Sonya Friedman

Sonya Friedman (born 1936) is an American psychologist, author, and former television host. Growing up in a troubled home, she earned a Ph.D. in psychology and began hosting radio and television shows in the 1970s and 1980s to give self-help and psychological advice, particularly for women. Friedman has written several self-help books on topics involving women enhancing their own lives and their relationships and been a columnist for Ladies' Home Journal.

Early life Born in 1936, Friedman grew up in a troubled home with her mother who she described as having "never really developed as a person" By 1976, she had become disillusioned with her position, thinking she was not yet good enough at her work for the special correspondent's role. Instead, she took a job as the call-in psychologist for the most popular such show in Detroit. Briefly in 1980, she was also the talk show segment host for Norman Lear's sitcom The Baxters. A television show for her titled Telling Secrets With Sonya was aired by the USA Network from 1982 until 1985. During this time, she was also continuing her private therapist practice in both Detroit and Los Angeles

Friedman began hosting her own radio show twice a week in 1986 for ABC Talkradio as a radio psychologist replacement for Toni Grant. Her radio show was removed from airing in September 1988 and replaced with other programming.

Friedman published what she referred to as the "last of my self-help books"

In 1994, Sonya Live on CNN was replaced with Talk Back Live. She also published a new book in 1994 titled Secret Loves that featured interviews with over 100 women from a variety of education and economic levels, but who otherwise were the average representation of women in the country, those who were "your mothers, your grandmothers, your sisters and next-door neighbors".

Awards and honors At the 1984 Awards for Cablecasting Excellence, Friedman won best program hostess. In 1991, Friedman was awarded the first annual Star award from the American Women in Radio and Television. Two years later, she was awarded the Presidential Award of the American Psychological Association and given the America's Women of Distinction Award from the Crohn & Colitis Foundation. Books