Lavin Exclusive Speaker
Stories are the way we make sense of our lives—but we’re not always telling the right ones. Thankfully, Lori Gottlieb—therapist, New York Times bestselling author, and Atlantic columnist—is a masterful guide to editing and rewriting the narratives that keep us stuck. Through her massively popular book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone—now being adapted for television by Eva Longoria—and her viral new TED talk, Gottlieb shows us that vulnerability isn’t a weakness, but a compelling leadership tool; that our external circumstances don’t have to dictate our lives; and that we can consciously create meaning anywhere—at work, at home, and in relationships.
Lori Gottlieb started her career as a film and TV executive, crafting stories for cult favorite productions like Friends and ER, followed by a period as a nationally recognized journalist telling the stories of her subjects. Today, she’s a psychotherapist who helps her patients unravel and change the stories that no longer serve them. But what happens when a therapist experiences her own personal crisis? In her brilliant book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Gottlieb speaks candidly about her experience on both sides of the therapist’s couch, and in the process, guides a much broader conversation on mental health, vulnerability, fulfillment, and human relationships. Called both “provocative and entertaining” (The Washington Post) and “irresistibly candid and addicting” (The New York Times Book Review), Maybe You Should Talk to Someone spent 15 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. The memoir was also named Best Nonfiction Book of the year by O, The Oprah Magazine, an Amazon Best Book of 2019, and one of the 100 Must-Read Books of the year by TIME Magazine.
On stage, Gottlieb is deeply relatable, disarmingly funny, and startling profound. She blends her clinical experience with real-world stories, fascinating research, and the latest cultural developments to lift the curtain on the mystery of our own lives. Opening up conversations about our emotional lives in a way that both approachable and inspiring, Gottlieb shifts our perspective and creates powerful change. Her talks guide us to find meaning at work, have difficult—but necessary—conversations, and tap into our feelings as a guide to living the lives we want.
In addition to her clinical practice, Gottlieb is the idiosyncratic voice behind The Atlantic’s weekly “Dear Therapist” advice column and a regular contributor to The New York Times. She has written hundreds of articles related to psychology and culture, many of which have become viral sensations, and is a sought-after expert on media such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, CNN, and NPR’s “Fresh Air.” To date, Gottlieb has shared the stage with numerous emotional health advocates and thought leaders such as Katie Couric, Arianna Huffington, Esther Perel, Geena Davis, Jane Fonda, and Tara Westover. Gottlieb is also TED speaker, a member of the Advisory Council for Bring Change to Mind, and advisor to the Aspen Institute.