Dr. Anum Ali on kids, screens and AI that answers first.

Dr. Anum Ali, PhD, LPC, NCC, is a mental health clinician and a parenting and tech expert in Sugar Land, Texas, and the author of The Stranger at My Table. She helps parents, educators and teens understand why kids now take their hardest questions to a screen or an AI before they ask a person, and how adults can stay part of that conversation.

Irreplaceably human.

Portrait of Dr. Anum Ali, PhD, LPC, NCC

Bio

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Dr. Anum Ali, PhD, LPC, NCC, is a mental health clinician and a parenting and tech expert based in Sugar Land, Texas. She is the author of The Stranger at My Table: How to Reach Your Child When Screens and AI Answer First (2026). dranumali.com

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Dr. Anum Ali, PhD, LPC, NCC, is a mental health clinician and a parenting and tech expert and the author of The Stranger at My Table: How to Reach Your Child When Screens and AI Answer First (2026). Based in Sugar Land, Texas, she helps parents, educators and teens understand why kids now take their hardest questions to a screen or an AI before they ask a person, and how adults can stay part of that conversation. Her work looks at what teens use technology for, how they ask for help, and what families, schools and clinicians can do to stay reachable. She also speaks on South Asian and immigrant family perspectives on mental health.

CredentialsPhD, LPC, NCC
TitleMental health clinician; parenting and tech expert
Based inSugar Land, Texas (Greater Houston)
Author ofThe Stranger at My Table (2026)
InterviewsIn person (Houston area) or remote

Topics

Cover of The Stranger at My Table by Dr. Anum Ali

The Stranger at My Table

How to Reach Your Child When Screens and AI Answer First

A guide for parents and other adults who want to stay connected with young people as screens and AI become part of their lives.

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Podcast

Recent conversation

Building a Healthcare Career That Fits Your Brain with Dr. Anum AliDecember 2025 · Listen →

Interview questions

  1. Why are so many teens asking AI before they ask a person?
  2. How can a parent tell whether a screen is a break or a replacement for a hard conversation?
  3. What can parents do tonight to be easier to reach than a chatbot?
  4. When is an app not enough, and when does a real person need to step in?
  5. How do cultural expectations, like protecting parents from bad news, change what kids disclose?

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Contact

For interviews, podcasts, panels and school or community talks, email Dr. Ali directly. Please include your outlet, topic and deadline.

Email Dr. Ali
Based inSugar Land, Texas