Ask Kati Anything

How do you actually feel your emotions without being consumed by them? In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed therapist Kati Morton shares practical strategies for processing feelings in a healthy way — and how to compartmentalize without suppressing what you’re going through. Kati also answers listener questions about knowing if your anxiety medication is really working, the difference between dissociation and zoning out, how to cope with burnout-related memory problems, and what to do when starting therapy feels overwhelming because everything is connected. With neuroscience-backed insights and compassionate guidance, this episode will help you manage your emotions, protect your mental health, and create space to feel without losing control. My new book Why Do I Keep Doing This? is now available for pre-order: https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:44 – How to Feel Emotions Without Being Overwhelmed (Healthy Compartmentalization) 08:05 – How to Know If Anxiety Medication Is Working (Signs & Next Steps) 13:07 – Mild Dissociation vs. Zoning Out: How to Recognize and Stop It 19:06 – Dissociation vs. Derealization Explained (Key Differences) 23:38 – Starting Therapy but Invalidation Your Struggles (Why It Happens) 28:34 – Burnout, Stress, ASD & Memory Issues: What’s Normal vs. Concerning 35:40 – Where to Start in Therapy When Everything Feels Interconnected ⚠️ Trigger Warning (suicidality, trauma, grief) 41:01 – Outro & Homework Ask Kati Anything ep. 276 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT BOOKS by Kati Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY 💧 Today’s episode is sponsored by Liquid I.V. Stay hydrated and energized all day with my favorite electrolyte drink mix 👉 liquidiv.com — use PROMO CODE: KATI at checkout for 20% off your order! ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this revealing conversation, Grace Helbig opens up about her early days of YouTube stardom, to the burnout that followed, and facing breast cancer head-on. She shares behind-the-scenes stories of navigating the chaos of internet fame, the toll it took on her mental health, and how stepping away gave her the clarity to return on her own terms. Grace dives deep into the emotional and psychological impact of living life online, the loss of community in the creator space, and how her diagnosis reshaped her priorities. Now, with a renewed sense of purpose, she’s transforming pain into art through her new live comedy show, bringing humor and honesty to life’s hardest moments. Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering Grace for the first time, this episode is an inspiring, unfiltered reminder that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. My new book is available for pre-order! Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. More Grace: https://www.youtube.com/@itsgrace/videos This Might Get Weird (podcast) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6qM1-K69UGys_BnilnWZ7w More Kati: https://www.youtube.com/@Katimorton MY BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY Ask Kati Anything ep. 275 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT I’ve teamed up with Babbel to give you 55% off your subscription—but only for listeners—at Babbel.com/KATI ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Struggling with trauma, trust issues, food and body image struggles, or feeling like no one ever showed up for you? In this episode, Kati responds to six powerful community questions about healing after emotional neglect, craving validation, navigating boundary violations, and figuring out how to keep going when life feels overwhelming.Whether you’re starting therapy, dealing with past experiences that left you feeling confused or stuck, or just trying to feel seen, this episode offers real insight and encouragement. 🔖 Timestamps & Topics 00:00 – Intro & Book Pre-order Reminder Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. 01:11 – Q1: "No one’s going to save me — so why do I still crave attention?"Craving care when it was never modeled, coping through behaviors, and the truth about being “attention-seeking.” 07:05 – Q2: "My therapist ignored what happened. Why does school still trigger me?"When trusted places become reminders of past pain and how to bring it up again in therapy. 13:10 – Q3: "My mom read my journal. How can I trust her again?"Privacy breaches, parent dynamics, and learning to rebuild safety after feeling exposed. 22:01 – Q4: "Am I being dramatic for needing therapy now?"Letting go of self-comparison and learning how to validate your current emotional experience. 30:40 – Q5: "How do I build hope when I never expected to live this long?"Finding motivation, building resilience, and coping with thoughts of giving up. 36:04 – Q6: "Can I have trauma even if nothing 'serious' happened?"Understanding freeze responses, dissociation, and why certain experiences still leave emotional scars. Ask Kati Anything podcast episode 274, hosted by licensed therapist Kati Morton. Thanks to this week’s sponsors for helping bring mental health content to life! GREEN CHEF - healthy eating made easy (discount link) http://GREENCHEF.com/50askkati BETTERHELP - online therapy (discount link): http://BETTERHELP.com/katipod MY BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kandee Johnson was sleeping just 2 hours a night at the height of her YouTube fame - juggling content creation, brand deals, and raising 4 kids as a single mom. In this honest conversation, she shares what that lifestyle really cost her and that health issues eventually forced her to step away.From having 13 cents in her bank account to becoming YouTube's biggest beauty creator, Kandee opens up about the reality behind the success. She talks about the exhaustion, the constant travel, editing videos until 4 AM, and how her body eventually said "enough." My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. What you'll hear in this episode How she went from broke single mom to YouTube success The reality of sleeping 2-4 hours a night for years Why she was working 16-hour days constantly Health issues that made her take a break Her honest thoughts on social media and "doom scrolling" Why she turned down millions in brand deals for integrity What she learned during her time away from YouTube TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - From 13 cents to YouTube success 12:45 - The exhaustion of constant content creation 28:30 - Behind the scenes of a YouTube career 35:20 - Health issues and stepping away 42:15 - Life during her YouTube break 48:50 - Thoughts on social media addiction 55:30 - What she'd do differently Ask Kati Anything ep. 273 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT #podcast #kandeejohnson #katimorton MY BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode I explain why you struggle to trust yourself and share the simple strategy to rebuild self-trust. I'll help you identify healthy vs unhealthy attachment to your therapist, recognize when you're protecting yourself in therapy, and understand the root causes of intimacy fears. I also cover different therapeutic styles, OCD vs OCD-like tendencies, and practical tips for developing secure attachment patterns. In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, I address six of your questions about self-trust, therapy struggles, and mental health challenges. Whether you're feeling stuck in life, questioning your therapeutic relationship, or dealing with intrusive thoughts, I provide actionable insights for your healing journey. Key Topics I Discuss • My promise-keeping method for building self-trust • Signs of healthy vs unhealthy therapist attachment • Why some therapists avoid deep work (and what to do about it) • Understanding protection vs control in therapy • Root causes of intimacy fears and how to overcome them • OCD symptoms vs OCD-like tendencies explained Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 0:30 Q1: How to learn to trust yourself 5:46 Q2: Healthy vs unhealthy therapist attachment 11:09 Q3: Therapist not focusing on root issues 17:02 Q4: Controlling everything in therapy 25:04 Q5: Fears of intimacy and healthy attachments 34:07 Q6: OCD vs OCD-like tendencies 40:01 Closing thoughts Ask Kati Anything ep. 272 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. MY BOOKS Why Do I Keep Doing This? (pre-order) https://geni.us/XoyLSQ Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzBYOHyEEzlkRdDOSobbpvw/join ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mental Cost of Fighting Misinformation: Professor Dave opens up in this honest conversation, Dave Farina from the YouTube channel Professor Dave Explains shares the personal toll of dedicating his life to fighting misinformation and educating millions online. As one of YouTube's most prominent science educators, Dave reveals the mental health challenges that come with constant content creation and defending scientific truth in today's polarized world. Dave discusses how his work ethic has evolved from healthy productivity to potential burnout, the emotional strategies he's developed to handle daily harassment, and why he feels compelled to continue despite the personal cost. This conversation offers valuable insights for content creators, educators, and anyone interested in the psychology of online advocacy. ------ My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. ------ Key Topics Discussed: The transition from musician to full-time science educator and debunker How constant work has rewired his brain and affected his ability to disconnect Strategies for emotional detachment when facing online harassment and threats The mental health impact of fighting misinformation as a career Balancing family life with a demanding content creation schedule Why he feels a sense of duty to continue despite burnout The broader societal implications of the "post-truth era" Practical advice for creators dealing with online negativity This episode provides a rare look into the personal sacrifices and psychological resilience required to be an effective science communicator in the digital age. Resources: If you're interested in creator psychology, science education, or the fight against misinformation, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on the human cost of online advocacy. Check out Dave Farina's channel https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorDaveExplains Ask Kati Anything ep. 271 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT MY BOOKS Why Do I Keep Doing This? (pre-order) https://geni.us/XoyLSQ Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you struggling with depression, self-sabotage, or anxiety that no one else can see? In this deeply honest episode of Ask Katie Anything, licensed therapist Kati Morton explains what high functioning depression really feels like and why you might feel so empty inside, even when life looks “perfect” on the outside. We’ll explore how childhood trauma, emotional neglect, and attachment wounds shape your mental health today — and how they’re connected to self-sabotage, memory gaps, and anxiety symptoms like itching or shaking. Kati shares practical steps to break free from guilt, reconnect with yourself, and start healing. My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. Ask Kati Anything ep. 270 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Questions & timestamps 1. Could you talk about high-functioning depression and what it really looks like? For context, I feel like I have a “perfect” life; supportive parents, a stable home, pets, a car, and all the basic things I need to live comfortably. I haven’t experienced any trauma, and from the outside, everything seems fine... 00:00:43 2. I accept my flaws and want to grow, but I zone out or give up easily. I’ve been stagnant in my studies for 3 years. How do I build real, lasting change when it feels so hard to even begin? 00:12:07 3. I’ve recently realized there are a lot of things I do not remember about my childhood. My sibling was sharing stories and kept looking at me asking, “Do you remember that?” and I rarely did. We lived in the same house so how does she remember so much more than me? 00:17:49 4. Could you please explain why people itch when they are anxious? It's something I have recently started doing without even knowing it was related to my mental health. Could you please tell me why we do this? And how we might be able to stop? Thank you love your videos and podcasts! 00:22:29 5. My question is about attachment regarding military life, having a parent unavailable but not by choice. I often hear you mention your dad being gone for work frequently when you were a child and how you believe it has an effect on your upbringing. My dad was in the military for 25 years and was often gone during my childhood—not for super long periods (maybe 4 months max), but he left and returned so often... 00:29:11 6. I’ve been on a healing journey in the last 2 years in trauma therapy. I’ve worked a lot on myself with the big challenge of feeling my own feelings. I’ve learned to sit with my feelings and finally felt safe with my therapist. I’ve set boundaries with family, lost relationships, and even lost a pet during therapy... 00:38:59 7. My old therapist is having a baby and I will no longer be able to see her. She has been so helpful and I have been able to move on from her in the past (when I “graduated” DBT). All of the therapists I have had since seeing her don’t quit live up. It’s possible that she’s my favorite person. How do I move forward with my life? 00:42:31 ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Ask Kati Anything (ep. 225) licensed therapist Kati Morton explains how to stop intellectualizing and actually feel our feelings, and she digs into grief and how we can process it. Then she talks about why we can feel like our mental illnesses are made up or exaggerated because we haven’t had a trauma or big event, ways we can healthily express our anger, and how she defines an eating disorder relapse. Finally, she walks us through the ways she decides what’s the human condition and what’s a symptom of a mental illness. 1. How do I stop intellectualizing my feelings and feel them? 01:23 2. Hey Kati! I was curious if you could talk about grief as an emotion, and how to cope with it and ways to help process it. Before therapy, I could not name any emotions, and I’ve gotten so much better at it. In fact, unbeknownst to me, I’ve actually always been quite the adept feeler of emotions— in the sense that I can find them in my body, I can talk about how they feel and the directions they move within me and through me... 08:27 3. Hello Kati, I often feel my MDD and GAD diagnosis is not warranted and it's 'all in my head' because I have not experienced any major negative life events or traumas. This has prevented me from discussing the things that I believe could be contributing to my symptoms because they don't feel important enough... 25:16 4. Hi Kati, I was wondering if you could talk about healthy ways to express anger. I come from a culture where expressing anger is shameful, especially for women. So my anger is as scary as fire flames for me. However, I have noticed my binge eating is fuelled by my unexpressed anger. So, can you please teach me some techniques about handling anger. Thanks for all your amazing work. 34:13 5. Hi Kati! Hope you’re doing well. I am wondering how a relapse in an eating disorder is defined. Is there a clinical-based definition or is it more of a gray area? Does it mean meeting the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder diagnosis once again... 40:47 6. How do you figure out what's just 'the human condition' or a personality trait and what's an actual symptom? 55:08 PUBLISHED BOOKS Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY Join this channel & access more perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzBYOHyEEzlkRdDOSobbpvw/join ONLINE THERAPY While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati (enjoy 10% off your first month) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch Khalyla Kuhn get raw and real with Kati Morton. In this powerful conversation, Khalyla shares untold truths about her very public breakup with Bobby Lee, recovering from Bell’s Palsy, launching her business Ebb Ocean Club during total chaos, becoming a mom in secret, and what it’s really like to deal with toxic internet culture. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, judged online, or trapped by stress, this episode will hit home. 🌊 From heartbreak to healing, betrayal to boundaries — Khalyla reminds us all that you can rebuild your life on your own terms. My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQIf you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. Ask Kati Anything ep. 268 ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Khalyla Kuhn on Ask Kati Anything 02:00 – Bell’s Palsy: The stress that broke her body 07:00 – How TigerBelly actually got started 14:30 – Surviving public judgment & parasocial hate 20:00 – Trolls, takedowns & toxic culture online 26:00 – How heartbreak inspired her new haircare line 32:00 – Secretly becoming a mom: “I didn’t tell anyone!” 38:00 – Escaping the fires & finding safe places 44:00 – Trauma mode, fight-or-flight & healing 48:00 – What’s next for Khalyla Kuhn? More Khalyla https://www.youtube.com/@TigerBelly https://www.youtube.com/@TrashTuesday https://www.instagram.com/khalamityk https://ebboceanclub.com/ ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month)While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed therapist and YouTube mental health advocate Kati Morton answers vulnerable audience questions about living without hope, healing from lifelong trauma, and navigating emotional burnout. We explore how to break free from chronic emotional numbness, cope with retraumatization in unsafe environments, and rebuild a sense of purpose when life feels stagnant or meaningless. Kati offers expert insight on topics like maladaptive coping strategies, therapy attachment wounds, and the overwhelming grief that comes from invisible disabilities and complex PTSD. Thank you to liquid-iv.com for sponsoring mental health content! USE THE PROMO CODE KATI For 20% OFF! Audience questions for Ask Kati Anything ep. 268 1. I'd like to hear what you have to say about living without hope. My therapist and I have been... 00:01:18 2. Hey Kati, I’m a 25F with ASD. I have been abused by over 50 people (after reaching 50 I stopped counting) in almost every way imaginable, even by people who were supposed to love and/or protect me, even by therapists and teachers, from when I was 4 years old until recently. I don’t even really know what the word “safe” means. I have helped or held space for many people dealing with pain and grief, but I never learned how to receive help for myself. I was shamed and physically punished by my parents for even the smallest acts of self-care, self-soothing or my ASD symptoms themselves... 00:09:27 3. How do I get past the fact that therapy itself requires an imbalance of intimacy and sharing and just overall is not an organic give and take relationship? 00:18:07 4. How to stop obsessing over the world we live in….and how scary it’s becoming for our children. 00:25:12 5. I feel like I have nothing exciting to look forward to. This has been ongoing for years. 00:29:38 6. How can you cope with re traumatisation when you can't get out of the situation? 00:33:49 7. Is it possible for untreated mental illness to be traumatizing? I think I had a period of depression for a few months when I was 12-13ish, but I never told anyone and would always say I was fine when asked. I was functional enough to shower, eat, do school... 00:33:49 My new book is available for pre-order: Why Do I Keep Doing This? → https://geni.us/XoyLSQ If you’ve ever felt stuck, this book is for you. I’d be so grateful for your support. ONLINE THERAPY (enjoy 10% off your first month) While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/kati PARTNERSHIPS Nick Freeman | nick@biglittlemedia.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices