Healing Generational Trauma & Reclaiming Self-Worth with Susan Lieu

In episode 150 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim and Louise sit down with author, activist, and performer Susan Lieu to explore the weight of family expectations, intergenerational trauma, and the journey to reclaiming self-worth. Susan, author of The Manicurist’s Daughter and creator of the solo show 140 Pounds: How Beauty Killed My Mother, shares her deeply personal story of uncovering long-buried family secrets, navigating cultural pressures, and ultimately learning how to break cycles of silence and choose herself.

Through humor, vulnerability, and bold insights, this conversation explores self-worth beyond achievement, the importance of having "salad friends" (the ones who tell you when you have spinach in your teeth), and why true healing starts with looking inward. 

"We pay a tax on our silence. Whether it’s in our bodies, our relationships, or our sense of self, unspoken pain doesn’t just disappear—it festers." – Susan Lieu

Key Takeaways

🔹 Breaking Family Cycles – How Susan confronted generational silence and redefined her own path.

🔹 The Weight of Cultural Expectations – How ancestral trauma shapes self-worth and what it takes to unlearn it.

🔹 Achievement ≠ Fulfillment – Why success alone won’t bring happiness—and how Susan learned to redefine it.

🔹 The Importance of ‘Salad Friends’ – Surrounding yourself with people who tell you the truth (with love).

🔹 Receiving Without Guilt – Learning to let yourself enjoy life’s little pleasures without justification.

🔹 Healing Starts With You – Instead of seeking validation externally, real transformation begins by going inward.

Key Moments

[00:00] – Intros and celebrating the little things (like giant Peruvian grapes!)

[07:09] – Unpacking family trauma and the power of storytelling

[13:42] – The weight of cultural expectations and the cost of silence

[21:26] – Why achieving more doesn’t always mean feeling more fulfilled

[28:49] – Breaking the cycle: Reparenting yourself and shifting family dynamics

[34:35] – The art of truly listening and holding space for others

[41:17] – Reclaiming self-worth and learning to receive joy without guilt

[48:23] – Choosing yourself: How to step into your own power

CONNECT WITH SUSAN:

Website: http://susanlieu.me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanlieu/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanlieuofficial

Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanlieu

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@susanlieu6046

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

📖 The Manicurist’s Daughter by Susan Lieu

🎭140 Pounds: How Bea

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com