Kaila Yu on Surviving Shame and Writing Her Truth in “Fetishized”

What happens when your earliest moments of intimacy are taken from you?

In this raw and powerful conversation, author Kaila Yu shares the truth about a traumatic experience in her early twenties that splintered her sense of self. Raised in a household where emotions were rarely named, Kaila spent years seeking validation outside herself. When a modeling opportunity turned into a violent betrayal, she dissociated to survive. For a long time, she told no one. But silence has a way of catching up to you. In time, Kaila found the strength to tell the truth and honor the version of herself who got through it.

Three key takeaways from Kaila’s life shift:

• Sometimes survival looks like silence, but healing begins when we tell the truth
• Dissociation is a form of protection, not weakness
• Self-worth is something we can reclaim, even after it’s been stolen

This episode holds space for the complexity of trauma, cultural expectations, and the slow, brave act of integration.

Listen at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/202

Kaila Yu is a luxury travel and culture writer and on-camera correspondent based in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Condé Nast Traveler, and National Geographic. In her powerful debut memoir, Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty, Kaila explores the intersections of racialized desire, consent, trauma, and identity. The book will be released on August 19, 2025, by Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing. Through her writing and advocacy, Kaila brings voice to the often-overlooked realities of Asian American women and invites deeper conversations around healing and self-worth.

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The Life Shift Podcast shares real, honest conversations about the pivotal moments that transform lives. Host Matt Gilhooly invites guests to explore the life-changing events, unexpected challenges, and personal awakenings that have shaped who they are today. 

Through candid storytelling, listeners discover powerful journeys of identity, resilience, grief, healing, and growth. If you’re drawn to personal growth stories, inspired by how people rebuild after loss, or fascinated by the quiet moments that spark profound change, The Life Shift offers heartfelt insight and inspiration. New episodes every Tuesday.

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