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Breaking Free from Family Abuse and Toxic Systems: Self-Worth, Boundaries & Healing with Gargi Sen

Author
Avik Chakraborty
Published
Sat 09 Aug 2025
Episode Link
https://www.podhealth.club/e/breaking-free-from-family-abuse-and-toxic-systems-self-worth-boundaries-healing-with-gargi-sen/

In this bold and deeply reflective episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with New York-based attorney and writer Gargi Sen, founder of Unsquashable Girl. Together, they uncover the invisible yet painful layers of familial gaslighting, cultural conditioning in South Asian households, toxic workplaces, and the lifelong impact of childhood emotional abuse.


Gargi shares how she overcame these cycles—choosing courage, setting boundaries, and embracing healing with the unexpected support of her dog, Mr. Dempsey. Learn about her viral 3-Column Method to assess emotional safety in relationships and why it's okay to disappoint your family in order to honor yourself. This conversation is a roadmap for anyone ready to stop abandoning themselves and start living free.


 


About the Guest:
Gargi Sen is a New York-based attorney, author, and the founder of Unsquashable Girl—a global movement supporting women to break free from toxic relationships, cultural oppression, and generational dysfunction. Her story of resilience includes escaping an abusive upbringing, breaking cultural taboos, and rebuilding self-worth with the help of her dog, Mr. Dempsey.


 


Key Takeaways :




  • Healing begins when you stop seeking approval and start honoring your inner voice.




  • Cultural conditioning in South Asian families often normalizes emotional abuse. Gargi’s story powerfully challenges this status quo.




  • Her 3-Column Method—positive, neutral, and negative energy mapping—is a practical and transformative way to assess all relationships (family, friends, workplace).




  • It is okay to disappoint your family if it means preserving your peace and dignity.




  • Animals, like Mr. Dempsey, can be our emotional guides—offering us unconditional love and mirroring what safe connection feels like.




  • Toxic leadership in the workplace often reflects unresolved personal trauma; self-awareness is essential to walk away from dysfunction.




  • The phrase “love shouldn’t hurt” is central to Gargi’s philosophy. If a relationship repeatedly drains or devalues you—it is not love.




  • Estrangement from family can be an act of self-love and emotional survival, especially when safety is at risk.




 


How to Connect with Gargi Sen:





  • Listeners can enter their email in this webpage and join the reader list




 


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