{"id":36431,"date":"2017-11-27T06:00:28","date_gmt":"2017-11-27T14:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=36431"},"modified":"2017-11-21T16:49:19","modified_gmt":"2017-11-22T00:49:19","slug":"youtube-and-mental-health-an-interview-with-kati-morton-lmft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/youtube-mental-health-interview-with-kati-morton-lmft-1127177","title":{"rendered":"YouTube and Mental Health: An Interview with Kati Morton, LMFT"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kati<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the past half decade, Kati Morton, LMFT has used social media to discuss mental health-related subjects with viewers from throughout the world. Eating issues<\/a> and\u00a0self-harm<\/a> are often the primary focus, but her conversations cover a wide range of mental health topics.<\/p>\n

Kati received her master\u2019s in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. She is also a certified dialectical and behavioral therapist and grief counselor, member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and continuing education presenter at GoodTherapy.org. In her upcoming web conference, Self-Injury: Assessment, Comorbidity, and Treatment<\/a>, Kati will discuss the stigma<\/a> surrounding mental health and self-harm.<\/p>\n

On YouTube, Kati is known for her channel<\/a>, which has over 220,000 subscribers. Kati has also gained followers on Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and her website<\/a>. She has been featured in Glamour UK<\/em> and appeared on the HLN\/CNN show Dr. Drew On Call<\/em>. In addition, Kati was a Shorty Award finalist in 2016 and nominated for the 2016 Streamy Awards.<\/p>\n

By bringing awareness to mental health issues<\/a>, Kati hopes to separate stigma from seeking therapy and promote better mental health services worldwide. In an exclusive interview with GoodTherapy.org, Kati discusses her global online community and shares her thoughts on how to make mental health more relatable and accessible.<\/p>\n

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What led you to start your YouTube channel, and can you describe how that process went for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was actually my husband who wanted to start it. Because he does film production for a living, he\u2019d gone to a conference in a convention where he was filming, and they talked about YouTube, and he was obviously listening as he was filming. He came home and was like, \u201cYou always talk about how people don\u2019t understand what you do\u2014we should tell people on YouTube. I\u2019ll help you film, let\u2019s put it out there.\u201d And I was like, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t want to be on camera.\u201d Then a few months later I was like, \u201cOkay, let\u2019s just give it a try with a couple of videos.\u201d And that\u2019s how it started.<\/p>\n

What inspired you to center some of your discussion on the topics of eating issues and self-harm?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s what I know best, you know? My first internship was with an eating disorder treatment center<\/a>, inpatient, and it wasn\u2019t something I thought I would want to work in. I had some close friends in high school go through eating disorder struggles. But I found it to be so rewarding, and for people who don\u2019t know, there\u2019s a huge comorbidity<\/a> between eating disorders and self-injury. A lot of times, people will swap one out for the other or struggle with both simultaneously. I just started because it was one of the jobs I got, and it\u2019s tough work but so worth it.<\/p>\n

How did your experiences in inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities influence your life and career path?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Career path-wise, that\u2019s what I specialize in. I decided to continue working in that realm. I think as a whole, if you decide to specialize, it changes the trajectory of your career in many ways. I think working in an inpatient ward, hospitals, as well as actual treatment centers really made me want to continue. And seeing when people are at their lowest point, that\u2019s the highest level of care, and knowing it can get better from there gave me hope to do it on an outpatient basis. I worked at IOPs [intensive outpatient programs] and PHPs [partial hospitalization programs] as well, and seeing people work through it gave me hope for not only myself but for others. And it\u2019s always kept me going.<\/p>\n

How has your approach to creating content evolved as your online and social media presence continues growing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a couple of main things. Obviously, not everybody\u2019s comfortable on camera. So the first videos are super awkward and uncomfortable, and you can definitely see, as I get more used to being in front of the camera, more personality, versus me being very clinical and dry and awkward. Also, I\u2019m more casual in general. I found as the channel grew, people had more questions about what therapists think, which I always find to be interesting. I\u2019m in therapy myself, and there are some times when I\u2019m like, \u201cI wonder if she just thinks I\u2019m totally crazy, that I think that or I wonder about that.\u201d Because it\u2019s the human condition. We seek connectivity and understanding, and it goes both ways.<\/p>\n

And also, something I\u2019ve shifted over the years is I\u2019m not able to answer every question or comment. But when I started, I was able to do it. I think it was after the first year I remember telling my husband, \u201cI can\u2019t do this. I\u2019m totally burnt.\u201d I think it\u2019s finding what works and how it\u2019s sustainable for me. And content creation has shifted as to what people ask for, because it\u2019s all community-based.<\/p>\n

How have your successes affected your private practice? Do the people you see in therapy react to your status as a public figure?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve only had it a couple of times. I\u2019m very leery of taking any viewers on as patients. So right now, I only take new patients in from my referral sources, like a psychiatrist I\u2019ve worked through for years and other clinics that I already know. I did have [one] client. He had taken a break, and I already had my channel but it was only a year or two old, so when he came back for a few months, he was like, \u201cCongratulations, you\u2019re famous and stuff!\u201d And I said, \u201cOh, does that bother you?\u201d or \u201cWhat are your thoughts on that?\u201d And he was like, \u201cNo, that\u2019s awesome, that\u2019s cool! It\u2019s a great resource. I watched your video about GAD<\/a> [generalized anxiety] and I found it super helpful.\u201d And I was like, \u201cOh, okay, cool.\u201d And that\u2019s about it. I do utilize it sometimes, especially for psychoeducation<\/a>. If they have a new diagnosis and we\u2019ve talked about it, I\u2019ll say, \u201cYou can watch this video if you want to know more.\u201d<\/p>\n

What role do you want your content and videos to play in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues and seeking therapy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I do get some pushback from the therapy world, from other therapists who are like, \u201cYou should take this more seriously.\u201d And no offense to them, but I think that\u2019s the old way of thinking. I think being a therapist and making it more approachable only does good. Just like anybody, I\u2019m not going to be the person everybody likes, and that\u2019s fine. So my main goal is to make it accessible so it\u2019s not so scary. I think the stigma lingers because of fear<\/a>, as well as ignorance. So by educating and making it more relatable and approachable, hopefully [like] I told my husband, \u201cIf even one person decides to get help because of this, it\u2019s all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I always encourage my audience to share in the comments, because that also empowers people to reach out and reminds people we\u2019re all suffering from the human condition. We all have issues from time to time, and that\u2019s not a bad thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you think the prevalence of the internet has impacted our ability to understand and process our own mental health and mental health issues?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s got positives and negatives, like anything. I think when it comes to the online world, the anonymity there is really powerful for people. People are able to talk about things they might not be able to face to face online because it\u2019s a little safer. If I\u2019m Trixiegirl57, I can tell you that I struggled with suicidal<\/a> thoughts when I was a teen and not feel vulnerable [as] me\u00a0telling you face to face.<\/p>\n

I also think the ability to disseminate information is really powerful. Even in the video content I create, I always encourage my audience to share in the comments, because that also empowers people to reach out and reminds people we\u2019re all suffering from the human condition. We all have issues from time to time, and that\u2019s not a bad thing. So overall, the internet and online resources have only made things more accessible.<\/p>\n

Some use the internet to express volatility and negativity. How do you maintain the online community you\u2019ve developed as a safe place for healing and growth?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the way I communicate it to them. I don\u2019t know when I freed myself from approving all comments. I used to [have] long lists of words that aren\u2019t approved. I\u2019ve always approved everything, and because I did that, it kept [the words] out and I would let them know that\u2019s why. I was like, \u201cDon\u2019t think this happened by accident, I put a lot of effort into this and you should too.\u201d And so part of it is, instead of it being just me, it\u2019s a whole community. When I decided to let that go, I asked people in the community, “Who wants to be moderators?\u201d And people automatically signed up. It\u2019s like co-ownership over the community. Because overall, everyone is going to want it to be a safe and nice place. If you give them the option and you empower them, they\u2019ll do a good job.<\/p>\n

Mental Health America\u2019s State of Mental Health Report 2018<\/em> was recently released. It included data indicating that rates of severe youth depression have increased over a five-year period and that 1.5 million youth experiencing major depression did not receive any mental health treatment. As a society, what can we do to combat these trends?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Talk about it. I speak at schools, and I\u2019ve been trying to get someone to help me with it. So I heard back from an agency, and they said, \u201cYou know there\u2019s no money in mental health, people don\u2019t really want to hear about it.\u201d And I mean, thanks for your candor. But I think that\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n

The more we talk about it and tell children and people of any age that it\u2019s normal to have a hard time and to have these ebbs and flows, this is when you need to talk to someone. That\u2019s just basic knowledge people should have and we don\u2019t teach that in schools. We don\u2019t talk to kids about mental health. I feel like there are certain things we should teach kids, and the more we talk about it, the less we\u2019ll see those numbers because they\u2019re more apt to talk to someone or reach out if they know it\u2019s okay and that there are resources. I get a ton of comments asking, \u201cHow do I know if I have a school counselor<\/a>?\u201d I\u2019m like, “How do you not know? Somebody should have told you!”<\/p>\n

I think that some of that is on us as adults, to change the way that we educate and talk about it. Even if you don\u2019t have all the answers, it\u2019s still okay to tell a child or a teenager, \u201cIt\u2019s okay to talk about it. I don\u2019t know what necessarily this means, but we can find someone who does. And that\u2019s okay too.\u201d Shutting down or telling them it\u2019s not a big deal is the wrong thing, and a lot of parents don\u2019t know how to handle it. And there\u2019s more pressure on kids. I mean just having social media, can you imagine? Having social media when you\u2019re a teenager? Holy moly.<\/p>\n

You have shared that seeking therapy for yourself is an important part of your self-care regimen. How would you describe the importance of therapy to someone who is considering it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seeking therapy<\/a> for myself has been a huge part of taking care<\/a>\u00a0of myself, and I honestly believe all therapists should. You need to know what it\u2019s like to be on the other side of it. [With] the therapeutic relationship<\/a>, it\u2019s almost like the way people describe knowing you want to date or marry someone. It sounds so clich\u00e9, but therapy is the same. I always tell people, you need to know you like them enough to tell them some big things at some point. And you feel like they\u2019re on your team and they really hear you. It\u2019s going to be different for everyone. I know it\u2019s not always going to be perfect, and your therapist can push you a little harder than you want sometimes, but that\u2019s part of their job. And trust your gut. Usually, you know right away.<\/p>\n

What is your advice for therapists and mental health advocates who aspire to create content but are having difficulty starting out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a lot of work, I understand. My advice is always the same: just do it. You can hem and haw and try to put together the perfect video, but that doesn\u2019t exist because you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing yet. You\u2019re learning. I think people worry, especially in therapy, \u201cWhat if a potential patient sees it and doesn\u2019t like it?\u201d Well, that means they\u2019re probably not going to be a good fit for you anyway. Just do things that are true to who you are and what you want to represent, and you\u2019re going to be fine. There are always going to be more questions to ask yourself and wonder and worry about. But the sooner you start going after things that you want, the sooner they\u2019re yours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an exclusive interview with GoodTherapy.org, YouTuber and LMFT Kati Morton discusses social media, online communities, and removing stigma from seeking help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3094,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542,529,598],"tags":[998,735,924,637,681],"class_list":["post-36431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-good-therapy-announcements","category-interviews","tag-awareness","tag-education","tag-mental-health","tag-social-media","tag-stigma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3094"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36431\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}