Featured Authors

Susan Morris Shaffer and Linda Perlman Gordon combine an expertise in child psychology, gender equity and mental health, to write books for parents and educators. Their books, Why Girls Talk and What They're Really Saying, Why Boy's Don't Talk and Why it Matters, and Mom, Can I Move Back in with You? have been the subject of many radio interviews, print articles, and speeches at parenting conferences.

Dubbed "parent survival guides," the books provide advice and strategies for parents of the targeted age or gender. In Why Boys Don't Talk and Why it Matters, the authors give parents insight on why boys become less communicative as they enter the preteen and teen years and how parents can continue to remain connected to them. The companion book, Why Girls Talk and What They are Really Saying helps parents to cut through the chatter to understand what daughters are really thinking and feeling. Mom, Can I Move Back in with You? explores the challenges of "adultescence," a stage of development affecting many twentysomethings today. It explains why the traditional markers of adulthood no longer apply and provides parents with the tools to navigate this tumultuous time in their grown children's lives. As observers of cultural changes, especially as they pertain to children and families, Susan Morris Shaffer and Linda Perlman Gordon identify trends and problems in modern family life, and provide strategies that work for the whole family.

Susan Morris Shaffer is nationally recognized for her work in the development of comprehensive technical assistance and training programs on educational equity and multicultural gender-related issues. Shaffer currently serves on the board of directors for the Maryland Women's Heritage Center and has been the recipient of numerous awards related to her work in gender equity. She has spent more than 30 years both teaching and working in public schools and colleges.

A graduate of the prestigious Family Therapy Practice Center, Linda Perlman Gordon has advanced degrees in social work and education, and is a founding member of the Clinical Social Work Institute. Ms. Gordon has taught seminars on the subjects of divorce and blended families, trained seminar leaders, and developed programs concerning mental health issues for children. She has a private psychotherapy practice in Washington, DC treating individuals, couples, and families.

All three books by Shaffer and Gordon have been widely praised. About Mom, Can I Move Back in with You?, Mary Pipher, psychologist and author of Reviving Ophelia and Letters to a Young Therapist, says, "This book worked for me. It is educational in the best sense of the word. It helps us act more effectively and adaptively in our family environments. I recommend it highly."

www.parentingroadmaps.com

--Allison Zimmer