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1 month ago | 
edweek.org | Marc Brackett |Robin Stern |Diana Divecha
As psychologists, we can assure you that Netflix’s hit miniseries “Adolescence” isn’t really about adolescence. Despite its title, the show is not a guide to raising or educating teenagers. It’s a gripping crime drama set in a middle school, where peer bullying contributes to a tragic murder. While crime dramas typically center on identifying a murderer, “Adolescence” poses a deeper question: Who is responsible for raising and protecting our children? The answers are complex.
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2 months ago | 
yourtango.com | Robin Stern |Marc Brackett |Ph. D
Merriam-Webster selected “polarization” as its 2024 Word of the Year, and it’s no surprise why. From the left to the right, we’ve been moving along a spectrum of extremes, and it’s not just political. Our emotions have been along for the ride, too. But can we change what happened in the past — whether on a personal level, in the political sphere, or in any life event that left us feeling lost and unmoored? No, we cannot. What we can do is move forward.
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2 months ago | 
better.net | Robin Stern |Zorana Ivcevic Pringle |Marc Brackett |Krista Smith
In the aftermath of a tumultuous election season, political division, wildfires, and a general sense of uncertainty for the future, it’s easy to think we are all simply living in a united state of stress with little good to come from it. However, the science of emotional intelligence tells us that using the term stress is more complicated than it might seem.
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2 months ago | 
nzherald.co.nz | Robin Stern |Marc Brackett
When your values clash with your actions, it can cause deep emotional distress. Photo / 123RFWe feel psychological distress when we are compelled to act against, witness, or fail to prevent actions that conflict with our moral beliefs. Therapists Robin Stern and Marc Brackett share their advice on how to navigate the struggle. Q. I find myself struggling emotionally and ethically in today’s polarised world.
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Mar 2, 2025 | 
washingtonpost.com | Robin Stern |Marc Brackett
I find myself struggling emotionally and ethically in today’s polarized world. I have a job in health care and often find myself in situations where I have to act in ways that go against my values, whether it’s due to hospital policies or the general state of our health-care system. How do I navigate this? This question from one of our clients may resonate with many who feel caught between their values and the realities of their environment.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
psychologytoday.com | Robin Stern |Krista Smith |Cecily Lipton
By Robin Stern, Krista Smith, and Cecily LiptonIn the immediate wake of November’s election, no topic invited greater speculation or judgment than how someone cast their ballot. Whispers, phone calls, and texts spread with the reminder that political choices are no longer private but a kind of public litmus test—a measure for who to blacklist from your inner circle.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
psychologytoday.com | Robin Stern |Daniel Levin
By Robin Stern and Daniel Barban Levin When it comes to cult phenomena, there is one phrase I hear over and over: That would never happen to me. And it’s easy to understand why. With cult content ceaselessly streaming across platforms, viewers always have the upper hand. "I would never fall for that," we think to ourselves behind phones, laptops, or TV screens. "How could they be so gullible?" we wonder.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
nzherald.co.nz | Robin Stern |Marc Brackett
Sometimes family gatherings may be tinged with something less savoury: gaslighting. Photo / 123rfTHREE KEY FACTSGaslighting, a form of emotional abuse, can occur in family gatherings, undermining confidence and reality. Triggers for gaslighting include disagreements, disappointments, established family hierarchies, and cultural loyalty. To counteract gaslighting, be proactive, modify conversations, and reflect on your experiences afterwards.
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Oct 6, 2024 | 
modernmom.com | Robin Stern
Last year during a family dinner with my (Robin’s) niece and nephew and their two adorable daughters, five-year-old Sofia asked me to read with her A Little SPOT of Worry by Diane Alber. In this book, Alber explains that there are two distinct types of worry: a useful worry, or one that keeps you safe, and a spinning worry, or one that you imagine, is not likely to happen and can keep you from fully enjoying your life.
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Sep 10, 2024 | 
washingtonpost.com | Robin Stern |Marc Brackett
Gaslighting, often seen in personal relationships, can also happen in the heated world of politics and elections. Not every politician is a gaslighter, but those who propagate disinformation and lies to manipulate people into supporting them have earned that title. So how do you know if a politician is gaslighting? As psychologists with a combined six decades of experience in research and clinical practice, we have some tips for you to consider.
