Suniya Luthar (1958-2023).

Abstract

Co-founder Emerita of Authentic Connections, Founder of Authentic Connections Groups, and Professor Emerita at Columbia University's Teachers College, Suniya Luthar passed away on February 16, 2023. Suniya was born on December 9, 1958, in New Delhi, India, where she studied for BA (1978) and MA (1980) degrees and served as a lecturer on child development (1981-1984), all at Lady Irwin College. After decades of studying youth across the economic spectrum, Suniya concluded that ultimately children's ability to be resilient is most linked to their mother's well-being and that became the final focus of her empirical and community work. Suniya initiated several projects to support mothers. They include a relational group therapy for low-income mothers with histories of addiction and serious mental illness and the Authentic Connections Groups program, an evidence-based supportive community intervention that has been successfully used in hospitals, schools, and university settings. Suniya used to say that, even as a young child, she was sensitive to the psychological pain of others and decided at the age of 15 to help children in distress. She certainly accomplished that goal. As testaments to her vast scholarly contributions to the well-being of children and their families, Suniya received numerous awards and honors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).