
Trust & Thrive 322: Inner Child Work & Caring for Unmet Emotional Needs - with Dr. Kai Qiu, Author & Inner Child Healing Guide
Dr. Kai Qiu, MD is an inner child healing guide who traded the path to psychiatry for something he believes the mental health space is missing. He’s the author of Emotionally Immature Parents: A Recovery Workbook and combines psychology, Buddhist practice, and his own lived experience as a second-generation Chinese-Canadian to help successful people heal the patterns they inherited but didn’t choose.
His content reaches millions worldwide, and he works closely with high-achievers who look like they have it all together but still feel something quietly unresolved underneath. Dr. Kai helps them see those patterns were never personal failures. They were inherited programs. And they can be rewired.
In this episode, Kai shares his story, opening up about medical school and the internal conflict and growth that came with honoring what felt more aligned.
We share a conversation on the topics of emotionally immature parents, childhood wounds, and the impact these experiences can have on our sense of self. We explore inner child work as a main theme, including common misconceptions, why this work can feel uncomfortable, and how reconnecting with younger parts of ourselves can support healing, self-trust, and authenticity.
We also discuss the pressure many people feel to follow certain paths, how childhood experiences can shape our relationships and self-perception, and how inner child work can support us in moving toward a more authentic way of living.
Whether you’re navigating family dynamics, questioning expectations placed on you, or wanting to better understand your emotional patterns, we hope this conversation can offer a grounding and compassionate perspective.
FOLLOW DR. KAI:
INSTA: @hellodoctorkai
BOOK: Emotionally Immature Parents
WORKSHOPS AND MORE
STAY CONNECTED:
INSTA: @trustandthrive
TIKOK: @trustandthrive
THREADS: @trustandthrive
FACEBOOK: bit.ly/FBtaramont
EMAIL: trustandthrive@gmail.com
