Nedra Glover Tawwab—licensed therapist, relationship expert and New York Times bestselling author—joins the National Writers Series in Traverse City on July 21 for a discussion on her latest book.
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Nedra Glover Tawwab’s popularity has vastly grown since publishing her first book about boundaries in relationships. The licensed therapist was inspired to write The New York Times bestseller “Set Boundaries, Find Peace” after her Instagram followers continued to ask her about how to better define parameters with people in their lives.
“I was posting a lot about boundaries, and it seemed to be the information that people needed,” Tawwab says. “People had so many questions, and I thought, ‘What a wonderful way to start my writing career with something I think we don’t know enough about.’”
In the past, saying “no” was the main way to set a boundary, but it’s actually so much more, she explains. “It’s so broad, and I wanted to share what I’d been doing for years with clients with a larger audience. So that book was birthed from the community I built on Instagram.”
Tawwab has nearly 2 million Instagram followers, and that audience continues to grow with her new book “Drama Free: A Guide to Unhealthy Family Relationships.”
“People need to understand that even with your family, things can improve,” Tawwab says. “It’s not about changing. That’s not the magic we’re looking for. We’re looking for you going in with different expectations of a person who may have an addiction or a person who absorbs a lot of energy in a space.
“Is it possible to be in this relationship if they continue to show up as they are? That’s a choice that we have. I wanted to give people options. ‘Drama Free’ is a book of options.”
Traverse City’s National Writers Series (NWS) will host the bestselling author at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 21 at the City Opera House and via livestream where she’ll share advice from both books.
“We are so excited for Nedra to come to Traverse City and talk about ‘Drama Free.’ It’s basically an hour therapy session for only $20,” says NWS Executive Director Anne Stanton. “Beyond that, it’s a wonderful opportunity to hear from someone who has a powerful enough message that she’s been interviewed by Opera several times. It’s going to be a great evening.”
The guest host for the event is Saginaw native Madison Meter, who spent her summers visiting Leelanau County. She’s interned and worked for TART and now lives in Traverse City. Meter also makes stage appearances locally as an improviser and comedian in the Tilt Think Comedy Collective.
Born and raised in Detroit, Tawwab got her undergrad and graduate degrees from Wayne State University and started her career there. She now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband.
“I can’t wait to come to Traverse City and be able to see another part of Michigan,” she says.
Doors open at the City Opera House at 6 p.m. with live music and a cash bar. The live and virtual events start at 7 p.m. Livestream tickets are $14. For more information, visit nationalwritersseries.org.
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