Hi! I'm Chris

I am an educator, researcher, award-winning author, and speaker based in South Carolina. As an established keynote speaker, I am booked for schools, colleges, universities, conferences and community events.

I am the founder of Teen Moms Anonymous, a non-profit 12-step support group and trauma recovery program for women who experienced a teen pregnancy (whether you gave birth, had an abortion, or both), and you are consumed with toxic shame--the feeling that you are not good enough.

I am deeply committed to supporting others. The daughter of a teenage mother, I was caught in the cycle of toxic shame and teen pregnancy. My success story is one of breaking the cycle of teen pregnancy and healing my toxic shame—a journey I now help women embark on through Teen Moms Anonymous. 

My academic and professional background underscores my expertise. I earned my B.A. in English from Wofford College and M.Ed. in Secondary English from Converse College. I began my career as a public school English teacher and served in that role for seven years.

I later advanced to higher education, receiving my Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and holding a position as Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Claflin University.

My doctoral research focused on strategies to support pregnant and parenting students (teen mothers) in achieving their educational goals. In 2023, I published my first book, Helping Teen Moms Graduate: Strategies for Families, School, and Community Organizations (Rowman & Littlefield, Feb. 15, 2023) which received two prestigious awards:

• Nautilus Book Award (Silver Winner, 2024)
• PenCraft Book Award (Literary Excellence Runner-up, 2023).

I am no longer in academia, however, I continue to conduct research. My work now focuses predominantly on using my 20-year journey of recovery from trauma to help others. I also mentor young women and single mothers, and I lead the trauma recovery non-profit organization I founded, Teen Moms Anonymous.

Outside of my professional work, my personal interests reflect my holistic approach to wellness and life balance. I enjoy being outside, yoga, traveling, gardening, shopping, and decorating.

Someone asked me what I attribute my success to. Without question, it is my faith and my commitment to remaining teachable. My faith provides guidance and purpose in all that I do. Maintaining a teachable spirit enables me to learn from every experience, adapt to new challenges and grow both personally and professionally.

I live in the Upstate of South Carolina with my teenage son.