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Ritu Hemnani

At the age of 11, Hong Kong student Shulin Ho wanted to break the silence surrounding teen mental health, suicide and abuse, so she started a podcast, Clinical Awesomeness.
“I kept wondering why these issues weren’t talked about, until I realised I could start the conversation myself,” says Shulin, who is now 16.
What began as a personal outlet evolved into a platform combining mental health, basketball, nutrition, art and identity.
One stand-out episode featured a professional athlete discussing performance anxiety, which confirmed for Shulin how widely emotional struggles are shared, even among those who appear “strong”.

Shulin is one of nine speakers who will feature at the TEDxTinHauWomen event at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District on November 12.
The event, whose theme is “Reframe”, will reflect views from across Hong Kong’s health and creative communities, with speakers including a trauma therapist and a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner.
Shulin will speak about self-worth as an internal compass, not a reflection of grades, appearance or social validation.
“It can fluctuate, like the tides. But you’ve survived 100 per cent of your bad days. That means you can get through this one, too,” she says.
Her hope is simple but powerful: that listeners leave feeling less alone and more willing to start their own conversations.
She will share the stage in dialogue with Emily Kusunoki, a counsellor and trauma therapist at the Hong Kong Dignity Institute.
Kusunoki works with survivors of human trafficking, forced marriage and family abuse, using narrative exposure therapy – which uses the power of storytelling – to help them heal from past experiences and process complex trauma.

For Kusunoki, Shulin’s generation represents a quiet revolution in empathy. “Young people aren’t afraid to say they’re struggling, and that honesty creates space for others to do the same,” she says.
She stresses that creating safety is not about avoiding pain, but about being present through it.
“What’s more harmful than pain is isolation. Things feel bleak when we spend most of our days in a state of fear or numbness, since that shrinks our world into something cold and lonely. So, young people speaking up about their pain gives me hope, because that desire for connection heals us,” Kusunoki says.
Real healing begins not with solutions, but with presence, she adds.
“It starts when someone stays with you in your discomfort without trying to fix you or look away.”
But action, Kusunoki says, must be grounded: “It’s vital that you become a safe, informed person first. When you start to truly look at and learn about the struggles happening right next door, you gain the power to empathise and show compassion for the people behind those struggles.”
She finds hope in this blend of awareness and heart: “Waking up to harsh realities while bringing your heart with you – that’s how healing work happens. If you practise that awareness and empathy while you’re young, those habits and mindsets grow with you.”
Kusunoki often reflects on her toddler’s emotional fluidity.
“I’m always amazed watching him grab a toy from another kid, argue about it, and then call that same kid his best friend five minutes later,” she says, “As adults, we gradually build up our defences, unable to look past that moment our toy was taken, because we don’t like sitting in discomfort.
Kusunoki adds that, while those defences protect us, “over time, they can also guard us from the good things, too. We miss out on forgiveness, recovery and repair when seeing that openness and curiosity as ‘childlike’.”
The pair’s conversation will explore how everyday acts, such as listening without judgment, sharing your own vulnerability and checking in on friends, can become forms of activism.

TCM practitioner Gigi Ngan will also speak at the event. Her approach to women’s health was shaped by her mother’s experience with cancer. Witnessing the benefits of combining TCM with Western treatment led her to reframe how women navigate hormonal transitions – not as medical emergencies, but as natural rhythms that can be supported.
“TCM sees change as something to flow with, not fix,” Ngan says. Simple practices, such as eating warm, nourishing foods after menstruation or aligning rest with seasonal shifts, can help women stay grounded amid hormonal fluctuations.
Ngan says that her mother’s journey taught her that tuning into the body’s signals – rather than resisting them – makes transitions such as motherhood or menopause gentler and more empowering.
Her TEDx talk aims to demystify TCM for modern audiences.
“It’s not about rejecting science. It’s about adding another layer of care. When East and West work together, we get smarter, more compassionate healthcare,” she says.
“My talk makes TCM easier to understand and more relevant for women today. It’s about showing how timeless principles can fit seamlessly with modern medicine. I hope people leave seeing that TCM isn’t old or distant; it’s something that can fit naturally into our lives right now.”

Other TEDxTinHauWomen speakers will include design studio co-founder Jacqueline Chak, ecologist Inga Conti-Jerpe, stand-up comedian Kate Hu, Christian Action Centre for Refugees diversity and inclusion coordinator Uzma Naveed, professional wig maker Katie Oropallo, and Victoria Shanghai Academy secondary school principal Dr Shirla Sum. Learn more at tedxtinhauwomen.com/2025-reframe.
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Hong Kong TEDxTinHauWomen 2025 is about reframing perspectives. Meet some of the speakers

Teenage mental health podcaster Shulin Ho (left) and trauma therapist Emily Kusunoki will talk about how everyday acts can help us heal, at TEDxTinHauWomen 2025, on November 8 at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre. Photo: TEDxTinHauWomen

Shulin Ho started her Clinical Awesomeness podcast when she was 11. Photo: TEDxTinHauWomen

Emily Kusunoki is a counsellor and trauma therapist at the Hong Kong Dignity Institute. Photo: TEDxTinHauWomen

TCM practitioner Gigi Ngan aims to demystify traditional Chinese medicine for modern audiences. Photo: TEDxTinHauWomen

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Angela Kaur Baura with her mother. Photo: Angela Kaur Baura

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Health

Speakers at this year’s event about changing mindsets include a teen with a mental health podcast and a forward-thinking TCM practitioner


Speakers at this year’s event about changing mindsets include a teen with a mental health podcast and a forward-thinking TCM practitioner.


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Mental health

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Hong Kong TEDxTinHauWomen 2025 is about reframing perspectives. Meet some of the speakers

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Speakers at this year’s event about changing mindsets include a teen with a mental health podcast and a forward-thinking TCM practitioner

Speakers at this year’s event about changing mindsets include a teen with a mental health podcast and a forward-thinking TCM practitioner