What if self-healing leads to world-healing?
What if self-healing leads to world-healing?
The And Way: Assertive Peacemaking in a Divided World
By Kelsey Blahnik, LCSW-S
In a world pulling us toward extremes, The And Way: Assertive Peacemaking in a Divided World offers more than just communication strategies; it’s a therapeutic roadmap for the internal work we’ve often been encouraged to skip.
While many books focus on how to talk to people we disagree with, this book begins with a deeper truth: we’re often not emotionally regulated, resourced, or self-aware enough to even begin those conversations in a meaningful way.
Blending raw personal storytelling with evidence-based practices, including parts work, dialectics, and trauma-informed care, this book helps readers develop the tolerance, empathy, and emotional resilience necessary for authentic peacemaking.
This book is for the person who knows there must be something beyond choosing between silence and shouting.
It’s for those ready to live, lead, and relate with confident peace, starting from the inside out.
Pre-Order This Fall!
“We were taught to keep the peace, but no one ever showed us how to make it.”
Have you left a seemingly toxic relationship only to wonder if something more nuanced was possible?
Have you ever longed for connection but felt silenced, shut down, or swallowed by anxiety symptoms or depression symptoms in the process?
If you’ve ever felt torn between roles, walking on eggshells with the people you love, or unsure how to hold both compassion and conviction, this is your next right step.
Author and therapist Kelsey Blahnik, LCSW-S, has walked the path of inner conflict, overcompensating, and healing through complexity. The And Way™ model is the culmination of her clinical experience, personal transformation, and unshakable belief that self-healing is the foundation of world-healing.
Who is this book for?
If you’ve ever left a conversation feeling like you didn’t say what you really meant…
if you’ve found yourself nodding along to avoid conflict… or if you’ve struggled to understand how to handle tension in your work, your family, or your own mind…
this book is for you!
Spot Rigid Thinking
Learn how "all or nothing" thinking makes relationships and decision-making harder, and how to shift your mindset to be more open and kind.
Use Tools to Handle Conflict
Practice ways to better understand yourself and others. You'll learn how to talk about hard things calmly and with care to achieve conflict resolution.
Treat People With Dignity
Understand how judging and labeling people hurts connection. This book shows you when and how to build bridges, even when you disagree.
Know the Difference Between Peacekeeping and Peacemaking
See how avoiding conflict (peacekeeping) is different from working through it in healthy ways (peacemaking). One keeps things quiet. The other builds real trust.
Work Through Tough Choices With a New Perspective
Use a "both/and" approach to find new ways forward when things feel stuck, whether it’s a problem with one person or something bigger in your community.
Stay Steady During Hard Conversations
Practice ways to stay calm and strong when things get tough. You’ll learn how to stay present, speak up kindly, and set a good example for others.
Whether you’re a therapist, a parent, a leader, or someone just trying to stay present in a divided world…
The And Way: Assertive Peacemaking in a Divided World
will meet you right there.
This book offers tools, stories, and hope for doing conflict differently.
Meet
Kelsey Blahnik
Therapist. Author. Speaker.
Kelsey Blahnik, LCSW-S, is a therapist, author, and founder of The And Way™, a practical model for navigating tension without sacrificing connection.
With extensive behavioral health experience in trauma, addiction, homelessness, and systemic disconnection, she bridges clinical insight with community healing.
Whether facilitating therapist workshops, hosting reconciliation circles with Love Anyway, or speaking on conflict and repair, Kelsey helps others move toward one another, even when it’s hard.
She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and kids, where she enjoys hiking, matcha-fueled reading, and spontaneous dance breaks, because therapists have fun too.
Want a
Sneak Peek?
Read Chapter 1 for Free!
Get the first chapter delivered straight to your inbox. You’ll explore how internal conflict shows up in your daily life, and how you can start your healing with compassion and clarity.
Continue to Grow With Kelsey…
Whether you’re ready to go deeper, revisit the material in a new way, or just want to stay in the conversation, here are three simple ways to stay connected. The And Way™ Learning is a nationally ASWB-approved provider, so that therapists can receive CEUs for participation.
Experience The And Way™ in real time with Kelsey. This interactive, guided workshop is ideal if you want space to reflect, ask questions, and connect with others walking a similar path.
Prefer to learn at your own pace? This nationally ASWB-approved self-guided version of the workshop allows you to explore the same tools, stories, and reflections from the comfort of your own space, whenever it works for you.
Explore encouragement, quotes, and reflections inspired by The And Way™. Kelsey shares thoughtful reels and content that help you reflect, grow, and stay connected to the message. Follow @theandway
Join the Movement
The And Way™ is more than a peacemaking book. It’s a movement. Whether you’re a therapist, a parent, or someone seeking peace in a polarized world, you belong here.
Let’s explore The And Way™ together.
When you sign up for Kelsey’s newsletter, you’ll get more than updates. You’ll receive thoughtful reflections, helpful practices, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into Kelsey’s speaking events, online courses, and workshops. It’s the best way to stay connected and continue your growth journey together.