Psychiatrist and author Michael Thompson spoke to parents about his book “The Pressured Child” in Saperstein Theatre Nov. 10.

Thompson discussed the process of students going through grade school and ultimately reaching college admissions. His speech also featured examples and stories about parents pressuring their children to excel in school and to get into elite universities.

“There are lots of ways to get through in life, so I think it’s profoundly important for students and parents to not become too caught up in getting into the best schools and the best colleges,” said parent John Graham (Jack ’16, Helen ’20), who attended the talk.

Although Thompson’s previous book focused on the experience of growing up in modern, middle-class America as a boy, his most recent book was about students of both genders.

“I thought it was very helpful, and honestly I was a little bit sad to hear about some of the examples he gave,” Graham said.