Smith, Robin L. 1962-

PERSONAL:

Born 1962; daughter of Warren E. Smith (a psychiatrist) and Rosa Lee Smith (a social worker); divorced. Education: Graduated from LaSalle University; Eastern Baptist (now Palmer) Theological Seminary, M.A.; Temple University, Ph.D.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Philadelphia, PA.

CAREER:

Palmer Theological Seminary, Wynnewood, PA, adjunct professor; consultant on leadership training; has appeared as a guest speaker on various television programs, including The Today Show on NBC, Good Morning America on ABC, The Early Show on CBS, The Fox News Channel, and as a regular on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

WRITINGS:

SUBHEAD

Lies at the Altar: The Truth about Great Marriages, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2006.

Also author of Inspirational Vitamins: A Guide to Personal Empowerment.

SIDELIGHTS:

Robin L. Smith is a psychologist who serves as a consultant for the Oprah Winfrey Show. Smith was raised in a family of high achievers, attending Quaker school and black churches. She married young, then divorced when she was just twenty-eight. Only years later did she realize how her own behavior had contributed to the failure of her relationship. For years she had been too open minded in her acceptance of the people around her, to the point of failing to make conscious choices regarding whom she wanted as a part of her life. On her own Web site, Smith stated: "I found myself struggling to identify where I belonged in the world, and what truly inspired me. By the world's standards, I was doing great. I was educated in great schools, had traveled around the world, was building a successful private practice, and started pursuing a career in television. Yet, something was missing. What was missing was a secure personal sense of my worth, value and purpose." In Lies at the Altar: The Truth about Great Marriages, Smith discusses how to determine what you need from your life, and set out to get it, noting that there is nothing wrong with having ambition and direction, even in your relationships. She also encourages couples thinking about marriage to ask themselves and each other all of the hard questions necessary to determine if both parties want the same thing from the union. A contributor for Publishers Weekly wrote: "Smith succeeds admirably in taking the microscope to the myriad actions and words couples automatically do and say."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Ebony, August, 2006, review of Lies at the Altar: The Truth about Great Marriages, p. 28.

Library Journal, May 1, 2006, Lucille M. Boone, review of Lies at the Altar, p. 106.

O, The Oprah Magazine, April, 2006, Aimee Lee Ball, interview with Robin L. Smith, p. 175.

Publishers Weekly, July 10, 2006, review of Lies at the Altar, p. 79.

ONLINE

Hyperion Books Web site,http://www.hyperionbooks.com/ (December 31, 2006), author biography.

Oprah & Friends Web site,http://www2.oprah.com/ (December 31, 2006), author biography.

Robin L. Smith's Home Page,http://www.drrobinsmith.com (December 31, 2006).

Tuesday's Children Web site,http://www.tuesdayschildren.org/ (December 31, 2006), guest appearance announcement.