Rewriting Your Family Blueprint: Hypervigilance, Weaponized Worry, and Reclaiming Your Energy with Alison Canavan

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 transformative journey through the high-pressure international modeling industry as a teenager, navigating addiction, recovering from severe burnout, and addressing systemic mental health challenges. Together, Kati and Alison pull back the curtain on generational family gaslighting and look closely at why so many of us grow up treating constant anxiety and hypervigilance as a badge of love. They unpack the toxic trap of learned compliance, look at the overlapping clinical symptoms of anxiety, ADHD, and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), and explain why passive family systems leave adults entirely blind to the process of proper conflict repair. Tune in to discover how to stop playing an active role in your own ongoing suffering, how to shift from default nervous system reactivity into a state of presence, and how to rewrite your emotional blueprint using non-judgmental awareness. Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything • Rebound - virtual treatment for PTSD. Please visit https://hellorebound.com/askkatianything • Reddit - Download the Reddit app today! More Alison Caravan! https://alisoncanavan.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 leads from automatic over-giving straight into quiet resentment, eventual blowups, and toxic guilt. But this isn’t just an emotional burden. Kati shares fascinating, decades-spanning clinical research—including the concept of "unmitigated communion," a 7-year study following 1,340 couples, and a chilling 2022 medical study linking "self-silencing" directly to physical cardiovascular risks like carotid plaque. If your body is carrying what your mouth refuses to say, it is time to break the loop. Tune in to get a clear, 4-step actionable framework to practice "deliberate under-functioning," express specific needs, and tolerate the discomfort of choosing growth over chronic exhaustion. Chapters: 00:00 - A New Format for Ask Kati Anything 02:00 - What is Over-Functioning? Community Stories 04:00 - Fawning, People-Pleasing, and the Need to Feel Safe 07:40 - Earning Love: Kati’s Personal Story with Perfectionism 11:50 - The 6 Rungs of the Over-Functioning Cycle 22:02 - Episode sponsor message: BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough - go to https://bioptimizers.com/kati and use code KATI for 15% off your entire order Plus a Free bottle of Masszymes 23:34 - Unmitigated Communion: When the Self Disappears 30:23 - The Relationship Trap: 7-Year Study of 1,340 Couples 35:36 - The Cardiovascular Cost of Self-Silencing 38:27 - Step 1: Identify Your Current Rung 40:34 - Step 2: Deliberate Under-Functioning 45:30 - Step 3: Make a Single, Specific Ask 49:15 - Step 4: Tolerate the Discomfort (Data vs. Danger) 52:43 - Next Week's Preview: Understanding Health Insurance Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it, leave your questions for next week's topic in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe! 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 | [email protected] 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

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 book When Life Happens. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, stress, and the treatment of eating disorders and obesity, and she runs a private practice in New York City. Today we talk about why your brain defaults to worst-case scenario (it's survival wiring, not a personal flaw), the one-word shift that interrupts all-or-nothing thinking, and the cognitive distortions quietly running your day. Dr. Rachel walks us through what food noise actually is and why some people genuinely don't have it, how GLP-1 medications are changing the conversation around eating disorders and obesity treatment, and what most people misunderstand about both. We get into why the body sends signals that get louder until you finally listen, why "finding balance" is setting you up to fail, and the reframe that finally helped Dr. Rachel stop cancelling on herself. We also go personal: how a clinical psychologist talks to her own kids about mistakes, what's actually in her toolbox when life feels too heavy, and the moment that changed how she thinks about self-care. If you've been doing the work, reading the books, going to therapy, and still feel like you can't get traction, this conversation gives you a place to start that doesn't require overhauling your life. Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough — Go to bioptimizers.com/kati and use code KATI for 15% off your entire order, plus a FREE bottle of MassZymes Reddit — Download the Reddit app today! Chapters (0:00) Why you keep starting over (1:30) Why she wrote this book (4:18) What a mindset shift looks like (6:00) All-or-nothing thinking (8:30) The one small thing rule (12:02) Worst-case scenario thinking (14:30) The thoughts running your day (16:13) When therapists share personal stuff (18:30) Did training prepare her for motherhood? (24:00) Working in obesity treatment (30:00) GLP-1s and food noise explained (37:20) Dance, eating disorders, the wake-up (42:30) Your body is sending signals (44:30) Managing a book launch and two kids (48:00) The Casey Neistat self-care moment (52:20) Why finding balance fails (55:00) Poker chips and resilience (58:30) What she hopes her kids learn (1:02:30) Dr. Rachel's three tools (1:04:30) Where to find Dr. Rachel Dr. Rachel's book When Life Happens is out now: whenlifehappensbook.comFind Dr. Rachel on Instagram: @drrachelnyc More from Kati YouTube: youtube.com/c/katimorton Instagram: @katimorton Kati's BooksWhy Do I Keep Doing This? geni.us/XoyLSQTraumatized geni.us/Bfak0jAre u ok? geni.us/sva4iUY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 talking. Topics in this episode include: when to stay in a relationship versus when to leave, BPD and people pleasing, complex PTSD and attachment wounds, fear of abandonment, codependency, starting therapy when you have bulimia, non-suicidal self-injury, and dissociation, grounding techniques for flashbacks, what healthy love actually looks like, why depression breakthrough symptoms make you feel empty after good experiences, shame spirals and how vulnerability snuffs shame out (Brené Brown's research), rumination, behavioral activation, recovering motivation after emotional burnout, finding yourself again after trauma, inner child work and writing letters to your younger self, and how to respond to unsolicited advice without building resentment. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:56 When to stay vs leave a relationship, attachment, BPD, complex PTSD 12:00 Starting therapy with bulimia, BPD, self-harm, and dissociation 19:00 What healthy love really looks like 25:11 Feeling empty after going out, depression breakthrough symptoms 28:39 Shame spirals, rumination, and Brené Brown on vulnerability 34:25 Lack of motivation after burnout, becoming yourself after trauma 40:56 Inner child work, writing letters to your younger self 45:21 Unsolicited advice and how to respond Submit your question: https://www.youtube.com/@Katimorton/community Follow Kati on Instagram: @katimorton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 life. From uncovering a partner's shocking double life to navigating the complexities of narcissistic family dynamics, Kati and Ginny explore how to heal from betrayal and the necessity of choosing peace over toxic loyalty.  Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything • ZocDoc - visit Zocdoc | Find a Doctor Near You | Book Doctors Online to find and instantly book a doctor you love today! https://www.zocdoc.com/KATI • Ka’Chava - Go to Ka’Chava: https://kachava.com/ and use code KATI for 15% off your first order • Reddit - Download the Reddit app today! Topics covered: The Unsubscribe Pillars: Learn how to use Block, Manage, Swap, and Mute to protect your time and energy. Healing from Betrayal: Ginny opens up about discovering her partner's systemic deception and how it became the catalyst for her life's work. Identifying Narcissistic Abuse: Understanding DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) and recognizing the signs of gaslighting. The Reality of No-Contact: A candid look at the difficult decision to go no-contact with a narcissistic parent. Living with Grief: Shifting the perspective from "moving through" grief to learning how to grow your life around it. Rebuilding Self-Trust: Why spending time with yourself (not just by yourself) is the key to fixing a "broken picker".   Ginny Priem: Book: Unsubscribe: Why Letting Go is the Secret to Getting Ahead Podcast: Unsubscribe with Ginny Priem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 perspective on the evolving role of GLP-1 medications in treating "food noise" and why reaching out for help when you’re "doing okay" is actually the best time for deep therapeutic work. Whether you’re navigating a difficult legal trigger like a parole hearing or searching for meaning in the face of depression, this episode provides grounded, empathetic tools to help you move forward. Shopping today's sponsor helps support Ask Kati Anything. ZocDoc - ⁠visit https://www.zocdoc.com/KATI⁠ to find and instantly book a doctor you love today! Key Topics Covered Autism & "Standard" Therapy: Why therapy can feel like a performance after an adult diagnosis and how to adapt your sessions. 
 The Silence of Shame: How to handle the dissociation and urge to "no-show" after disclosing childhood sexual abuse. 
 Coping Skill "Hard Stops": Recognizing when weed or restrictive eating shifts from a survival tool to a barrier in your recovery. 
 Social Cues & Connection: Practical advice for "reality testing" interactions and distinguishing between friendly and flirty behavior. 
 Maintenance vs. Crisis: Why you don't need to be "doing poorly" to benefit from therapy—and why maintenance work is more effective. 
 The Search for Meaning: Navigating depression when traditional treatments like CBT or DBT feel out of reach or ineffective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 much deeper. JoAnn shares how she white-knuckled through breastfeeding because she believed that's what a good mom does, and the single sentence from a therapist that broke the pattern. Kati talks about spending a month with her own mother and watching in real time as her self-talk mirrored thoughts her mom carried decades earlier. Together they trace how the martyrhood pattern gets passed down, why so many women lose themselves in motherhood without noticing, and what it actually takes to come back.They also cover why families that never fought produce adults who think conflict means the relationship is over, what happens when your kid leaves for college and you realize your identity went with them, the journaling practice that rewired JoAnn's thought spirals, why naming your inner critic actually helps you stop believing it, and how JoAnn found herself again through improv comedy at 44. This is the conversation for anyone who has ever heard themselves say something and thought: that wasn't me. That was my mom. Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything. Please check out this week's special offers: For a limited time our listeners are getting 20% off their entire order by using code KATI at https://cheershealth.com/ Visit http://Care.com and use code KATI for 20% off your initial subscription or a Senior Care Advisor plan Go to https://www.zocdoc.com/KATI to find and instantly book a doctor you love today Ask Kati Anything ep. 311 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT with guest: JoAnn Crone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the physical toll of trauma on your gut, this deep dive offers practical tools to help you reclaim your life. We also discuss the power of boundaries and the vital role sleep plays in regulating anxiety. Shopping with our sponsors helps support Ask Kati Anything. Please check out this week's special offers: • Magnesium promotes relaxation and more restful sleep - visit https://bioptimizers.com/kati for 15% off any order • Care.com: Get 20% off a subscription or a senior care advisor plan at https://www.care.com/ using code KATI Chapters 00:00:49 – Q1: Creating Perspective in Severe Depression A viewer struggling with autism and treatment-resistant depression asks how to find small moments to live for when every task feels like "climbing Mount Everest." 00:14:17 – Q2: Recovering Identity from Narcissistic Parents A child of divorce seeks advice on building a sense of self after growing up with a narcissistic mother and an emotionally unavailable father. 00:20:50 – Q2 Follow-up: Healing the "Parental Wound" Addressing a comment on parental isolation, Katie discusses inner child work and letting go of the idealized version of a parent. 00:26:12 – Q3: Understanding "Sticky Memories" A viewer asks if they are "mixing memories" regarding childhood abuse or if their brain is signaling something real that needs processing. 00:29:24 – Q4: What is Projective Identification? How to stop taking on other people’s intense emotions and use "inward boundaries" to protect your own mental space. 00:35:24 – Q5: Navigating a Schizoaffective Diagnosis Katie breaks down the DSM criteria for schizoaffective disorder, explaining the intersection of mood disorders and psychosis. 00:40:38 – Q6: The Connection Between Trauma and the Gut An exploration of the "gut-brain axis" and how chronic stress and high cortisol can lead to physical abdominal issues. 00:45:11 – Q7: Why Sleep is Essential for Anxiety Relief A discussion on how sleep "cleans" the brain and provides the emotional regulation needed to weather life's storms. SchizoKitzo (tiktoker mentioned in episode) https://www.tiktok.com/@schizokitzo?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Ask Kati Anything ep. 310 | Your mental health podcast, with Kati Morton, LMFT 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 | [email protected] 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. #podcast #psychology #katimorton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: Find and book top-rated doctors, therapists, or mental health providers near you in minutes https://www.zocdoc.com/kati • Go to https://kachava.com and use code KATI for 15% off your first order MY BOOKS ⁠Why Do I Keep Doing This?⁠ ⁠Traumatized⁠ ⁠Are u ok?⁠ 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 | [email protected] 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

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 notice about body language and appearance, caregiver burnout, intimacy struggles after trauma, ego death and psychedelics, DASS questionnaires, and returning depression after remission. This Week's Sponsors: Care.com — 20% off a subscription or Senior Care Advisor plan using code KATI at https://www.care.com/ Hero Bread — 10% off your order using code KATI at https://www.hero.co/ MY BOOKS Why Do I Keep Doing This? Traumatized Are u ok? 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 | [email protected] 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