Meet Alisha Stevenson of 27 (two-seven) Coaching and Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Stevenson.

Hi Alisha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

My journey has been anything but traditional. I spent 13 years as a police officer, much of that time working with youth and families in the community. Law enforcement taught me resilience, crisis intervention, and the importance of showing up for people on some of the hardest days of their lives. But it also showed me that many of the struggles I witnessed—and experienced—ran much deeper than what could be solved in the moment.

Everything changed when I was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer at just 33 years old. Cancer forced me to slow down, reevaluate my life, and begin my own healing journey. It taught me that survival is about more than making it through difficult circumstances—it’s about learning how to truly live again. That experience became the foundation of my book, *27 Out of Service*, where I share how adversity can become an opportunity for growth and transformation.

After recovering, I felt called to help people heal in a different way. I returned to school, earned my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, became a Licensed Professional Counselor, and continued building my expertise in trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and health coaching. Today, I work as a therapist in an inpatient behavioral health hospital, helping adolescents and adults navigate trauma, mental health challenges, and life’s most difficult moments.

At the same time, I founded Code 27 Coaching & Counseling. The name comes from the police radio code “27,” meaning “out of service.” For me, Code 27 represents permission to pause—to take a break, take care, heal, and make room for joy. Through my private practice, I specialize in supporting the supporters: first responders, healthcare professionals, teachers, caregivers, and others who are so often expected to be the strong one.

Today, my mission extends beyond therapy. Through counseling, coaching, speaking, my podcast, community wellness initiatives, and the Everyday People Awards, I hope to remind people that healing isn’t about being perfect—it’s about reconnecting with yourself, regulating your nervous system, and discovering that you can move beyond survival into a life of purpose, balance, and joy.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. Looking back, I don’t think there has been a season that didn’t require resilience in some way. Transitioning from a 13-year career in law enforcement into counseling was both exciting and intimidating. Going back to graduate school while working meant juggling classes, internships, work, and family responsibilities, often with very little downtime.

At the same time, I was navigating life as a wife and mother, while also helping care for my mother-in-law, who lives with us and has significant health needs. There were many moments when I questioned whether I could keep all the plates spinning.

My own health journey added another layer. As a colorectal cancer survivor, I’ve learned firsthand that healing doesn’t end when treatment does. Prioritizing my own physical and emotional well-being while caring for others has been an ongoing lesson.

Building a private practice from the ground up while continuing to work in an inpatient behavioral health hospital has also come with uncertainty and risk. There are days filled with excitement and purpose, and there are days filled with doubt and long hours.

Through all of it, I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about never struggling. It’s about continuing to move forward, asking for support when needed, staying connected to your purpose, and giving yourself permission to pause, take care, heal, and make room for joy. Those experiences have shaped not only who I am as a person but also the therapist I am today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about 27 (two-seven) Coaching and Counseling ?
Code 27 Coaching & Counseling is more than a therapy practice—it’s a movement that gives people permission to pause. Inspired by the police radio code “27,” meaning *out of service*, our mission is simple: **Take a Break. Take Care. Heal. Make Room for Joy.**

As a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board-Certified Master Health Coach, former police officer, and cancer survivor, I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to the work I do. I specialize in trauma therapy, nervous system regulation, somatic approaches, mindfulness, and helping people move beyond survival mode. My passion is supporting the supporters—first responders, healthcare professionals, teachers, caregivers, helping professionals, and anyone who has spent so much time caring for others that they’ve forgotten to care for themselves.

In addition to individual counseling, Code 27 offers workshops, organizational training, speaking engagements, and wellness programs focused on trauma, burnout prevention, resilience, stress management, and creating healthier workplaces and communities. My goal is to make mental health education practical, relatable, and accessible so people leave with tools they can use immediately.

One of the initiatives closest to my heart is the Everyday People Awards, which celebrate ordinary people making an extraordinary difference through kindness, courage, resilience, advocacy, and service. Too often, the people quietly changing lives go unnoticed. I believe they deserve to be seen and celebrated.

What sets Code 27 apart is that healing isn’t viewed as simply reducing symptoms—it’s about helping people reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, strengthen relationships, and create lives filled with greater peace, purpose, and joy. Whether someone attends therapy, a workshop, a training, or a community event, my hope is that they leave feeling empowered, equipped, and reminded that they don’t have to carry everything alone.

At Code 27, healing isn’t just what we do—it’s the culture we’re building, one conversation and one connection at a time.

How do you think about luck?

I don’t believe luck has been the driving force behind my life or my business. If anything, my journey has been shaped by faith, perseverance, and a willingness to keep moving forward even when the path wasn’t clear.

There have certainly been opportunities that I’m grateful for, but I don’t think they happened by chance. They came after years of hard work, difficult seasons, and trusting God through uncertainty. From serving as a police officer, surviving Stage III cancer, returning to graduate school, balancing work and family, and now building a private practice, none of it has been easy or overnight.

What has made the biggest difference is consistency—showing up day after day, even when progress felt slow. I’ve also learned that rest is just as important as hard work. You can’t pour into others if you’re constantly running on empty. That lesson has become one of the foundations of my business and the message behind Code 27: giving yourself permission to pause, take care, heal, and make room for joy.

If there’s one thing I hope people take away from my story, it’s that success isn’t about luck. It’s about having faith, staying true to your purpose, doing the work, and trusting that each step—especially the difficult ones—is preparing you for what’s next.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://code27.clientsecure.me/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BLZTm9sTD/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@27withalisha?si=EwgdSPjOHLCNA4k4