New book by Jessica Yuppa Huddy C’13.
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May 2018 – The road to Jessica Yuppa Huddy co-authoring her first book began four years ago with an introduction to Ilana Kukoff, founder and CEO of Cognition Builders.
At the time, Huddy had earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Drew University and Kukoff was looking to hire someone fresh out of college. Then Drew Associate Professor of Psychology Jessica Lakin brought them together.
Concurrently, Kukoff had an idea for a book, and as she got to know Huddy, she realized that she had an ideal partner. The result is, Say This, Not That to Your Teenage Daughter.
The book is an extension of some of the duo’s work with clients at Cognition Builders: to provide practical advice for improving family dynamics.
“When we set out to write this book, we thought about the stories we’ve collected, the conflicts we’ve dissolved and the family dysfunction we’ve corrected,” explained Huddy C’13. “Our clients ask us the same questions: ‘What do I say when X happens?’ ‘What do I say when she does X?’ So, we pulled together the communication hang-ups we’ve encountered most often and tackled them, one by one.”
Huddy is grateful for the education and training she received at Drew. “The high standards intrinsic to Drew’s curriculum and the relationships fostered with professors have been invaluable preparation for the professional world,” she said.
Huddy, who is the chief learning officer at Cognition, is continuing her education and training, with the aim of becoming a licensed professional counselor and earning a second master’s degree—in clinical mental health counseling—from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She also holds a master of science in applied psychology from Walden University.
