Dr. Drew Pinsky Says Writing 'It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward' With Daughter 'Strengthened' Their Relationship

Paulina Pinsky and Dr. Drew Pinsky
Susan Sailer Pinsky

Dr. Drew Pinsky and daughter Paulina wrote a comprehensive guide to sex, relationships and consent.

Dr. Drew Pinsky and his daughter, Paulina, teamed up to write It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward: Dealing With Relationships, Consent, and Other Hard to Talk About Stuff, and now the renowned celebrity M.D. is exclusively telling ET about their creative process. 

The book features a comprehensive guide to sex, relationships and consent that goes beyond "the talk" that readers of all ages can learn from and relate to, from parents to counselors to teens.

"This book was a wonderful surprise. It was supposed to be a book about consent, but as I was thinking about writing it, I thought, 'I need a young person sitting here,' so I invited my daughter, who is a writer, and it was really a kinda glorious experience," the internist/addiction medicine specialist tells ET. 

"We got closer as a result. I learned about what's going on in her mind, and there's a lot going on, and it's pretty nice. I like what I found there," he continues. 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward features important topics including establishing healthy relationships, gender expression, sexual attraction, online relationships and more, all based on the principles of trust, compassion and boundaries. 

The book tackles questions that today’s teens are asking themselves that parents don’t always know how to handle including, 'What’s the line between a friendship and a romantic partner?' 'How can you learn to trust your body’s signals?' and 'What if you’re not quite sure what your sexuality is?' 
 
The father-daughter duo's ability to provide accessible resources, personal anecdotes and straightforward language allows readers to have open, honest and positive conversations around these subjects. 

"My daughter was very anxious that somehow we were gonna become working colleagues and not father and daughter and it was gonna disrupt our relationship. It strengthened it. It was a good experience and she's a wonderful partner to have in this project and that's great news," Dr. Drew shares. 

It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward: Dealing with Relationships, Consent, and Other Hard to Talk About Stuff is available to purchase for $17.99. 

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