Talk2Tamara

Tamara Gestetner
  • 4.9 (7)
  • Mental Health

Hosted by therapist and coach Tamara, Talk 2 Tamara creates space for the conversations that often go unspoken. Drawing from her life as a mother, wife, and member of the Orthodox Jewish community, Tamara explores real stories, complicated questions, and the moments that shape who we are. This podcast is about naming what’s beneath the surface and making room for deeper understanding, connection, and growth — because some things deserve to be said out loud.

  1. 4d ago

    Born Against All Odds: Breaking Generational Cycles & Finding Herself | Chana Leah Bleznick

    What happens when you're born into generations of addiction, abuse, and trauma — but decide the cycle ends with you? In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Chana Leah Bleznick, known online as Your Curvy Modest Friend, for an honest conversation about survival, faith, healing, and reclaiming your life. Before Chana Leah was even born, her mother nearly lost her life during pregnancy. Doctors feared neither would survive, but against extraordinary odds, they both did. What followed was a childhood shaped by addiction, family dysfunction, abuse, and the emotional weight of generations of unresolved trauma. Now a mother of three, full-time advocate, and content creator, Chana Leah is sharing how she went from struggling with self-worth to discovering the power of community, faith, boundaries, and self-love. In this episode, we explore: Born Against All Odds: The extraordinary story of her birth and the meaning behind her family's "Celebrate Life Day." Generations of Addiction & Abuse: Growing up surrounded by addiction, navigating childhood trauma, and choosing to break destructive family patterns. Finding Faith & Purpose: How her relationship with Hashem helped shape her journey toward healing and a different future. The Power of Al-Anon: How community, accountability, and the 12-step program transformed her self-worth, marriage, and outlook on life. From Victimhood to Empowerment: Learning that while we cannot control what happened to us, we can take ownership of how we move forward. Body Image & Self-Love: Her journey of losing 75 pounds, reclaiming confidence, and learning that lasting change comes from loving yourself rather than hating yourself. Breaking the Cycle for Her Children: Creating a home filled with the love, emotional safety, and stability she wished she had growing up. Throughout the conversation, Chana Leah reminds us that healing isn't about pretending the past never happened. It's about acknowledging the pain, doing the difficult inner work, and choosing to build something different."What happened to you is not your fault, but what you do with your life now is your responsibility. " This episode is a reminder that your past does not have to define your future, that vulnerability is a strength, and that no one should have to navigate life's hardest moments alone. Listen now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts! CONNECT WITH US Talk2Tamara Podcast Instagram: @talk2tamara Website: www.TamaraGestetner.com Listen on: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Special Guest: Chana Leah Blesnick Instagram: @chanaleahbleznick  Known as: Your Curvy Modest Friend For collaborations, speaking opportunities, and inquiries, connect with Chana Leah directly through Instagram. Content Note: This episode includes discussions of childhood abuse, sexual trauma, addiction, mental health, and family dysfunction.

  2. Oct 20

    Grieving People Who Are Still Alive From Loss to Light with Elizabeth Sutton

    What does it take to rebuild your life when everything you once knew comes crashing down? In the Season 2 premiere of Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with renowned artist, entrepreneur, and mother Elizabeth Sutton for an incredibly raw and vulnerable conversation about childhood trauma, complicated family dynamics, divorce, grief, faith, and the journey toward emotional freedom. Behind Elizabeth’s vibrant artwork and successful brand is a story filled with unimaginable challenges. At just 13 years old, the loss of her grandmother and the collapse of her parents’ marriage changed the course of her life. Years later, financial devastation, a difficult marriage, and a series of heartbreaking losses forced her to confront the patterns and emotional wounds she had carried since childhood. Elizabeth opens up about building her art career out of financial necessity, navigating divorce with two young children, and the devastating car accident that took the life of one of her closest friends and team members. She shares how that tragedy became a turning point, pushing her to seek healing, redefine her relationship with faith, and rebuild her life from within. Together, Tamara and Elizabeth explore what it means to grieve relationships with people who are still alive, recognize unhealthy attachment patterns, establish boundaries with family, and discover that true happiness isn't measured by financial success, but by emotional safety, meaningful relationships, and inner peace. In this episode, they discuss: How childhood trauma shapes relationships and attachment styles Grieving family relationships while the people are still alive The realities of divorce, financial insecurity, and starting over Building a successful art career during life’s darkest moments Surviving devastating loss and finding the courage to heal Breaking generational cycles and creating healthy boundaries Rediscovering faith, self-worth, and emotional independence Why hitting rock bottom can become the beginning of transformation Elizabeth’s story is a powerful reminder that while we cannot change what happened to us, we can choose how we move forward. Because sometimes becoming your own home is the greatest transformation of all.Tune in to Season 2, Episode 1 of Talk2Tamara, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow Elizabeth: @elizabethsuttoncollection Follow Talk2Tamara: @talk2tamara

  3. Sep 7

    Living Through 16 Years Behind Bars: Yehudah Pryce's Journey

    Dr. Yehudah Pryce reflects on his time in prison and personal transformation. Dr. Yehudah Pryce's story is one of resilience and reflection. At just 19 years old, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison, a reality that felt incomprehensible to someone so young. In our latest episode, we dive deep into his experiences, focusing on the raw emotions and mental struggles he faced during his incarceration. Confronting Reality When he first received his sentence, the gravity of spending a quarter century behind bars was overwhelming. Yehudah recalls, "How do you conceptualize having to spend a quarter century of your life behind bars?" The initial shock led him to push the reality aside, clinging to a glimmer of hope that an appeal might allow him to escape his fate. Identity and Survival In prison, Yehudah developed a new identity, one that he felt was congruent with his past actions. He describes this transformation as a defensive mechanism, saying, "I kind of just pushed it from my mind as much. Yes, it was sad. I felt a certain loss of myself... that was essentially taken away from me." He found himself grappling with anger and victimhood, feeling that the system had failed him. The Shift Towards Acceptance However, it wasn’t until he had served nearly nine years that Yehudah began to accept his reality. He reflects, "What am I sacrificing my life for?" This question catalyzed a profound shift in his mindset. By recognizing the power of his choices, he began to craft a new narrative for his life. Empowerment Through Choices Yehudah emphasizes the importance of finding agency within the confines of prison. "I found a certain empowerment by taking all the choices, all the opportunities I had for choices... that gave me so much agency," he explains. This mindset ultimately propelled him towards personal growth and self-discovery, allowing him to visualize a future beyond incarceration. The Bigger Picture Dr. Pryce also shares insights into the broader patterns he observed among fellow inmates. Many had faced significant trauma before entering prison, highlighting systemic issues that contribute to cycles of incarceration. He notes, "Up to 98% of people who are incarcerated have experienced at least one lifetime traumatic event." Reflecting on his journey, Yehudah Pryce’s story stands as a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for resilience and transformation. As he continues to share his experiences, he encourages others to recognize the power of their choices, no matter the circumstances.

  4. Aug 31

    Maybe You Don’t Need a New Identity. Maybe You Need Yourself Back | Sarah Koussevitzky

    This week on Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with saxophonist and 613 Music Academy founder Sarah Koussevitzky for a conversation about what happens when the identity you’ve built your life around suddenly disappears. Sarah spent years immersed in music, performing at jazz festivals, studying jazz at the University of Texas at Austin, and building a life around being a musician. Then COVID brought that world to a halt, and somewhere along the way, Sarah stopped playing, took down her websites, deleted pieces of her musical past, and eventually stopped calling herself a musician altogether. What followed was a journey of searching. Through Judaism, community, teaching, marriage, and eventually motherhood, Sarah continued to redefine who she was. But becoming a mother brought another unexpected identity shift, forcing her to confront the parts of herself she thought belonged to an old life and decide which ones she wanted back. Sarah shares how Jewish music ultimately helped reconnect her to the part of herself she had walked away from and inspired her to create 613 Music Academy, a space that brings together her love of jazz, Jewish music, education, and community. Tamara and Sarah also talk about burnout, hustle culture, learning to listen to yourself, letting go of labels, balancing ambition with motherhood, and realizing that growth doesn’t always require becoming someone new. Sometimes, it means finding your way back to who you’ve been all along. It’s a conversation about identity, faith, motherhood, music, and learning that every version of yourself can belong in the same story.

  5. Aug 24

    Rejected, Rewritten, Published | Isaac Rudansky

    This week on Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Isaac Rudansky, author, entrepreneur, and lifelong creative, to talk about the nearly decade-long journey that eventually led him to a three-book deal with Penguin Random House. Isaac’s story didn’t begin with a publishing deal. It began with hundreds of pages written in the early hours of the morning, an editor telling him his manuscript simply wasn’t ready, and a decision to put it away. He went on to build a successful advertising business, start a family, and spend nearly nine years away from the book. But the feeling that he had started something and never finished it never fully went away. When he finally returned to writing, the road wasn’t any easier. Isaac rewrote the manuscript, studied the craft, attended workshops, queried roughly 350 middle-grade literary agents, and faced rejection after rejection. Even the agent he wanted most turned him down multiple times. Instead of accepting the no, Isaac kept refining the book and trying again. Eventually, the same agent who had previously passed on his work read the new manuscript and wanted to represent him. That journey ultimately led to something Isaac had spent years chasing: a three-book deal with Penguin Random House. But this conversation goes far beyond becoming a published author. Tamara and Isaac get candid about ambition, rejection, creativity, insecurity, growing up in a creative and religious home, the need for external validation, and why achieving the thing you thought would finally make you feel “enough” doesn’t necessarily stop you from searching for the next thing. They also explore the power of what Isaac calls “idiotic optimism”: believing in something even when the odds are stacked against you, being willing to look a little crazy while chasing it, and using that chip on your shoulder as motivation to keep going. This episode is about unfinished dreams, relentless persistence, and the complicated relationship between success and self-worth. Because sometimes the dream you put away is the exact one you’re supposed to come back to.

  6. Aug 17

    I Didn’t Recognize Myself Anymore: Escaping an Abusive Relationship & Starting Over with Shelby Armstrong

    In this deeply personal episode of Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Shelby Armstrong, a former D1 athlete, fitness manager, and entrepreneur, for an honest conversation about relationships, emotional abuse, resilience, and finding your way back to yourself. Shelby opens up about the patterns that followed her through several serious relationships, from feeling responsible for someone else’s happiness to confusing intensity with intimacy. She shares the reality of her most recent relationship, where love bombing and feeling deeply cared for slowly turned into walking on eggshells, sleepless nights, emotional manipulation, and feeling like she had lost pieces of herself along the way. She also shares the moment she realized she needed to leave, the people who helped her find the strength and resources to do it, and what it took to rebuild her life on her own terms. Now on the other side, Shelby reflects on learning that healthy love may not feel intense or chaotic at all. Sometimes, it simply feels calm, safe, and easy. This conversation is about more than leaving an unhealthy relationship. It’s about recognizing patterns, trusting yourself again, allowing others to support you, and rediscovering the version of yourself you thought you had lost. As Shelby puts it, she finally feels free to show up fully as herself and wants a future with someone who allows her to keep doing exactly that.

  7. Aug 10

    The Truth About Divorce, Stepparenting & Starting Over – Hannah Schuster

    In this episode, Tamara sits down with Hannah Schuster, a New York attorney, entrepreneur, founder of Shuster Law, and creator of Legal Bestie, for a conversation that goes far beyond the courtroom. Hannah shares how an unexpected divorce during law school, years of helping families navigate high-conflict situations, and becoming a stepmom completely transformed the way she approaches both life and law. Together, they dive into blended families, conflict resolution, co-parenting, setting healthy boundaries, and why "winning" a divorce often comes at the expense of the people who matter most. Hannah also opens up about her breast cancer diagnosis, the life-changing perspective it gave her, and the importance of prioritizing your health, relationships, and peace over perfection. Whether you're navigating divorce, blending a family, facing a personal challenge, or simply trying to create healthier relationships, this episode is filled with practical advice, heartfelt stories, and powerful reminders that your hardest seasons can become the foundation for your greatest growth. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: 0K3OIBPCZZHWHONY, HS0RF6DPAEIJMPL8

  8. Aug 4

    What Does It Actually Mean to Be Mentally Healthy? | Yakira Apfel)

    In this episode, Yakira Apfel — fitness studio owner and mom of four — opens up about a road that wasn't always visible from the outside. She talks about the eating disorder that took root in seventh grade and followed her into seminary, the shame of wondering if what she went through was even "real enough" to count, and the honest admission that she didn't get help until years later. She's candid about postpartum anxiety, a decade of hypochondria, and what it actually took to come back to herself — including the role movement and purpose played in pulling her out of it. We also go into her religious journey — how becoming a mother reshaped her relationship with observance, the moment her family was turned away from a school over a single photo, the quiet grief of being judged on appearance instead of character, and what it meant to finally set down something she'd been carrying for years. By the end, Yakira lands on what she calls mental agility: not the absence of struggle, but the capacity to actually feel the hard stuff — the anger, the grief, the fear — and come back from it. A raw, honest conversation about eating disorders, motherhood, faith, and learning to trust yourself.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Hosted by therapist and coach Tamara, Talk 2 Tamara creates space for the conversations that often go unspoken. Drawing from her life as a mother, wife, and member of the Orthodox Jewish community, Tamara explores real stories, complicated questions, and the moments that shape who we are. This podcast is about naming what’s beneath the surface and making room for deeper understanding, connection, and growth — because some things deserve to be said out loud.

Information

  • Creator
    Tamara Gestetner
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tamara Gestetner
  • Show Website
    Talk2Tamara

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