On this episode of Finding Your Bliss, Celebrity Interviewer and Bliss Coach Judy Librach is joined by Tonya Lester, Brooklyn-based psychotherapist, couples counselor, and author of the new book “Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself!”
According to author Tonya Lester, at a time when their rights and voices are under increasing scrutiny and challenge, it’s more important than ever for women to be able to speak up for what they believe in. Too often, women are encouraged to be nurturers and peacemakers, which carries the implied message that they shouldn’t rock the boat — when in fact, being assertive is often exactly what’s required to create the life they truly want.
In Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself (New World Library, October 21, 2025), popular psychotherapist, Psychology Today blogger, and go-to relationship expert Tonya Lester offers conflict-averse women a bold directive: It’s OK to be difficult. Not mean, not rigid, not a bully — but the kind of difficult that makes the people in their lives see them and understand what they need. “I want to help you learn that seeking harmony for its own sake is a trap. That there’s no winning in making everyone else happy at your own expense. And that in nearly every situation, it is within your power to make positive changes,” writes Lester “Truly intractable situations are rare. But to change your circumstances, you must be willing to push back.”
Push Back challenges advice telling women they should smooth out interpersonal struggles and equips readers with the tools to build a life that works better for everyone in it, starting with themselves. The book is filled with real client stories, powerful self-assessments, sample dialogues, and practical tools to help readers: Express their needs and set boundaries Engage in honest, productive conflict Deal calmly with backlash from spouses, coworkers, family, and friends Stand firm in their convictions “Focusing on what we can control — how we move through the world — is how we meaningfully change our situation and set a healthy example for those in our lives,” writes Lester. “Even if we’ve been overaccommodating in the past or our needs have changed, we can still learn to assert ourselves. Our pasts don’t have to determine our futures. We’re allowed to change”
Tonya Lester, LCSW, is the author of Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself and a Brooklyn-based psychotherapist and writer known for her work with relationships and communication. Her essay “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself” was published in the Modern Love column in The New York Times, and she has been writing the popular Staying Sane Inside Insanity blog for Psychology Today since 2020. She has been featured as an expert in The Guardian, Newsweek, Well+Good, HuffPo, Fatherly, and the Bumble site The Buzz. Visit her online at http://www.TonyaLester.com.
Join us every Saturday at 1 PM on Finding Your Bliss. You can follow us @theblissminute on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Or you can visit our online magazine at findingyourbliss.com and take one step closer to finding your bliss.
Listen live every Saturday at 1pm on Zoomer Radio
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On this episode of Finding Your Bliss, Celebrity Interviewer and Bliss Coach Judy Librach is joined by Tonya Lester, Brooklyn-based psychotherapist, couples counselor, and author of the new book “Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself!”
According to author Tonya Lester, at a time when their rights and voices are under increasing scrutiny and challenge, it’s more important than ever for women to be able to speak up for what they believe in. Too often, women are encouraged to be nurturers and peacemakers, which carries the implied message that they shouldn’t rock the boat — when in fact, being assertive is often exactly what’s required to create the life they truly want.
In Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself (New World Library, October 21, 2025), popular psychotherapist, Psychology Today blogger, and go-to relationship expert Tonya Lester offers conflict-averse women a bold directive: It’s OK to be difficult. Not mean, not rigid, not a bully — but the kind of difficult that makes the people in their lives see them and understand what they need. “I want to help you learn that seeking harmony for its own sake is a trap. That there’s no winning in making everyone else happy at your own expense. And that in nearly every situation, it is within your power to make positive changes,” writes Lester “Truly intractable situations are rare. But to change your circumstances, you must be willing to push back.”
Push Back challenges advice telling women they should smooth out interpersonal struggles and equips readers with the tools to build a life that works better for everyone in it, starting with themselves. The book is filled with real client stories, powerful self-assessments, sample dialogues, and practical tools to help readers: Express their needs and set boundaries Engage in honest, productive conflict Deal calmly with backlash from spouses, coworkers, family, and friends Stand firm in their convictions “Focusing on what we can control — how we move through the world — is how we meaningfully change our situation and set a healthy example for those in our lives,” writes Lester. “Even if we’ve been overaccommodating in the past or our needs have changed, we can still learn to assert ourselves. Our pasts don’t have to determine our futures. We’re allowed to change”
Tonya Lester, LCSW, is the author of Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself and a Brooklyn-based psychotherapist and writer known for her work with relationships and communication. Her essay “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself” was published in the Modern Love column in The New York Times, and she has been writing the popular Staying Sane Inside Insanity blog for Psychology Today since 2020. She has been featured as an expert in The Guardian, Newsweek, Well+Good, HuffPo, Fatherly, and the Bumble site The Buzz. Visit her online at http://www.TonyaLester.com.
Join us every Saturday at 1 PM on Finding Your Bliss. You can follow us @theblissminute on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Or you can visit our online magazine at findingyourbliss.com and take one step closer to finding your bliss.
Listen live every Saturday at 1pm on Zoomer Radio
On this episode of Finding Your Bliss, Celebrity Interviewer and Bliss Coach Judy Librach is joined by the talented cast of the musical Extraordinary, musical theatre actresses, who are also mother and daughter, Charlotte Moore and Emily Masurkevitch. Also on the program is the show’s acclaimed playwright,composer and director, Jim Betts.
Charlotte Moore has been a staple in Canadian Musical Theatre for over 40 years, including seasons with the Shaw Festival, the Charlottetown Festival, Drayton Entertainment and Mirvish. She won a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1990 for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and was nominated again exactly 30 years later for “Sunday In The Park With George.” She has three solo albums to her credit: “Friends of Mine- Songs From Canadian Musicals” (2004), “Long Road Back” (2017) which features all original material, and “Some Comfort Here” (2021) with Mark Camilleri.
Hailing from Toronto, Emily Masurkevitch is a multidisciplinary artist and Sheridan college graduate. Previous credits include: (For the Grove Theatre) Cinderella in Into The Woods, lead vocalist in ABBA, Elton John and Carole King tributes. (For Victoria Play House Petrolia) Jonas and Barry in the Home, Oil Rush and Starbright. As well, she was in the runaway hit of the 2023 Toronto Fringe, Dancer and more!
Jim Betts is an award-winning playwright and composer who loves writing, and celebrating, Canadian Musical Theatre. His Canadian themed musicals include Colours In The Storm (about Tom Thomson), The Shooting Of Dan McGrew, Lucy Maude & Anne, Extraordinary (The Extraordinary Life Of An Ordinary Woman), The Fabulous Kelley, and the upcoming Bluenose (written with composer John Estacio). He has also produced Stan Rogers • A Matter Of Heart, and published the Canadian Musical Theatre song collections, Field Of Stars. He is a former Artistic Director of Smile Theatre, Theatre Orangeville and ScriptLab, and started the Canadian Musical Theatre course at Sheridan College. Last summer the new musical, Dancer (A Musical in Ten Furlongs), with book and lyrics by Jim and music by Marek Norman, won the Adams Prize for New Musical, which earned them a spot in the 2023 Toronto Fringe Festival. The show, produced by Jim and his wife Kate Barris, was a Fringe favourite, received 9 Broadway World Toronto Award nominations and won the award for Best Choreography in a Musical or Play. Dancer is now scheduled for a return Toronto production in 2026.
The Smile Theatre is a registered charity that has been bringing joy to seniors in care for over 50 years. They enrich lives by presenting professional, thoughtfully crafted musical theatre performances created especially for older adults. Beyond their shows, they also offer creative programs and practical resources to help care workers and family members connect more deeply with their loved ones. The Smile Theatre’s work reaches people in Long-Term Care, Retirement Homes, Seniors’ Active Living Centres, Rehabilitation Centres, and Mental Health Facilities, making every interaction more meaningful and memorable. To learn more about The Smile Theatre visit: https://smiletheatre.com/
Join us every Saturday at 1 PM on Finding Your Bliss. You can follow us @theblissminute on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Or you can visit our online magazine at findingyourbliss.com and take one step closer to finding your bliss.
Listen live every Saturday at 1pm on Zoomer Radio
Finding Your Bliss
On this episode of Finding Your Bliss, Celebrity Interviewer and Bliss Coach Judy Librach is joined by Tonya Lester, Brooklyn-based psychotherapist, couples counselor, and author of the new book “Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself!”
According to author Tonya Lester, at a time when their rights and voices are under increasing scrutiny and challenge, it’s more important than ever for women to be able to speak up for what they believe in. Too often, women are encouraged to be nurturers and peacemakers, which carries the implied message that they shouldn’t rock the boat — when in fact, being assertive is often exactly what’s required to create the life they truly want.
In Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself (New World Library, October 21, 2025), popular psychotherapist, Psychology Today blogger, and go-to relationship expert Tonya Lester offers conflict-averse women a bold directive: It’s OK to be difficult. Not mean, not rigid, not a bully — but the kind of difficult that makes the people in their lives see them and understand what they need. “I want to help you learn that seeking harmony for its own sake is a trap. That there’s no winning in making everyone else happy at your own expense. And that in nearly every situation, it is within your power to make positive changes,” writes Lester “Truly intractable situations are rare. But to change your circumstances, you must be willing to push back.”
Push Back challenges advice telling women they should smooth out interpersonal struggles and equips readers with the tools to build a life that works better for everyone in it, starting with themselves. The book is filled with real client stories, powerful self-assessments, sample dialogues, and practical tools to help readers: Express their needs and set boundaries Engage in honest, productive conflict Deal calmly with backlash from spouses, coworkers, family, and friends Stand firm in their convictions “Focusing on what we can control — how we move through the world — is how we meaningfully change our situation and set a healthy example for those in our lives,” writes Lester. “Even if we’ve been overaccommodating in the past or our needs have changed, we can still learn to assert ourselves. Our pasts don’t have to determine our futures. We’re allowed to change”
Tonya Lester, LCSW, is the author of Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself and a Brooklyn-based psychotherapist and writer known for her work with relationships and communication. Her essay “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself” was published in the Modern Love column in The New York Times, and she has been writing the popular Staying Sane Inside Insanity blog for Psychology Today since 2020. She has been featured as an expert in The Guardian, Newsweek, Well+Good, HuffPo, Fatherly, and the Bumble site The Buzz. Visit her online at http://www.TonyaLester.com.
Join us every Saturday at 1 PM on Finding Your Bliss. You can follow us @theblissminute on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Or you can visit our online magazine at findingyourbliss.com and take one step closer to finding your bliss.
Listen live every Saturday at 1pm on Zoomer Radio
