Heidi Smith Luedtke earned her doctorate in personality psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her scholarly research on well-being, identity, personality assessment and sexual assault has been published in top peer-reviewed journals. She is a dynamic, award-winning teacher and loves to share lessons from psychology with live audiences of all sizes.
Heidi’s skillful application of psychology to real-world challenges earned her a presidential appointment to the Salzburg Global Seminar on “Strengthening Democracy: Women and Political Power” and the role of chief social scientist for the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services. After 18 years as a college professor and social scientist, Heidi left full-time academic work to raise a family and chart her own career course.
Currently, Heidi spends most of her time writing smart, practical articles on personal development, people skills and parenting. Her articles have appeared in more than 80 magazines in the U.S. and Canada, including Parents, Pregnancy and Newborn, and Costco Connection. She is a regular contributor to Military Spouse magazine. Heidi’s forthcoming e-book, Detachment Parenting: 33 Ways to Keep Your Cool When Kids Melt Down, gives parents access to the techniques teachers, coaches and counselors use to dial down their own emotional responses and stay focused on guiding kids’ growth.
When she isn’t reading or writing, Heidi enjoys running, cooking and scuba diving. She currently lives in northern Virginia with her husband, a career Air Force officer, their two young children and two scrappy dogs.
Want to know more?
Find Heidi Smith Luedtke’s complete curriculum vitae here