Erasing Shame

What does it mean to carry shame in your skin? Indonesian American social worker Fiel Sahir joins DJ for an honest conversation about shame, identity, and faith. Fiel describes shame as "chains" and traces his story as a third-generation survivor of racial violence — a dark-skinned grandfather mocked in China, forced name changes after the 1965 purge, and being singled out as "Chinese," including through the 1998 Jakarta riots. He shares how a multicultural therapist, the witness of Hawaiian Christians, and the conviction that "God is there first" pulled him out of shame toward hope and human connection. Show Notes at erasingshame.com/chains-culture-and-coming-home-fiel-sahir-on-indonesian-american-shame/

What does it look and feel like to live with the pain and confusion of a mental health diagnosis of bipolar disorder? Two Asian Americans open up about how they've experienced mercy and help while getting through the shame of mental illness in Asian and American cultures, churches, and condemning voices that come inside (so annoying!) Listen to this book talk about Christ in the Abyss: Cultivating Deep Faith Amid Depression and Despair, a new book by Dr. Jean Neely. Jean personally shares how she made it through those difficult seasons in her life with lots of help from family, friends, flatmates, and faith. This is a wide and gentle conversation on suffering and spirituality that is a part of all of our human experiences. See the show notes to get the book and more @ erasingshame.com/desperately-living-with-depression-and-experiencing-mercy-help/

• an Aim For Breakthrough x Erasing Shame collaboration! Dr. Audrey Davidheiser of Aim For Breakthrough and DJ Chuang of Erasing Shame have this conversation about Dr. Audrey's book, Grieving Wholeheartedly: Bringing Healing to Every Part of Your Soul, one chapter at a time on each episode. Grief touches 100% of us. That's why we need this book and this conversation. This episode discusses Chapter 1, "Grieving: Unwanted, Yet Unavoidable." We talk about the cultural pressures to "be okay" too soon, as well as the shame & stigma around psychotherapy in faith and people-of-color communities. Dr. Audrey notes the double standard that people welcome a dentist or surgeon to treat illnesses, but reject a mental health professional. Whether your loss is a death, a divorce, a home lost to fire, or organizational upheaval, this episode is an invitation to stop rushing your grief — and to let every part of your soul be heard. Show Notes at https://erasingshame.com/why-are-you-over-it-yet-is-the-wrong-question/

Seattle-based therapist, author, and poet Sam Louie joins DJ Chuang to discuss his newly released workbook, Redefining Asian Shame: From Silence to Self-Acceptance — available now to download on Gumroad. (Listen for the 40% off discount code) Sam shares how the workbook gives the readers to engage an interactive process to move from Asian shame to a healthy acceptance of oneself. Sam explains his mind shift in how he clinically approaches shame, informed by the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model and the concept of "no bad parts." Rather than viewing shame as something to be excised or hated, Sam has come to see it as carrying an original protective purpose — one that, when understood, opens the door to real healing. See the show notes and transcript at https://erasingshame.com/reclaiming-redefining-shame-for-asian-americans/

Toni Kim has a new book coming in August 2026—Shame Redeemed: Learning to Live in Christ's Freedom. She is a Taiwanese-American pastor who tireless worked on a seminary thesis about shame in Scripture and this book makes all that studied research accessible. This conversation covers the critical distinction between unashamed and shameless, how social media cancel culture has turned shame into a universal experience, and why the church has yet to become what it should be: a place where people can walk in with their shame and be covered rather than condemned. Toni and DJ also get personal — talking about shame that feels like blinding condemnation in the moment, why community is essential (not optional) for healing, and what to actually do when you're frozen and can't think your way out. Show Notes at https://erasingshame.com/unashamed-but-not-shameless-the-difference-that-changes-everything/