Another college application season is around the corner, and stress is ratcheting up for teens and their parents. Join Irena Smith, PhD for an online author event from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Aug. 15 to hear about constructive and healthy ways to approach the college application process. According to the event announcement, you’ll learn how to preserve your relationship with your teen and help them define success on their terms instead of chasing the elusive “golden ticket.”

Irena spent 18 years advising accomplished, tightly wound students in Palo Alto, California and around the world. She saw firsthand the extreme measures parents took to help their children gain admission to highly selective colleges and the toll it took on both children and parents.

At the same time, Irena’s own children struggled. She kept her double life — successful college counselor at work, anxious mom at home — under wraps for years until a stunning realization: she was exactly like the anxious parents of the students she worked with. Irena’s memoir, Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays candidly explores her personal and professional life. Irena has devoted her time to speaking out about hard things: the heavy burden of generational expectations, teen and young adult mental health, and the importance of embracing a broader, more generous vision of what it means to succeed.

You can register for the event here.