Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
California should be paradise. Yet a culture of progressive conformity—sweeping not just the Golden State but the nation—has made life increasingly difficult for those who question the reigning orthodoxy. Political groupthink has paralyzed solutions to the state’s most pressing challenges, with profound consequences for families, communities, and the next generation.
In this discussion, Rob Henderson will interview Abigail Shrier about the ideas in her latest book, Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up. Shrier exposes how the youth mental-health boom is reshaping childhood—smuggling in ideology, fostering conformity, and leaving young people less resilient. Together, they will examine current cultural and psychological trends, the challenges of raising a family and staying true to one’s values in deep-blue California, and what’s at stake when therapy becomes indoctrination. They will also explore how parents, policymakers, and citizens can push back.
About the speakers
Abigail Shrier is the author of the New York Times bestseller Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up and the national bestseller Irreversible Damage. An award-winning journalist, her forthcoming book, The Plot Against Love, investigates why the rising generation isn’t pairing up.
Rob Henderson is the bestselling author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class and originator of the influential concept of “luxury beliefs,” the idea that fashionable views promoted by elites have downstream consequences for lower-income and vulnerable populations. His memoir has been optioned for a scripted feature film.
For more information on future Manhattan Institute events: https://manhattan.institute/events
California should be paradise. Yet a culture of progressive conformity—sweeping not just the Golden State but the nation—has made life increasingly difficult for those who question the reigning orthodoxy. Political groupthink has paralyzed solutions to the state’s most pressing challenges, with profound consequences for families, communities, and the next generation.
In this discussion, Rob Henderson will interview Abigail Shrier about the ideas in her latest book, Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up. Shrier exposes how the youth mental-health boom is reshaping childhood—smuggling in ideology, fostering conformity, and leaving young people less resilient. Together, they will examine current cultural and psychological trends, the challenges of raising a family and staying true to one’s values in deep-blue California, and what’s at stake when therapy becomes indoctrination. They will also explore how parents, policymakers, and citizens can push back.
About the speakers
Abigail Shrier is the author of the New York Times bestseller Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up and the national bestseller Irreversible Damage. An award-winning journalist, her forthcoming book, The Plot Against Love, investigates why the rising generation isn’t pairing up.
Rob Henderson is the bestselling author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class and originator of the influential concept of “luxury beliefs,” the idea that fashionable views promoted by elites have downstream consequences for lower-income and vulnerable populations. His memoir has been optioned for a scripted feature film.
For more information on future Manhattan Institute events: https://manhattan.institute/events
