By the time my daughter Emma was 7, I could see that her “picture-perfect life,” complete with strong grades, extracurricular activities, and an active social world, also made her a prime candidate for the mental health challenges facing an alarming number of “Perfect Girl” teens in affluent communities like ours. My six children grew up […]
Many of the behaviors that show up in adult relationships — defensiveness, emotional shutdown, perfectionism, people-pleasing, fear of conflict — often begin as survival strategies long before adulthood. At a recent conversation hosted by The Family Institute at Northwestern University — a Make It Better 2026 Philanthropy Award winner — licensed marriage and family therapist […]
Discussing money management with your partner isn’t known for igniting romantic passion. But, according to many therapists, communicating effectively about money is actually one of the keys to a healthy relationship, and one far more romantic than the alternative. “When couples can talk in a healthy way about money, it lays the groundwork for romance,” […]
