Esther Perel, the renowned psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author, acknowledges the modern factors that have made true connections that are much more challenging.

She is a Belgian-American psychotherapist of Polish-Jewish descent. She has explored the tension between the need for security (love, belonging, and closeness) and the need for freedom (erotic desire, adventure, and distance) in human relationships.
Perel promoted the concept of "erotic intelligence" in her book Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence (2006), which has been translated into 24 languages.

After publishing the book, she became an international advisor on sex and relationships.