Ask Kati Anything

This week Kati discusses attachment to our therapist. Why it can happen, what triggers the attachment and what we can do to better handle it. She also talks about suicidal ideation, and why it can sometimes be done to get more attention. Then Kati explains what the ethical implications are when we find out our therapist is seeing our significant other, and what visualizations can mean for our trauma response. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Xoxo Ask Kati Anything ep. 174 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Join Kati in her powerful new Online Workshop all about ATTACHMENT ⁠⁠⁠here Audience questions: 1. I've been in therapy for the last 3 years and I've made some small improvements in myself but there's something I still struggle with and I'm a bit confused. I'm super attached to my therapist, with a big fear of abandonment... 2. I have a question about suicidal ideation. Recently I've been having thoughts that I want to attempt suicide, even though I don't want to actually succeed. I don't understand these thoughts because... 3. Hi Kati, my therapist is mint. I’ve been seeing her for two years but I’ve recently found out that the girl I’m dating also sees her for weekly sessions! 4. A few weeks ago in an AKA episode, you said “our brain doesn’t know the difference between us visualizing it and it really happening” when talking about ways to combat stage fright. I may be taking this out of context but I have a lot of repressed memories... 5. I struggle with dissociation (specifically chronic derealisation) and I’m not sure my therapist knows what this is. When I told her about it she just became obsessed with ‘parts work’ but I don’t have DID, I just feel really spacey. 6. In an old episode and there was a question which mentioned “acting out” a body memory or flashback. The actual question was about something else but I’ve had a similar experience... 7. I am currently in therapy and my therapist whenever I bring something difficult up asks me what it makes me feel and my emotions linked to it and I just don’t know, it’s like I go numb... 8. Can a person have a very low self-esteem and at the same time look down on other people and criticize them? 9. Why might I be having the urge to cut, even though I hate my scars and don't know that deep down I don't want to do it anymore? Timestamps created by: @natalieedelstein Q1 0:37 Q2 18:36 Q3 31:27 Q4 33:57 Q5 45:04 Q6 54:23 Q7 57:19 Q8 1:01:28 Q9 1:03:55 KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Kati in her powerful new Online Workshop all about ATTACHMENT ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ This week licensed therapist Kati Morton dives into the reasons it could be hard for us to do the things that are really important to us, and why starting new things can be so difficult. She also dives into why having so much insight into the “whys” behind our behavior can help therapy move along more quickly, but doesn’t mean that we are necessarily doing better. She then walks us through how we can choose what we should work on first in therapy, and how to overcome our emetophobia. She also explains what a disorganized attachment is and the various causes, why we can feel like there’s always a wall between us and those we love, and so much more! Ask Kati Anything ep 173 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. It is so hard for me to do the things that are really important to me. I have ADHD and anxiety, and I get so much anxiety even if I... 0:55 2. A lot of the time, during sessions with my therapist, I will say things like: "I'm restricting my eating. I know it's because I want to feel like I have control over 14:24 3. How do I choose the most important/ urgent issue to work on in therapy? Whenever I start going through one issue with my therapist I start to think about all the others and that maybe we should be working on something else. That's often... 27:20 4. I have crippling emetophobia (fear of vomit) and it is literally ruining my life, help. I suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD from abuse, but I also have this crippling fear which is so damn embarrassing... 37:05 5. Could you talk a bit more about disorganized attachment? Does it always root from abuse and fear of your caregiver? 45:53 6. I’ve been feeling like there is a wall between me and others for my whole life, like I am a ghost and nobody can hear me or speak to me and now when I am a teenager, I feel this more than ever... 51:47 7. Do you think clients have a responsibility when it comes to flashbacks? My last therapist told me that I needed to practice self control and use grounding techniques in session. If I had a flashback in session she would end the session when I came back and cancel the next session so... 55:30 8. Do you have some tips for when you're overwhelmed, and it feels like using coping skills are making things worse? I had some very busy weeks, and I need some rest. But my body and mind are still in 'action!'-mode. 'Just doing nothing' is so hard... 1:03:48 KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks about shame, and how to pull ourselves out of the spiral. She addressed how it can present itself in our anxious thoughts, PTSD symptoms, and also in our depression. She offers insights into ways we can receive therapy if we are battling financial insecurity, and how to do the basic things when we are deep in a depressive episode. She also talks about negative self-talk and why people think it can be motivating, as well as why we have to heal ourselves but also need other people to support us. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Join Kati in her powerful new LIVE Online Workshop on ATTACHMENT - JULY 21st & 28th https://katimorton.com/the-shop Can't make it to the LIVE event? Pre-order your recorded version here Ask Kati Anything ep 172 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFTAudience questions: 1. Why do I constantly feel ashamed of myself or my actions? 2. How does one persist in therapy if they are battling financial insecurity and sometimes poverty? 3. It is often advised that we should fulfill our own needs, so our happiness doesn't depend on other people. But why do we live in a society, among 8 billion people, if we can do everything for ourselves? 4. I was wondering if you could talk about doing the basic stuff when you are in a depressed period… Honestly, it feels like I have been in a constant depressed state for the last 3 and a half years. It embarrasses me so much that I really struggle to shower, do my laundry, brush my teeth and wash my dishes. People don’t know that I... 5. I’ve watched for 9 years! but never asked a question before 😇😂 thank you for all that you do! Especially as a MH professional that is open and honest about her own struggles (gives us in the next gen hope that we too can work in the field irrespective of past problems)... 6. I know that I have negative self-talk but I feel like it motivates me so I am afraid to be nice to myself. I fear that if I stop then I will get nothing accomplished. I feel like my negative self-talk motivates me to be better and try harder. I am afraid if I try to stop or even use bridge statements... 7. How do you overcome a fear of physical intimacy? I spent all my life single as I was working hard to get out of challenges life was throwing at me. I finally finished graduate school and got a job, and then found someone. Every time he... 8. How can I get my husband to stop talking negatively about my family? It is hard because I get offended sometimes by the stuff he says, even though most of it is true. It just bothers me. He doesn't really like my parents or my siblings. I know they've all made some strange decisions and have personality quirks that are hard to deal with. I agree with him on a lot of his criticisms, but... KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton discusses the pluses and minuses of doing intense research about therapy and the process. She also talks about suicide risk and what is considered low, medium, and high risk. She digs into what constitutes eating disorder behavior and her thoughts on using cannabis before therapy. This and so much more in this week’s episode! ATTACHMENT WORKSHOP - We will be exploring the way attachment to our primary caregivers affected us and how it may still be impacting us today. DETAILS: I will be hosting a LIVE workshop on July 21st & July 28th (session 2). Can't make the LIVE Workshop? we are offering a recorded version as well. Got to https://katimorton.com/the-shop to choose the right one for you. If you attend the LIVE workshop, you will have access to the recorded version once it is ready. Ask Kati Anything ep. 170 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. Is it normal for clients to do a lot (and I mean A LOT) of research about therapy? Like the modalities, assessment process, what specifically therapists are trained on etc. I feel like by looking into every single detail I can think of, I know all the therapist's “secrets” and... 1:00 2. Would you be considered low, medium or high risk if you have thoughts, plans and means, but no intent? Or if you had plans and means but no thought or intent? 12:04 3. I struggle with SA in the past from an older sibling when I was 5. I’ve struggled with it my whole life and I tried to go to therapy in high school because I developed anxiety and depression, but I stopped going because I wasn’t ready to deal with it. I am 24... 21:53 4. I’m a full time college student getting my BA in Psychology, married, and living my life the best as I can. I’m diagnosed with CPTSD and generalized anxiety disorder. I am California Sober. I don’t drink or do drugs and my caffeine intake is very low but I do partake in cannabis daily... 36:00 5. I have ASD and depression. I struggle a lot with identifying my own emotions. Nevertheless, I know that there are some very intense and painful emotions buried... 40:07 6. What are the consequences of growing up in an unsafe environment with a narcissistic parent? Is it ever possible to heal completely or will those wounds stay forever even after therapy? 52:29 7. I have a past of sexual trauma/assault that I had repressed since it happened and have started working through it for the first time in therapy this year. I know that my response to that experience was freezing/fawning and I completely dissociated from... 1:05:00 8. I don't know what to call it, maybe transference?? Here is what is happening. I worry about you when a regular video, AKA or OTDM is late or there is not one that week. I worry that something is wrong or you are hurt. When you do the raw videos I worry that you are going to say... 1:12:59 9. How do you know if parental divorce has caused any trauma in someone? 1:19:20 KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks about the freeze state when making decisions. She explains why this can happen and what we can do to move through it. She also discusses PTSD and why we have the urge to minimize it or even struggle to call what happened trauma. She then digs into when it’s time to end therapy and the red flags we should look out for. She also talks about our fear of doing something wrong and its link to trauma and hypervigilance. Kati explains why we can feel the pull towards relationships with people we know are unavailable or unable to give us what you know you deserve. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep.169 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: Audience questions: 1. Could you give some strategies for when you go into the freeze state when you have to make decisions? I do this often and sometimes the decisions are simple... 00:31 2. I was recently diagnosed with PTSD. I can't shake the feeling that the abuse I have experienced isn't bad enough to cause PTSD, that I'm weak for reacting this way. It’s hard for me to even call it abuse... 14:18 3. How do you know it’s time to end therapy? I’ve been working with my therapist for a few years now but it feels kinda stagnant at the moment. Is this a sign I need to find a new therapist, end therapy completely or talk with them about... 28:23 4. Can being afraid of doing something wrong be related to trauma? I am so afraid - especially in relationships that mean a lot to me - to do something wrong. And there is a big fear in me of being... 39:52 5. Growing up, it was really hard to talk to my mom about my feelings. She was always stressed and worried about a lot of things. She was also very overprotective. Now I’m 31, and 2 years ago my mom retired, so... 50:52 6. Are there specific ways touch should be approached in therapy? For example someone asked a question about touch in social situations a few weeks ago and you suggested it could be practiced in therapy. But... 1:01:25 7. How might you explain the pull towards relationships with people you know are unavailable or unable to give you what you know you deserve? I have a past of sexual trauma/assault that I know is related, but as I’ve continued to work through this... 1:04:28 8. how might you explain the pull towards relationships with people you know are unavailable or unable to give you what you know you deserve? I have a past of... 1:07:45 KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton explains why we can strive for attachment with a figure in our life that we thought was kind and good to us. She also talks about the reason we can have an aversion for people who are the same gender as our abuser. She then discusses why we can be so angry with ourselves, yet forgive people for doing worse things. Kati then talks about stage fright and how to deal with it as well as the differences between being lazy, depressed, and burned out. This and so much more in this week’s episode.I'm hosting a LIVE Healthy Attachment Workshop in July - Find out more details here: https://www.katimorton.com/attachment Tickets will sell out. Reserve your spot today! Ask Kati Anything ep. 168 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I tend to attach to women teachers, psychologists, doctors (my aunts as well), etc. it always happens when there is even the slightest sign of care or interest in me. It has been happening since I can remember and I don’t understand why. I have both parents and even though... 2. Can you give any advice about being angry at oneself? Lately, I feel angry because, during the past few years, I pressed me too much and neglected my needs. Now I feel that I have wasted too much time and this makes me aggressive towards my... 3. Any tips to help musicians who suffer from stage fright? 4. I hope you’re well! (I asked that question before, but it didn’t get answered so I thought I would just ask it again.) I watched your video "Am I Lazy, Depressed, or Burnt Out?". I know that I’ve always been a lazy person (at least as long as I remember), but I think I’m probably also depressed... 5. At age 14 I found proana sites online and that triggered me to start restricting, as I hated my body then. Over the past 11 years I have gone through phases of restricting, followed by phases of normal eating... 6. Can overeating come from missing life? So that you try to fill a void with food... but actually it is a void of immaterial things you are craving for? Such as healthiness, friendships, lightheartedness, happiness, time, hope,... 7. My sister emotionally abused me and when this came up in therapy with my new therapist she wants me to understand why my sister did it. This feels very invalidating and I feel like my new therapist isn't allowing me to feel my anger towards my sister... 8. Can somatic experiencing work for someone with dissociation? My therapist wants to try somatic therapy and I was/am open to it but I have doubts about knowing how my body feels. I mean, half the time, I can barely feel my body! KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Licensed Therapist, Kati Morton, LMFT explains why depression can cause us to feel empty inside, and like we are a burden to everyone around us. She also digs into why COCSA can feel so complicated to process because they were kids too, and it can feel wrong to blame them for the abuse. Kati then explains a therapist's perspective around bridging up new information in each therapy session and feeling like we are just doing it for attention. She also discusses a professional crying in session and that our reaction to it is the most important piece of information. This and so much more this week!! All that and much more in this week’s episode of Ask Kati Anything! Ask Kati Anything ep. 167 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: I've experienced emotional neglect and physical abuse from my parents and family members. I struggle with depression and anxiety right now. Even when I feel quite alright I feel emptiness inside... I was sexually abused by my brother who is 5 years older than me from ages 5-9. I originally went to therapy in an attempt to heal from this trauma but I've pretty much just avoided the subject entirely and focused on... What do you, as a therapist, think if a patient is bringing up completely new information? As a patient/client, I feel very uncomfortable after a therapy session in which I said (again!) new things... My question is about providers crying in session. I was having a bit of a crisis last week, and while explaining the situation & my feelings about it to my dietitian, she started crying. At first, I was so surprised by it that I thought she was... You have talked about how important boundaries are in therapy especially with clients with BPD. Does this mean that your boundaries shift when it comes to clients with BPD? Also, you have mentioned that when a client asks for a hug... Can you tell more about journaling? How do you use it? How do you recommend your clients to use it? It's helpful to me a lot when I feel anxious, getting rid of all thoughts helps. But when it comes to processing different thoughts, beliefs or feelings I feel like I intellectualize... As a child I was totally spoiled and my parents didn't seem to trust in my capabilities to cope with age-appropriate things on my own, due to me having been born way too early. I was emotionally nurtured, maybe even too much... Recently I've been hearing a lot about AI, Chat gpt and all that. I'm curious to hear your take on this subject. Personally I do use chat GPT sometimes, but I don't see it as a therapist or a replacement for one. To me it's more like a journal that talks back... KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Licensed Therapist, Kati Morton, LMFT explains why we can forget everything the second we step into our therapy sessions, and what could help us remember what we wanted to say. She also discusses real ways to combat those suicidal thoughts and why depression and suicidality are not always related. Next, Kati talks about the ways we can work to repair our relationships that could have been damaged due to our mental illness, and why a suicide attempt can be a traumatic experience. She also talks about flashbacks and how they can be felt in the body, flashes of memory that we see, smell, or even taste, and we can even have emotional flashbacks. This and so much more this week!! All that and much more in this week’s episode of Ask Kati Anything! Ask Kati Anything ep.166 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions Why is it that my mind goes blank during therapy sessions? Before and after I have a lot of thoughts wandering through my mind, but once I’m in therapy they are all gone... I don’t see the point of living. I really don’t understand why people want to live and especially why people bring kids into this awful world. I don’t see the point of living and I’ve felt this way since I was a teenager... I struggle a lot with guilt and shame due to what I put my family through due to my mental illness. (ie the worry the had, the suicide attempts etc.) I feel like a horrible person due to... My question is about flashbacks. I really didn’t want to write this but I feel a bit stuck. I think I’ve been having flashbacks but I’m too scared to tell my therapist. It feels sooo dramatic... How do you get out of dissociation, when it is always there? Hey Kati and happy Thursday. I have derealization and depersonalization since 2018 and it NEVER goes away. How can I love and respect my body? I was physically punished as a child, and sexually abused by my husband. I can't find the connection to my body... My daughter (9) struggles with emotion regulation. She fidgets a lot when she's angry, nervous or anxious. She's super sensitive e.g. to certain smells and clothing... I have a question regarding childhood sexual abuse. I am in the process of trying to tell my counselor the details of what happened but for some reason I feel like I'm not telling the truth... I’ve been in therapy for a few months now for an eating disorder, focusing specifically on my compulsive exercise. I know that exposure therapy is the only way to get used to the feeling of not exercising... KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ...MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton  & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks us through the various causes of dissociation, and child on child sexual abuse. She also explains what natural curiosity is versus something caused by abuse. Next, Kati discusses why we can struggle to see how bad our depression or anxiety has gotten, and why that can impede us getting the help we need. She also offers ways to heal when our “safe person” turns out to be hurtful, and how we can combat our urge to focus on the negative things going on in our world. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 165 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT AUDIENCE QUESTIONS 1. I have a question about dissociation. Does it have to be caused by trauma or are there other things that can cause dissociation? 2. This is something I have never spoken about as I'm so embarrassed. When I was a child (6-8ish), my male friend and I (same age and both consensual, I'm female) would try to have "sex" at sleepovers. It also continued with another female friend. If anyone else said this I'd be very curious about sexual abuse, however that didn't happen to me.... 3. I've been in this weird headspace lately where I'm really confused and frustrated about how I actually feel. My therapist recently suggested I try medication for my depression and anxiety since things haven't really been improving but... 4. How do you cope with finding out that your “safe people” growing up weren’t so safe after all? I experienced a little bit of abuse as a kid (sexual, physical, and emotional). Possibly as a result, I... 5. I try putting this into the right words. This world is a shit show. Most people are selfish, manipulative, mean...I think you get the picture. Most of the time it's really hard living in this world. I often feel like... 6. Can you talk about internal family systems and how all the parts, exiles and other things work? I’m in trauma therapy and have CPTSD, EMDR & IFS has been so helpful but... 7. I wonder what type of questions I’m allowed to ask my therapist? She’s very professional and sometimes when I ask her if she’s... 8. How can I best work with my therapist to reduce the extreme amount of rejection I feel at the end of each session? I think it started off as separation anxiety, but it has developed into a feeling of severe... 9. I was wondering, have you ever had a client lie to you & how did you deal with it? I have noticed myself lying to my therapist often and I want to stop. Any tips on how to do that thanks for all that you do. https://tce.researchinpractice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/children_and_young_people_with_harmful_sexual_behaviours_research_review_2014.pdf DISSOCIATION PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_loxoCVsWqy8NqveX22SsMKlW5601YvQ Here are some resources that can help: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 The Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 The Jed Foundation: https://www.jedfoundation.org/ The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/ If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Kati explains why self harming can actually make us feel better and she even dives into the reasons we can keep coming back to it. She also talks about anxiety and if it will ever go away or if it’s something we have to live with for the rest of our lives. She then discusses physical touch and why some of us might be uncomfortable with it, and she offers ways to overcome it and how to talk with those we love about it. She also gets into some of the ramifications of childhood sexual abuse and neglect, and how we can work through that as well. This and so much more in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 164 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. Can you explain why self harm, in my case cutting, results in me feeling really calm (I suffer with depression and anxiety), and even thinking about doing it calms me down... 2. Will my anxiety ever really go away? I have learned to push through so much of my anxiety using different coping skills I learned in therapy. But... 3. After years of neglect as a kid, I've never learned about physical touch. I don't remember being hugged and such. So now, what seems intuitive for most people feels so confusing... 4. I’m wondering how I can honor and validate my boyfriend's feelings even when they trigger me. I grew up in an emotionally neglectful/abusive environment where I... 5. In one of your episodes you talked about some of your colleagues being judgmental about how you paced yourself getting your credit hours in school and wondering why... 6. Hi Kati. I have asked this question so many times. I really want your advice. I have had anorexia since I was 13, I'm now 40. I have a 7 year old daughter. I never want to have her go through this too and I want to know how I should talk to her about this because, even though she hasn't asked yet, she has seen some ED behaviors before from me and... 7. Is it normal for a child (pre-pubescent) to masturbate while thinking about being punished, or is this related to sexual trauma? I have a history of verbal and emotional abuse and neglect, but... 8. How can you tell if your mum was and still is emotionally neglectful and or abusive? I have watched your videos about childhood emotional neglect extensively... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theres-scientific-reason-why-self-harm-makes-some-people-feel-better-180953062/ Here are some resources that can help: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 The Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 The Jed Foundation: https://www.jedfoundation.org/ The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/ If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 KATI'S BOOKS (in stores now) Traumatized   https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok?    http://bit.ly/2s0mULy MORE YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@katimorton & https://www.youtube.com/@OTDM Amazon Suggestions https://www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton Online Therapy  I do not currently offer online therapy.  My sponsor BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online counselor, please visit: https://betterhelp.com/kati Patreon https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Business Contact   Linnea Toney  linnea@underscoretalent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices