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Diana Kirschner, Ph.D. '76
Author and Media Psychologist
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Diana Kirschner, Ph.D. '76
Author and Media Psychologist
In Love with Her Job
Favorite Professors:
Dr. George Stricker, because of his brilliant mind and warm relational style.
Fondest Adelphi Memory:
Meeting my husband Sam, who was playing air guitar on a table at a party.
Advice for Students:
“Be a student of the people who are successfully doing what you want to do. You truly can create any future that you envision.”
Magazine covers have a reputation for making or breaking careers. For Diana Kirschner, a 1986 Newsweek cover story launched a passionate investigation of the psychology of love.
“I remember being absolutely astounded,” she says. “That article alleged that a single woman in her 40s was as likely to be killed by terrorists as to get married! I thought to myself, that can’t be true, and if it is, I need to do something about it.”
Following her doctoral studies at the Derner Institute, Dr. Kirschner practiced for many years as a family therapist. She devoted herself to the integration of family, couple and individual treatment, and gained invaluable insight into human dynamics and the patterns of successful and struggling relationships.
In the 1980s, the American Psychological Association recommended her as a guest for the Oprah Winfrey Show. It was to be the beginning of countless appearances on popular shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America, Montel Williams, Nightline, and Access Hollywood.
Her latest book, Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love, is the culmination of her life’s work, and the final answer to that 20-year-old article.
“All my training, education, and work have given me a wealth of understanding,” she says. “It really informs the work I do now, helping people to understand their own dating patterns.”
Dr. Kirschner was gratified when Newsweek recanted that story several years ago. She credits Adelphi with the foundation for her dynamic career.
“Adelphi gave me the best training, and enabled me to take advantage of the school’s fabulous reputation in graduate psychological studies,” she says. “I was able to get immediate hands-on experience.”
Dr. Kirschner has never wanted to sit back and take a hands-off approach to her career or her life, and it shows. After having lived away from the Big Apple for more than 20 years, she and her husband Sam are proud to have re-invented themselves as “true New Yorkers”. They have two children, Princess Superstar, a musician and DJ, and Jason, a lawyer.
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