About Alana
Alana D. Tanner
MS · PCC · BCMHC
I am Alana D. Tanner, MS, PCC, BCMHC, a Professional Certified Coach, Board Certified Mental Health Coach, Emotional Intelligence Practitioner, Consultant, and Speaker who helps people communicate better, navigate workplace challenges, and build stronger professional relationships.
Because sometimes what looks like a performance issue is really a communication issue. What looks like resistance may actually be a lack of trust. And what looks like a "people problem" may simply be people who need to communicate differently.
My Credentials
"Honesty is central to how I coach. I ask direct questions, challenge perspectives, and help clients recognize what they may not yet see—with care and without judgment."
My Background
Real Experience.
Real Results.
I work with professionals at every level, from emerging leaders to senior executives, as well as teams and organizations that want to strengthen communication, emotional intelligence, leadership, accountability, collaboration, and workplace relationships.
My approach is honest, practical, direct, and grounded in the real world. I am not interested in coaching that sounds good in theory but falls apart on Monday morning. Then we figure out what actually needs to change.
I have more than a decade of coaching experience and more than 20 years of experience in business development, consulting, leadership support, client strategy, and relationship management. I have also taught at the university level and worked across a variety of professional and organizational environments.
I am certified to administer and debrief the EQ-i 2.0 and EQ-360 Emotional Intelligence Assessments, giving individuals and organizations objective insight into the emotional intelligence skills that influence communication, relationships, decision-making, leadership, and performance.
I hold a Master of Science in Construction Management and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering Technology, and am credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation.
But credentials only tell part of the story.
What matters most to me is helping people become more self-aware, communicate more effectively, handle difficult situations better, and build professional relationships that actually work.
Because when people work better together, everything else works better too.
What Working Together Looks Like
Sessions are practical, direct, and grounded in the real world. We start by getting clear on what is actually going on beneath the surface, then build a plan you can put to work immediately. Clients leave our conversations with concrete next steps, not just insight. Over time, that adds up to real, lasting change in how they communicate, lead, and show up for the people around them.
Certifications & Affiliations
ICF ProfessionalCertified Coach
Board CertifiedMental Health Coach
EQ-i 2.0Certified
EQ 360Certified
Marquis Who's Who2026
Influential WomenVerified
Resilience
Two
Life-Changing Moments
My Story
Our Setbacks Don't Define Us.
Our Comebacks Do.
At 40, I suffered a life-altering stroke that left me paralyzed on my left side. In an instant, the independence I had known was gone. Things most of us never think twice about, walking, driving, using my arms and legs, simply moving through everyday life, became things I had to fight to regain.
For the next three years, recovery became my job. I worked relentlessly to rebuild my strength, mobility, independence, and my life. Progress was slow, hard-earned, and sometimes measured in things that would have once seemed insignificant. But I kept going.
And then, just as I had fought my way back, I was knocked down a second time. At 43, swelling around my optic nerve led doctors to discover a serious medical issue that required brain surgery. The surgery saved my life, but the recovery took away much of the progress I had spent three years fighting to regain. Once again, I had to rebuild.
That second setback taught me something the first one could not: resilience is not about bouncing back as quickly as possible or pretending everything is fine. Sometimes resilience is messy. Sometimes it means accepting that the plan has changed and figuring out how to move forward from where you are, not where you thought you would be.
Those experiences changed me personally, but they also fundamentally changed the way I coach. I understand what it feels like when circumstances change without your permission. That perspective comes into the room with me every time I coach.
"Our setbacks don't define us. Our comebacks do."