Andrew Tallman

Peer Mentor (He/Him/His) 🏳️‍🌈

Special interests: Anxiety | Depression | Autism | ADHD | LGBTQIA+ | couples counseling | neurodivergent life coaching | neurodivergent couples | toxic masculinity repair | emotional intelligence and mindfulness | late in life neurodivergent diagnosis

Andrew was born and raised (mostly) in the Chippewa valley. He grew up in Chippewa Falls and attended area schools, graduating from Chi-Hi in 1997. He went on to attend UWEC as a part time student majoring in History, while also working a variety of factory and production jobs and maintaining a relationship with his partner and their (now young adult) child. While he did not complete his bachelor's degree due to life circumstances, he did finish his associate's degree in liberal arts and sciences and has most recently received his certification as a Parent Peer Specialist. 

Andrew had a difficult time growing up. He was born with undiagnosed autism and ADHD.  His parents (whether they recognized his neurodivergence or not) decided to treat him no differently than anyone else, which resulted in a “trial by fire” of sorts for Andrew.  He had trouble making and keeping friends and spent a lot of time on his own. He also had a difficult home life. His father was an alcoholic, drinking to deal with his own stress and anxiety. His father’s drinking sometimes led to incidents of domestic violence, with Andrew being the target of or witness to those incidents. As a young adult, Andrew often struggled with finances, employment and interpersonal relationships; his neurodivergence caused him to create maladaptive behaviors to deal with stress and emotional dysregulation. 

In his spare time Andrew is an avid consumer of all things' history, in particular military history. He relieves stress by playing video games and is very proud of his extensive game collection. Andrew is currently going through a major life change, his primary partnership of 20+ has come to an amicable end. He moved out of their shared home and has been struggling to adjust to his new circumstances while trying to maintain a sense of balance and growth. 

Andrew joins At The Roots hoping to make a difference in the lives of people of all ages. He brings a great deal of lived experience to his peer counseling role. Andrew has dealt with substance abuse, domestic violence, poverty, sexual assault, anger issues, neurodivergent issues, and LGBTQIA+ issues. This gives him a unique perspective in relating to others dealing with these issues and helps him maintain a strong sense of empathy and the importance of letting people tell their own story. Whether clients deal with the issues he has experienced personally, or just need someone to help them through a difficult or confusing time in life, Andrew is ready to employ his communicative and listening skills to help people deal with their trauma, stress, and life issues and give help them find the courage to move forward in making a better life for themselves.