Ask Kati Anything

Do you sleep enough and live a balanced life on paper, yet still feel completely wiped out by Tuesday? You aren't "bad at adulting"—your nervous system is likely dealing with an invisible, compounded burden. In this episode, we break down the three overlapping systems that drive modern exhaustion: cognitive load from constant decision fatigue, emotional labor from managing the people around us, an...

Have you ever felt like you’re trying so hard to communicate, but the harder you try, the more things seem to fall apart? Whether it’s that heavy feeling of being misunderstood, the exhausting cycle of the silent treatment, or the fear that you’re accidentally pushing the people you love away—I want you to know: you aren't broken. Most of us are just running on a communication "blueprint" we didn'...

Why does your brain feel like it's working against you when you're depressed? In this episode, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton answers deep viewer questions to unpack what is actively happening in the body and brain during depressive episodes and periods of suicidal ideation. We challenge the traditional "chemical imbalance" framework to look at the modern science of mental heal...

Do you feel like you're spiraling when your heart starts racing? Kati Morton breaks down why your body is misinterpreting normal sensations as a threat and how you can break the loop. In this episode of Ask Katie Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton explores the reality of panic disorder and why it feels so physically life-threatening. We discuss the seven stages of the pan...

Welcome back to another episode of Ask Kati Anything! In this episode, we are testing out our new single-topic format and diving deep into a topic you requested: adult friendships. Are your friendships truly fulfilling, or are you staying in them simply because they are familiar? As we get older, our social dynamics change drastically. Today, we are breaking down the psychological differences betw...

On this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton is joined by globally recognized keynote speaker and wellness expert Alison Canavan. Alison is the creator of the Energy Bank Method, a framework built on the foundational belief that human energy—not time—is our absolute most valuable currency. In this raw and insightful conversation, Alison shares her transf...

Do you constantly over-do, over-give, and over-perform to "earn your keep" in your relationships? On this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton transitions to an all-new, single-topic format to take a deep, evidence-based dive into the world of over-functioning. Through real community stories and personal reflections, Kati maps out the 6-stage cycle that...

Most of us know what we should be doing. The harder question is why we can't actually do it. In this episode, Dr. Rachel Goldman joins Kati to talk about food noise, GLP-1s, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the small mindset shifts that change everything. Dr. Rachel is a clinical psychologist, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and author of the new boo...

What do you do when your relationship is hard but you can't tell if it's worth saving, or when your trauma history makes your instincts feel unreliable? This week on Ask Kati Anything, licensed therapist Kati Morton, LMFT, answers seven listener questions about the moments when everything feels overwhelming and you can't tell what's the relationship, what's the depression, and what's the trauma ta...

In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton welcomes keynote speaker and bestselling author Ginny Priem to discuss the heavy toll of over-functioning and the path to reclaiming your identity. Ginny shares her powerful Unsubscribe Framework, a tool designed to help you filter out the noise and set firm boundaries in both your professional and personal li...

In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton addresses why the healing process often feels more overwhelming after a breakthrough or a new diagnosis. We dive deep into the complexities of adult autism, the physical "freeze" response caused by trauma shame, and the frustration of feeling like your mental health journey has stalled. Kati also shares her pe...

She caught herself mid-sentence and realized it wasn't her voice. It was her mother's. This episode is about the patterns you inherited without knowing it, the ones running your parenting, your relationships, and the way you talk to yourself right now. Kati sits down with JoAnn Crohn, parenting educator and founder of No Guilt Mom, for a conversation that starts with mom guilt and lands somewhere...

Struggling with treatment-resistant depression or trying to recover from narcissistic parents and a lost sense of identity? In this episode, Katie Morton, LMFT, explores advanced mental health treatments and provides a roadmap for healing from complicated family dynamics. Whether you are dealing with "sticky memories," navigating a schizoaffective disorder diagnosis, or looking for ways to manage...

If you feel like your therapist is speaking a foreign language when they talk about "stability" or "trust," this video is for you. We break down the specific requirements for starting trauma-focused work like EMDR and why your brain might be "pulling the ripcord" through dissociation. Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything. Please check out this week's special offers: • Zocdoc:...

Have you ever felt ashamed in therapy because your behaviors aren't changing fast enough? In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton answers 8 listener questions on eating disorders, therapy, intimacy, ego death, depression, and mental health recovery. Topics covered include eating disorder recovery, higher levels of care (IOP and PHP), what therapists...

What happens when the life you built online suddenly crashes? In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, I’m joined by "Creators 4 Mental Health" founder Shira Lazar to pull back the curtain on the dark side of the creator economy. Shira opens up about a personal story and feeling like a failure which triggered a decade-long journey of rebuilding her self-worth from the ground up. We discuss the "silen...

Is it freeze or dissociation? Autism or OCD? Can childhood trauma cause physical symptoms doctors can't explain? In this episode, I answer the questions that keep my community up at night—from understanding confusing trauma responses to the body-trauma connection, overlapping diagnoses, medication decisions, and whether psychedelic therapy actually works for CPTSD. If you've ever felt misunderstoo...

Why is "kindness" often dismissed as a soft skill when it’s actually a life-saving tool for resilience? In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed therapist Kati Morton is joined by Andra Liemandt, the founder and CEO of The Kindness Campaign. Andra shares the powerful, heartbreaking story of how a tragic loss in her community became the catalyst for a national movement that reached over 250,0...

Why do we cling to the behaviors that hurt us most? In this episode, Kati Morton, LMFT, dives into the physiological and emotional complexities of eating disorder recovery, trauma responses, and the "why" behind our most difficult survival mechanisms. We explore the "safety" found in cycles like bulimia or anorexia when living in neglectful environments, and Kati provides actionable tools for thos...

Eating disorder shapeshifting explained, therapy dissociation tips, no contact with adult child response, self-acceptance after weight gain, feeling unseen or outcast, skin picking dermatillomania, broken UK NHS mental health system, social anxiety in sessions, neurodivergent experiences, body image struggles, anxiety after injury, DSM vs ICD-11 differences, parasocial relationships advice. Licens...

Whether you are struggling with depression, addiction, or seeking motivation, Justin’s story is a roadmap for anyone feeling lost in the dark. "I was the youngest heavyweight in the country, and I was losing the only fight that mattered." In this powerful episode Kati speaks with Justin Wren for a raw conversation on mental health, resilience, and the recovery journey. Justin pulls back the curtai...

In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton addresses eight deeply personal mental health questions from the community. From navigating chronic suicidal ideation to coping with hearing voices while trying to study, Kati provides clinical insight with compassion and practical guidance. Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything. Please ch...

In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, Kati is joined by Jen Birn, editor of Austin Lifestyle magazine. Jen has built a life on her own terms, parlaying her high-octane success in the celebrity journalism scenes of New York and Los Angeles into a career that is currently transforming the landscape of Austin. Jen’s path was built on pure grit and "fake it 'til you make it" scrappiness. From waitress...

What if your best days haven't even happened yet? In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, I’m joined by the incredible Amy Edwards—CEO, author, and host of The Amy Edwards Show. At 53, Amy is the happiest she’s ever been, but getting here required walking through some of life’s darkest valleys. We dive deep into the messy, complicated, and ultimately beautiful process of transformation. Amy opens up...

In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed therapist Kati Morton, LMFT, dives into the complex intersection of social media and mental health. We explore how to protect yourself from "rage-bait" and identity-driven outrage while still using platforms productively. Kati also breaks down the vital differences between flashbacks and hallucinations, the ethics of acting out trauma in therapy, and...