Esteemed psychotherapist, author, and podcaster Esther Perel, widely recognized for her pioneering insights into the complexities of human relationships, is extending her influence into the realm of digital publishing with the launch of her new Substack newsletter, *Entre Nous*. The newsletter, whose French title translates to “between us,” serves as a fitting reflection of Perel’s lifelong mission to foster meaningful dialogue around intimacy, connection, and emotional understanding. Arriving at a cultural moment when contemporary relationships are increasingly mediated by technology—shaped by dating apps, vanishing acts known as ghosting, and even interactions with AI-generated companions—Perel’s endeavor arrives as both timely and necessary.

*Entre Nous* will offer an intimate collection of columns, podcasts, and live-streamed conversations, each designed to provide Perel’s trademark reflections on the art and challenges of relating to one another. The platform will make much of its material freely available to the public, democratizing access to her therapeutic wisdom, while offering paying subscribers—at $9 per month or $90 per year—exclusive benefits such as interactive chat sessions, ad-free podcast experiences, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into her creative process. With this initiative, Perel joins the growing ranks of intellectuals and creatives who have turned to Substack as a way to sustain their independent voices and build direct relationships with readers, following in the footsteps of prominent writers, historians, and journalists who have made similar transitions.

Since its founding in 2017, Substack has rapidly evolved from a niche publishing platform into a major player in digital media. According to data from SimilarWeb, the service ranked as the twelfth most visited news and media website in the United States in September, and The New York Times reports that recent fundraising efforts have brought Substack’s valuation to an impressive $1.1 billion. The platform’s model has given rise to several high-profile success stories, such as Matthew Yglesias’s *Slow Boring* and the political analysis site *The Bulwark*. Notably, Substack’s collaboration with Perel differs from earlier recruitment campaigns—in this case, the company is not offering her direct financial incentives to join. Instead, the partnership aligns naturally with her desire to expand the reach of her ideas, as she hopes that Substack’s built-in discovery features will help her engage new audiences who have yet to encounter her work. As she put it in an interview, she views Substack as “a neighborhood of cool people,” a fertile landscape of creative minds with whom she hopes to build connection.

Having spent nearly four decades as a practicing therapist, Perel has cultivated a devoted global following by exploring the timeless yet ever-evolving questions of what draws human beings together—and what drives them apart. With *Entre Nous*, she intends not merely to dispense advice, as she already does through her widely listened-to podcasts and her significant presence on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, but instead to construct a communal space where authentic, sometimes difficult conversations about relationships, desire, and emotional well-being can unfold. She envisions this project as a kind of digital village, a refuge for open inquiry and shared reflection. As she explains, traditional therapy remains inaccessible to many, whether due to financial barriers, cultural stigmas, or geographic limitations. Her guiding question becomes: how might one metaphorically open the door and dissolve the four enclosing walls of a therapist’s office, bringing insight and understanding into the larger public sphere?

Perel first achieved international recognition with her landmark 2006 book *Mating in Captivity*, where she articulated the paradox between erotic desire’s need for novelty and adventure, and the domestic demands of marital stability. Since then, her work has continued to probe how modern partnerships bear the weight of expectations that once belonged to entire communities. Where people once sought counsel and existential guidance from spiritual or communal figures, they now look primarily to their romantic partners for emotional fulfillment, companionship, and even identity. As Perel poignantly observes, “We ask one person to give what once an entire village or community used to provide.” With *Entre Nous*, she seeks to reconstruct that lost sense of communal exchange within the digital landscape—an ambitious, modern reimagining of what human connection might look like in an age of screens and solitude. For this venture, her long-time collaborators at Vox Media, who co-produce her podcast, are assisting with operational support, including advertising sales and premium content for subscribers.

Perel also finds herself contemplating the technological frontiers shaping intimacy and self-understanding. Among the unexpected manifestations of her cultural impact is the appearance of AI chatbots modeled after her persona—a custom ChatGPT called “Esther Perel,” designed to imitate her conversational tone and psychological insight. Although she is not involved with these digital imitations, she admits to being both intrigued and unsettled by their existence, describing her reaction as a mixture of curiosity, fascination, worry, and caution. She and her team are experimenting with the technology themselves to better understand what it could mean for the future of human guidance and emotional learning. Extending this thought, Perel acknowledges the growing phenomenon of virtual companions and AI-generated “partners,” noting that while such tools might enhance connection for some, they raise critical questions about authenticity and dependency. To her, artificial intelligence is undoubtedly here to stay, but she expresses a hope that these systems will evolve without adopting the pandering, sycophantic tendencies that merely serve to inflate ego rather than foster growth.

Through *Entre Nous* and her continued exploration of digitized intimacy, Esther Perel stands at the intersection of technology and emotion, offering both caution and inspiration. Her latest work seeks to remind us that in a world increasingly mediated by algorithms and avatars, the most vital human experiences—vulnerability, empathy, and emotional connection—remain irreplaceable.

Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/esther-perel-substack-newsletter-ai-chatbots-relationships-love-dating-ghosting-2025-11