In this raw and vulnerable episode, Elizabeth shares her deeply personal journey of cutting contact with her abusive father and the profound impact of childhood trauma on adult relationships. As someone who grew up as a people-pleaser in an immigrant household, she explores the painful but necessary process of choosing your own healing over family expectations.

Elizabeth opens up about the decision to not invite her father to her wedding, the lasting effects of verbal abuse, and how childhood trauma shapes our internal narrative. She discusses the science behind early childhood development and how repeated negative messages become internalized as core beliefs.

This episode dives deep into:

• The courage it takes to go no-contact with toxic family members
• How trauma follows us even after leaving abusive environments
• The difference between physical safety and mental safety
• Learning to set boundaries as an adult when you never had them as a child
• Dealing with family pressure and guilt when enforcing boundaries
• The ripple effects of changing family dynamics
• Choosing peace over people-pleasing

If you've ever felt torn between your own healing and family obligations, struggled with setting boundaries, or are working through childhood trauma, this episode offers hope, validation, and practical insights for your journey.

In this deeply personal episode of The Thoughtful Advocate, host Elizabeth Teo shares the raw and emotional story of the summer she almost didn’t survive. For the first time, she opens up on camera about her struggle with depression, emotional suppression growing up in a Chinese immigrant household, and her experience with suicidal ideation in the summer after high school.

Elizabeth candidly discusses the cultural stigma around mental health in Asian communities, the pressure to be emotionally silent, and the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma. She also highlights her second chance at life, the brave decision her mother made to leave a toxic marriage, and how asking for help began her healing journey.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode contains sensitive topics including suicide, depression, and family trauma. If you're not in a space to hear this right now, please take care of yourself and return when you're ready. You’re not alone.

🎧 Topics covered:

• Emotional repression in Asian households

• Surviving suicidal thoughts and depression

• First-generation immigrant family dynamics

• The moment everything came crashing down

• Healing through storytelling, community, and therapy

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In this deeply personal episode, Elizabeth opens up about a part of her life she’s never shared publicly—her experience with emotional and physical abuse as a child. From road trips filled with fear to hurtful words that left lasting scars, she shares what it was like growing up in a household where silence protected shame.

But this isn’t just a story about pain—it's about healing, generational cycles, and reclaiming power.

Elizabeth speaks directly to her inner child—and to yours—reminding us that the cycle ends with us.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unloved, or unsafe in your own home, this episode is for you.

💛 Trigger Warning: This episode includes descriptions of emotional and physical abuse. Please take care while listening.