
Hosted by Kati Morton, LMFT · EN

Today, we are diving deep into the complexities of trauma, connection, and the healing journey. If you’ve ever felt like your therapy progress is backsliding or that you’re becoming more overwhelmed as you open old wounds, this episode is for you. Shopping with our sponsors allows us to continue bringing you these important conversations about mental health. Please check out this week's special offers: • Hungryroot - Get 40% off your first box at https://www.hungryroot.com/kati • Hers - Start your personalized journey at https://www.forhers.com/kati 00:45 – The Therapy Balance: Why a therapist shouldn't work harder than the patient to maintain a healthy therapeutic space. 03:55 – Therapist Self-Disclosure: When it is ethical for a therapist to share personal information to benefit the patient. 05:30 – Why Healing Feels Worse: Understanding why trauma processing can lead to a temporary increase in symptoms. 11:01 – Building Coping Skills: How to use coping tools and impulse logs to manage the discomfort of change. 15:24 – Therapist Self-Care: Kati shares how she separates her personal and professional life to avoid burnout. 22:05 – Trauma and Disconnection: Why survivors may feel alienated and how finding relatability can break emotional numbness. 32:13 – Empathic Boundaries: How to stop absorbing other people's emotions while still offering support. 39:54 – Parents and Boundaries: What to do when parents ignore boundaries and why a boundary is about your own actions. 42:07 – Love vs. Limerence: The difference between slow-built intimacy and intense, involuntary obsession. 46:50 – Neurodivergent Marriage: Advice for couples with complex PTSD on discussing triggers and expectations before marriageWhether you are struggling with complex PTSD, navigating a new marriage while neurodivergent, or trying to set boundaries with difficult parents, we’re covering it all today. MY BOOKS Why Do I Keep Doing This? 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 Disclaimer: The information provided in this video is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problem or disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. Viewing this content does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Ask Kati Anything ep. 297 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you are dealing with childhood trauma and shame, navigating the grief of life transitions after graduation, or learning to trust your instincts after years of self-betrayal, this episode provides practical therapeutic insights for your healing journey. Join us as we explore how to set healthy boundaries, overcome loneliness, and stop the cycle of self-abandonment to build a more authentic relationship with yourself. Kati also discusses the heavy burden of caregiver burnout, the physiological necessity of sleep for mental health, and how to support those struggling with suicidal ideation. In this episode of Ask Kati Anything, licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton answers listener questions and takes a deep dive into the true meaning of forgiveness and how it serves as a tool for personal liberation rather than condoning hurtful behavior. Support the show! Check out our sponsors and exclusive deals: Hero Bread - get 10% off your order when you visit http://hero.co and use promo code KATI at checkout.• OneSkin - skin health products powered by the OS-01 peptide - get up to 30% off OneSkin with the code KATI at https://www.oneskin.co/KATI Timestamps 00:57 - Q1: How can I forgive people who have hurt me deeply? 04:47 - Q2: How do we keep going when we’re exhausted (Caregiver burnout & sleep)? 10:04 - Q3: Suicide prevention: How to help and what society can do. 13:22 - Q4: How to open up about trauma without feeling shame. 17:34 - Q5: Dealing with regret and unemployment after quitting a job. MY BOOKS Why Do I Keep Doing This? https://geni.us/XoyLSQ Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? https://geni.us/sva4iUY 22:30 - Q6: How to trust yourself and manage triggers. 24:06 - Q6 (Continued): Setting boundaries vs. overreacting. 31:12 - Q7: Moving on and finding routine after graduating high school. 43:06 - Q8: How to trust yourself again after years of self-betrayal. 54:07 - Q9: Navigating loneliness and outgrowing old friendships. Ask Kati Anything ep. 296 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT 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 Disclaimer: The information provided in this video is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problem or disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. Viewing this content does not establish a therapist-client relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week licensed therapist Kati Morton talks about overcoming a severe depressive episode and suicide attempt. She discusses OCD and fears of being a parent, and even dives into whether or not it’s sometimes helpful to just ignore symptoms of PTSD and abuse. She also explains why we can want to recover from an eating disorder and still struggle with it. This and so many other topics in this week’s episode! Ask Kati Anything ep. 149 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT Audience questions: 1. I am recovering from a severe depressive episode where I attempted to commit suicide many times. My question is: What happens next? 2. I have OCD and I am terrified of becoming a parent. I imagine that I will be super hard on myself trying to parent “the right way,” and the fact that there are no clear-cut answers to everything will drive me crazy. There are so many disagreements out there about parenting and so much judgment... 3. Something at work regarding sexual abuse brought up memories that I’d always known were there but never thought they’d had an impact on me. I’m now realizing it’s probably had more of an impact that I thought and... 4. My question revolves around sexuality. I strongly resonate with the term "asexual", yet for some reason also long for a relationship. My therapist said that I might not be asexual, but simply feel this way due to fear coming from my past and c-ptsd… 5. I feel like 2023 should or could be the year I finish being in therapy. I will miss my therapist and especially miss having someone like her to talk to. I realize that everyone needs someone in their life that they can talk things... 6. Why can’t I recover from anorexia, even though I want to. I have almost always struggled with food restriction. From as young as I can remember, I’ve put self imposed “limits” on food intake amounts, food groups etc regardless of... 7. I'm in the process of getting diagnosed with ADHD, I'm 35. I've spent a lifetime struggling with depression and social anxiety and I'm hoping that maybe getting help for ADHD will help me with those two as well. I've read that ADHD can make it more difficult to do... 8. As a therapist, if you are seeing a client for a while and could recognise that they had been abused, would you tell the client? Let's say this client is oblivious and doesn't realize that the other person's behavior was abusive towards... Kati's Books (in stores now) Traumatized https://geni.us/Bfak0j Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy 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