out of Ideas, in 2019 with Morgan James Publishing. Allison currently resides in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Piper Garner is a high school student. At age 12, Piper started to experience mental health struggles and was diagnosed with depression. Her three-year journey to mental wellness included three months in wilderness therapy and one year at a residential boarding school. She’s passionate about animals, nature, and connecting with people without judgement. Piper currently resides in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.