Kathryn Smerling, PhD, is a psychotherapist with advanced degrees in early childhood education, social work and family therapy, specializing in creating healthy and meaningful relationships for children, adolescents, and adults in all stages of life. She is currently a clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Hospital in the department of OBGYN and serves on the Dean's Council at the New York University School of Social Work. Previously, she was on staff at Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry and was an instructor at Fordham University in the department of Early Literacy. At the Northside Center for Childhood Development in New York City, she worked as a family therapist, where she utilized play therapy with children and their families, while coordinating access to community resources. At the Institute for the Development of Human Resources Dr. Smerling wrote 25 parenting booklets in English and Spanish. She is a national contributor for CBS, CNN, HLN, and Fox News, as well as ABC News in New York, USA Today, and Vanity Fair. She was a panelist on the Kimberly Guilfoyle Show (FOX) for two years and served as Rosie Pope's therapist on Bravo's Pregnant in Heels.

When success is measured by accomplishments, materialism, and bank accounts, itrsquo;s easy to forget to nurture the things that are essential to having a fulfilling life. People need downtime to unwind from busy lives and be self-aware in order to address their needs. Itrsquo;s also important to be in supportive, healthy relationships that are joyous. Psychotherapist Smerling, a professional with extensive training and experience, has dedicated her career to assisting children and families. She has collaborated with fellow professionals to provide individuals a pathway to rediscover their younger selves and become more fulfilled adults. Smerling uses the metaphor of a sandbox to describe the freedom of play for children. She notes that adults forget to play. She introduces what she calls a ldquo;CARE packagerdquo; based on the four pillars of child developmentmdash;curiosity, awareness, resilience, and empathymdash;which become behavior tools for successful adultshellip;. Smerlingrsquo;s system for creating or restoring healthy relationships should appeal to readers interested in childhood development and connecting with their younger selves.

Smerling, a psychotherapist who specializes in family dynamics and couples therapy, argues that adults need to look back at skills developed in childhood to regain good qualities lost over time, like kindness. Her argument focuses on a return to what adults discovered in their formative childhood years, to navigate with resilience and empathy and more. Smerling returns to past studies of early-childhood education from previous centuries of children playing in the sandbox as the ultimate place where they develop communication skills and confidence and explore their imaginations. She uses this as the basis for her CARE system (curiosity, awareness, resilience, and empathy), meant to show adults how to create happier lives at home and at work. Readers of self-help books who enjoy exercises and goal-setting tasks that invite them to explore skill building and personal development will enjoy the author#39;s outside-the-box approach. This title would be a good selection for public-library displays focusing on improving mental health.
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A great book for anyone trying to achieve a happier life. Insightful and well-written.

Dr. Smerling lays the groundwork for families to communicate more effectively. An invaluable source.

Dr. Smerlingrsquo;s humanistic understanding of relationships is presented in a clear, straightforward style. A go-to source for improving family dynamics.

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pub date: 2024-12-03

Length: 136 pages