Maia Pearl Szalavitz (born March 29, 1965) is an American reporter and author who focuses on science, public policy and addiction treatment.

Early life and education

Maia Szalavitz was born March 29, 1965. She was raised in upstate New York. She graduated from

Monroe-Woodbury High School Monroe-Woodbury High School is located in Central Valley, New York, part of the town and village of Woodbury in Orange County. It educates all students in grades 9- 12 in the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District. Notable alumni *David ...

in 1983 and attended

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. She graduated cum laude from

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

Career

Best known as the author of '' Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids'', a 2006 exposé documenting abuse in the insufficiently regulated troubled-teen treatment industry. She has written many other books including ''Born for Love: Why Empathy is Essential – and Endangered'' (Morrow, 2010) and ''The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog'' (Basic, 2006), both coauthored with Dr.

Bruce D. Perry Bruce D. Perry is an American psychiatrist, currently the senior fellow of the Child Trauma Academy in Houston, Texas and an adjunct professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. A clinician and re ...

; and co-authored ''Recovery Options: The Complete Guide'' with Dr. Joseph Volpicelli. Paul Raeburn at Knight Science Journalism at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the mo ...

called her "...the best writer I know of on addiction and related issues." She blogs for the ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' and has written for the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

'', ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine, '' New Scientist'', '' Newsweek'', '' Elle'', ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

'', ''

Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...

'' and other major publications. She has also worked in television – first as Associate Producer and then Segment Producer for the PBS

Charlie Rose Show ''Charlie Rose'' (also known as ''The Charlie Rose Show'') is an American television interview and talk show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show was syndicated on PBS from 1991 until 2017 and is owned b ...

, then on several documentaries including a

Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including ...

' AIDS special for ABC, and as Series Researcher and Associate Producer for the PBS documentary series ''Moyers on Addiction: Close to Home''. Szalavitz is an investigative reporter for '' Time'' magazine and since 2004 has been a senior fellow at George Mason University's media watchdog group

Statistical Assessment Service Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) is a non-profit organization which analyzes and critiques the presentation of scientific findings and statistical evidence in the news media. Formerly associated with George Mason University and the Center f ...

. In 2009, Szalavitz partnered with

Brent W. Jeffs Brent W. Jeffs is an American author, advocate, and former member of the influential Jeffs family in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church). Brent wrote the memoir ''Lost Boy'' with author Maia Szalavitz, whi ...

and released ''Lost Boy'', a biography of Jeffs's life in the

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) is a religious sect of the fundamentalist Mormon denominations whose members practice polygamy. The fundamentalist Mormon movement emerged in the early 20th century, ...

. In Spring 2016, ''Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction'' was published by St. Martin's Press. She was a 2015 Soros Media fellow, which supported her in writing this book.Maia Szalavitz
'' Open Society Institute. Retrieved 17 September 2016.

Awards and honors

She has been awarded the American Psychological Association's Division 50 Award for Contributions to the Addictions, the Media Award from the

American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Founded in 1961, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) is a professional organization of leading brain and behavior scientists. The principal functions of the college are research and education. Their goals in research are to offe ...

and the Drug Policy Alliance's 2005 Edward M. Brecher Award for Achievement.

References

External links

*
'Help At Any Cost'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szalavitz, Maia 1965 births Living people American non-fiction writers American women writers American women journalists Journalists from New York City Writers on addiction Brooklyn College alumni 21st-century American women