Vogue: Why the Fashion World Needs to Commit to an 18+ Modeling Standard
“These are children trying to understand and fit into an adult world,” observes Maria Bruce, LMHC, a New York–based licensed psychotherapist who specializes in working with high-achieving adolescents and adults, including athletes, dancers, and actors. Bruce says that the models she’s counseled struggle to navigate the mixed signals they get on the job. “They’re told to ‘grow up’ if they complain that they’re tired,” she says, “and yet in other ways they’re already treated as grown-ups.” This confusion, she says, leads teen models to feel too uncertain of their own authority to say no when they encounter dicey situations. Some muster the courage to speak up; most shut down. “The teenage brain is sensitive to overload,” Bruce explains. “And some of the possible psychological consequences of dealing with these stressors include low self-esteem, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, and depression.”

“These are children trying to understand and fit into an adult world,” observes Maria Bruce, LMHC, a New York–based licensed psychotherapist who specializes in working with high-achieving adolescents and adults, including athletes, dancers, and actors. Bruce says that the models she’s counseled struggle to navigate the mixed signals they get on the job. “They’re told to ‘grow up’ if they complain that they’re tired,” she says, “and yet in other ways they’re already treated as grown-ups.” This confusion, she says, leads teen models to feel too uncertain of their own authority to say no when they encounter dicey situations. Some muster the courage to speak up; most shut down.

“The teenage brain is sensitive to overload,” Bruce explains. “And some of the possible psychological consequences of dealing with these stressors include low self-esteem, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, and depression.”

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Optimalist – Guided Journal

I’m excited to announce that, in partnership with The Scribes, we’ve just launched The Optimalist Guided Journal – a tool designed to bring clarity to goal setting while raising awareness of mood, wellbeing, and daily focus. This collaboration blends science-backed structure with creative freedom, helping you stay intentional and grounded in both productivity and self-care.

The journal features erasable dry-marker pages, allowing you to prioritize tasks, tick off goals once completed, and create flexible daily or weekly schedules that can be updated as your plans evolve. It also includes dotted pages for notes, reflections, and sketches – perfect for tracking progress or creative thinking.

A huge thank you to everyone who made this project possible, especially Michael Reiney, CEO of @thescribesco, and my incredibly talented friend @littletigernyc for the beautiful logo design.

The Optimalist Journal is now available in the Shop section.
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L’Officiel: La Desatanudos

L’Officiel: ¿Qué es el Optimal Performance Training (entrenamiento de rendimiento óptimo) que vos proponés?

María C. Bruce: Es un enfoque que busca maximizar el potencial de una persona en contextos de alto rendimiento. En general, se lo relaciona con el deporte, pero también se aplica a la dirección empresarial y a la gestión de equipos, donde la necesidad de alcanzar el mejor desempeño es constante e hiperexigente. Además, estos profesionales enfrentan mucha presión para sobresalir en sus respectivas áreas. Esta presión puede venir de expectativas personales, demandas externas o por la competencia inherente a esos ámbitos. Por eso, el OPT pone el énfasis en el manejo del estrés y la ansiedad utilizando, por ejemplo, técnicas centradas en la respiración como principal regulador fisiológico. Además, se entrena el “reencuadre” (reframing), que implica un cambio consciente y constante de perspectivas y pensamientos negativos a positivos, permitiendo que los individuos puedan gestionar mejor la presión que sienten. Por otra parte, se trabaja en la resiliencia para sobreponerse a los fracasos o a situaciones difíciles, incorporando estas experiencias negativas como partes fundamentales (building blocks) para fortalecer el carácter y la determinación. La resiliencia se traduce en una capacidad de aprendizaje, de recuperarse rápidamente, y de seguir adelante con el objetivo final en mente.

Mental Training for Soccer – Pre-teens & Teens Edition

As a sports psychologist and a mom, I’ve seen firsthand how young athletes can struggle with mindset when the going gets tough. When my son’s team was facing a challenging time, I wanted to provide them with something more than motivational words—a practical resource they could turn to when things didn’t go as planned. That’s how Mental Training for Soccer: Pre-teens & Teens Edition was born.

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