Val Walker, MS, is a contributing blogger for Psychology Today and the Health Story Collaborative in Boston. Her newest book, 400 Friends and No One to Call: Breaking Through Isolation and Building Community, was released on March 26, 2020, with Central Recovery Press. Walker is the author of The Art of Comforting (Penguin/Random House, 2010) which was a gold medalist for the Nautilus Book Award in 2011. She received her master of science degree in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is a rehabilitation consultant, speaker and educator. Her articles and interviews have appeared in AARP, Time, Good Housekeeping, Coping with Cancer, Marie Claire and the Boston Globe.