Published August 2024, Easterseals Massachusetts
Overcoming many barriers, Allison Thompkins is a true example of what perseverance and determination look like. Living with cerebral palsy since birth, she has defied expectations, achieved academic success, and became a leading advocate for accessibility and inclusion. Allison’s journey is not just about overcoming physical barriers; it’s about embracing spirituality, empowering others, and living life to the fullest.
Published July 11, 2024, Belonging Reimagined Podcast
In this very special episode, Dr. Mona chats with Dr. Allison Thompkins, a spiritual practitioner and disability rights advocate who was born with cerebral palsy. Dr. Allison develops personalized spiritual practices for clients, with a specialty in working with clients with disabilities. She is the author of the book “Spirituality Is for Every Body: 8 Accessible, Inclusive Ways to Connect with the Divine when Living with Disability.”
Sharing her powerful stories of living with disability and spirituality and the process of writing her book, Dr. Allison reminds us that we are all multifaceted beings and encourages us to tap into our spirituality wherever we are and in whatever body we are.
Watch now and learn:
In the audio clip below, you’ll hear a chapter from Spirituality Is for Every Body, the brand-new audiobook by writer and disability rights advocate Allison Thompkins, Ph.D. Allison shares her journey of surrendering to God and the transformational insights gained through spiritual practices and growth. She explores misconceptions about surrender, the importance of aligning with divine will, and the profound revelations that come with trusting in God’s love. You’ll learn how yielding to the flow of divine life applies to various aspects of existence, including personal challenges and life’s purpose.
Published May 9, 2024, Scripps College News
Economist, author, and disability rights advocate Allison Thompkins ’04 earned a PhD in economics from MIT after graduating from Scripps with a major in mathematical economics. In the following three and a half years, she worked as an economic researcher at Mathematica, a research and data analytics consultancy that aims to improve public well-being.
Published April 3, 2024, Slice of MIT
“So many within the disability community are curious about, and want to be involved in, spirituality,” she says, “but find that much of the rhetoric and discourse in spiritual circles either bypasses the disability experience altogether or only speaks about disability in the familiar tropes and platitudes found in larger society. My hope is that my book helps to remedy this by providing a foundation and framework for how to openly, honestly, and astutely discuss disability through a spiritual lens“
Published Feb 28, 2024, MIT Technology Review
Allison V. Thompkins, PhD ’11, used to spend her days steeped in statistical analysis, digging into economic data to understand how the world works. These days, you’re more likely to find her writing about how to modify prayer or meditation practices to make them more accessible for people with disabilities.
From the outside, the shift from economic policy research to a career writing and teaching about spirituality might seem like a substantial one. But for Thompkins, the instincts behind both pursuits flow from the same place.
Published Feb 16, 2024, COMMUNE
During the fall semester of my fourth year of graduate school at MIT, I took development economics. In the days leading up to my final exam, local meteorologists forecasted a light snowfall would begin a few hours after my exam ended. The snow would amount to about one or two inches. Since it was December in Massachusetts, a light snowfall was nothing of note. I love watching snow as it falls, so I was excited by the prospect of having a picturesque snowfall to look forward to after taking my final exam.
Regardless of what abilities or disabilities we may live with, we are all spirit.
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I infuse my economics training and spiritual knowledge into every aspect of my economics consulting.
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