Dr. Dorfman was published in Psychology Today
A Therapist’s Perspective on Operation Varsity Blues
Why removing obstacles from your teen’s path can impede healthy growth.
By Dr. Dana Dorfman | September 24, 2019
As a Manhattan-based psychotherapist who treats high-achieving families, I feel for the teens entangled in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal that unfolded this past spring.
Although they have every advantage because of their privilege, they are also emotionally deprived. Their parents’ choices have taken away experiences that are essential for them to achieve authentic success. Each week I see highly educated, well-intended parents whose explicit parenting goal is for their teens to be happy, fulfilled, and satisfied adults. Unfortunately, their efforts create a paradoxical outcome—their kids often grow up to feel empty, inadequate, and incapable.
