Meet Dr. Allison Blankenship
Brain Health Behaviorist
Improving cognition today and protecting tomorrow.
The habits that support cognitive health are well understood. Adopting them — and keeping them — is the hard part, and it’s where most people get stuck. As a brain health behaviorist, that’s the work I do with you: translating the science into a plan you can actually live, and providing the structure and support that consistency requires. You are not too old, and it is not too late to begin.
Allison Knox Blankenship, DHSc, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, CDP
Doctor of Health Science (DHSc), The George Washington University School of Medicine · National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) · Diplomate, American College of Lifestyle Medicine (DipACLM) · Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) · Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach · ReCODE 2.0 (Bredesen-Trained) Coach
"My doctoral research at The George Washington University School of Medicine examined the effectiveness of health coaching in people with mild cognitive impairment who were following the Bredesen Protocol, also called the ReCODE Program — which is the work I now do with you."
Dr. Allison Blankenship launched her Dallas-based practice in 2018, offering personalized consultations nationwide. She assists clients and their care partners in developing lifestyle strategies to enhance cognition, address dementia risk factors, and manage the daily challenges of dementia care.
Dr. Blankenship is qualified to support you on your brain health journey. She is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, a Certified Dementia Practitioner, a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, and a ReCODE 2.0 Certified Health Coach. She earned a Doctor of Health Science from The George Washington University School of Medicine, where she researched the effectiveness of health coaching among people with mild cognitive impairment. She holds a master’s in biomedical communications from UT Southwestern Medical School and a bachelor’s in biology from Bucknell University, and she works at UT Southwestern Medical School assessing therapeutic communication skills among medical students.
My Story
"I’m in my sixties. I don’t accept that decline is simply my fate — and the science gives me good reason not to."
Most people are told that cognitive decline is inevitable — that there’s nothing you can do. I don’t believe that.
I believe you have far more control over your brain health than you’ve been led to think — and once you understand what truly supports cognition, aging becomes far less fearful.
I’ve seen how quickly a strong mind can slip away. I watched both of my parents lose pieces of themselves to age-related disease. And I saw my father-in-law, a disciplined military officer, hide his Alzheimer’s while scammers drained his entire retirement.
Those experiences made one thing clear: I wasn’t going to quietly wait for my own decline.
So, I made a major shift. In my sixties, I closed a successful business, went back to graduate school, and retrained in brain health and lifestyle medicine. I wanted lifestyle-driven, research-backed tools, not guesswork, so I could take charge of my own cognitive future and help others do the same.
Today, I’m a Brain Health Behaviorist with advanced training in neuroscience, lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, and health coaching. My work blends science, structure, and compassionate coaching to give people clear, realistic ways to improve cognition and reduce dementia risk.
I translate research into practical steps, so you don’t have to sift through overwhelming or conflicting advice.
I don’t believe in fear-based health messages or overwhelming protocols. Brain health isn’t about perfection. It’s about small, consistent habits that fit real life. Lifestyle matters, but so does how you feel while making those changes. You deserve guidance that’s doable, and grounded in compassion, not pressure.
My philosophy is simple:
Dementia is NOT inevitable. You have more control than you think.
You’re not too old, and it’s not too late to start. The brain is adaptable, and your habits can change its trajectory at any age. You don’t need extreme routines or complicated plans — just the right lifestyle strategies, practiced consistently, in a way that fits your life.
You deserve to feel confident about your future, not fearful of it.
I’m here to help you protect the years ahead — with clarity, strength, and a sense of control you may not have felt in a long time. You can build a healthier, more vibrant second half of life. And you don’t have to do it alone.
And just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly.
Allison, with her great wealth of knowledge, focused on the totality of my health. I was motivated to make better choices daily for my overall wellbeing. I truly feel that I have "bloomed again," as I am now healthier and more equipped to face the decades ahead.
- Christine Gonzalez
Allison is amazing. She was fully present, asked great questions, really listened, got to the heart of the matter and kept the conversation authentically empowering and solution focused. I felt heard, valued and capable of more than I initially saw possible.
- Shari Marin
Working with Allison was very natural and I always felt supported -- more like a conversation with an old friend. She helped me to acknowledge some things that weren't working in my life. She helped get from "I should" to "I want to."
- Veronica Padilla
