Esther Perel
In short: Esther Perel is a Belgian psychotherapist and author known for her work on relationships, including the books Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs and the podcast Where Should We Begin? In 2026 she was added as a board advisor to Overtone, the voice-based dating startup founded by former Hinge CEO Justin McLeod.
Key facts
| Role | Psychotherapist and author |
|---|---|
| Website | estherperel.com |
| Role | Added as a board advisor to Overtone, the voice-based dating startup founded by former Hinge CEO Justin McLeod [Dating Industry Insights, 15 July 2026] |
| Fact | Author of Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence (2006) and The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity (2017) [Wikipedia, 2017] |
| Fact | Hosts the couples therapy podcast Where Should We Begin?; her workplace podcast How's Work? was acquired by Vox Media's Podcast Network in March 2023 [Wikipedia, March 2023] |
| Education | Studied educational psychology and French literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and holds a master's in expressive art therapy from Lesley University [Wikipedia] |
Biography
Esther Perel is a Belgian psychotherapist and author whose work centres on human relationships, desire and infidelity. Her website is estherperel.com.
She is the author of Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence (2006) and The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity (2017). She hosts the couples therapy podcast Where Should We Begin? and also hosted How's Work?, a podcast about workplace relationships, which the Vox Media Podcast Network acquired in March 2023. She studied educational psychology and French literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and holds a master's degree in expressive art therapy from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was a clinical instructor at the NYU School of Medicine for 13 years.
For the dating industry, Perel is relevant as a board advisor to Overtone. Justin McLeod, who founded Hinge and stepped down as its chief executive in 2024, announced the addition of Perel as a board advisor when presenting Overtone, an AI-powered dating service built on voice-based introductions. DII reported in July 2026 that Match Group led an $18 million seed round in Overtone. DII notes that McLeod's announcement cited no specific research or frameworks beyond Perel's appointment.
Career
- Board advisor, Overtone (2026 to present)
- Clinical instructor, NYU School of Medicine
Stories about Esther Perel
- Hinge's Esther Perel Partnership: Therapy Branding or Real Change?
Hinge has launched profile prompts redesigned with therapist Esther Perel, but has released no data on whether they improve matches.
Also mentioned in
Questions about Esther Perel
Who is Esther Perel?
Esther Perel is a Belgian psychotherapist and author known for her work on relationships, including Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs.
What is Esther Perel's connection to the dating industry?
She was added as a board advisor to Overtone, the voice-based dating startup founded by former Hinge CEO Justin McLeod, as reported by DII in July 2026.