Wendy's early life was marked by the profound experience of losing a parent at just seven years old, leading to decades of unaddressed grief. This childhood trauma created a pervasive silence, shaping her understanding of family and self. Later, "hidden lies" within her family surfaced, forcing her to confront a deeper "family drama" and begin a journey toward emotional healing.
---
Wendy B. Correa lost her father at seven. No one explained it. No one gave her language for grief. She just carried it, through an abusive stepfather, through a sense of not quite belonging, through decades of quietly wondering why her family felt like a mystery. Then, at 62, a DNA test changed everything.

Wendy joins Matt Gilhooly on The Life Shift Podcast to talk about adverse childhood experiences, inherited family silence, and what it felt like to finally have her lifelong instinct confirmed. Her memoir, *My Pretty Baby*, is a call to action for anyone who has ever carried something they were never allowed to say out loud.

In this episode:

- Losing a parent at seven in an era when children were expected to stay quiet
- The acting class in her 20s where 20 years of buried grief suddenly surfaced
- Growing up with an alcoholic, violent stepfather and internalizing the blame
- Discovering at 62 that her biological father was not who she believed
- Finding a half-sister who embraced her completely
- Why she wrote *My Pretty Baby* and what she hopes it unlocks in others

Find Wendy at [www.wendybcorrea.com](http://www.wendybcorrea.com) | Instagram: @WendyBCorrea

The Life Shift Podcast explores the moments that change everything. New episodes every week.

Subscribe: [www.youtube.com/@thelifeshiftpodcast](http://www.youtube.com/@thelifeshiftpodcast)

Follow & Listen: [www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow](http://www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow)

Newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/

adverse childhood experiences, childhood grief, family secrets, DNA ancestry discovery, healing childhood trauma, memoir, parental loss, identity and belonging, ACEs, intergenerational silence, sobriety and healing, emotional healing podcast