About Joani Geltman

My Story

Joani is a nationally recognized parenting and grandparenting expert with over 40 years of experience working with families. As an author, blogger, speaker, and coach, Joani blends humor, warmth, and practical wisdom to help parents and grandparents navigate the toughest challenges of raising children in today’s world.

She is the author of A Survival Guide to Parenting Teens: Talking To Your Kids About Sexting, Drinking, Drugs, and Other Things That Freak You Out and I Get It: Three Magic Words for Parents of Teens, and creator of The Psychology of Grandparenting seminar series. Joani has been featured on WBUR, Fox Boston, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Psychology Today, and other media outlets, and she has spoken at hundred’s of schools, national organizations across the country.

For over 30 years Joani has been on the Psychology faculty of Curry College and Lesley University preparing undergraduate and graduate students training for careers in Nursing, Education, Communication and Criminal Justice

Joani’s style is dynamic, down-to-earth, and engaging. Her presentations combine real-life stories with practical tools that leave audiences laughing, learning, and feeling empowered and understood.

Joani has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Lesley University and an MSW from Washington University

Feedback & Reviews

Here’s what parents, schools and organizations are saying

Hi Joani,

I wanted to tell you while I was thinking of it that two people have said to me recently how much your presentation at Bird Middle School last month helped. One woman said her relationship with her daughter has changed drastically since then. The other said she used one of your tips and it worked beautifully – I believe it was one where her daughter said something extremely disrespectful and instead of arguing with her she just stopped and looked at her and said “wow – can’t believe you just said that”. Her daughter immediately taken aback apologized and said she didn’t mean it.

Dear Joani,

I wanted to take a moment to thank-you for the excellent workshop I recently attended. I cannot say enough about how informative and enlightening your talk was, most importantly an eye opener for my husband who thought we were the only parents with a teen who acted” like that.” We went home and he gave my daughter a big hug! And to use your words – WOW, how happy that made us all feel and to see what an impression it made on him. Well like I said THANK-YOU, I am spreading the word to as many parents I know.

Joani

I attended your lecture at the South Shore Voc Tech and thought it was phenomenal! The two hours flew by. I went home and told my husband that I was sure you had to be living in our house! 🙂 I related to everything you said!