Psychologist, Author, and Parenting Resource Expert
Dr. Helen Boehm is a distinguished psychologist and national authority on toys, play and the impact of media on children. She leads the independent advisory service, “FCC Ready”, which certifies educational programming compliance and advises on the development of children’s toys, television and digital products.
Dr. Helen was the Senior Vice President for Public Responsibility and Standards at MTV Networks/Nickelodeon and, prior to that, headed Education and Public Service for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Along with her former Fox colleague, John Walsh, she continues an active role with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is a familiar parenting resource on programs like "Today" and "Good Morning America" and has given testimony in front of Congress on advertising to children and the impact of sexuality and violence on young audiences. She also served as Vice President of the Children's Advertising Review Unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
The author of Fearless Parenting for the New Millennium and The Right Toys: A Guide to Selecting the Best Toys for Children, she has also written articles on kids' media and play for Psychology Today, Working Mother and Redbook. A graduate of Boston University, Dr. Helen received her masters and doctoral degrees from Columbia University and taught at the City University of New York. She lives in New York and Florida - but her focus group of two great kids is now, unfortunately, all grown up!