You go to work. You take care of your family. You show up, you function, you get through the day. But the moment you're alone — the mask drops, and the sadness is right there waiting. Most people living with persistent, low-grade depression don't even recognize it as depression because they're still "functioning." They assume depression means you can't get out of bed, so what they're feeling must just be who they are. 

Dr. Kat breaks down the types of depression most people never learn about — from major depression and dysthymia to postpartum, PMDD, and the surprising crash that can follow a happy event like a wedding or graduation. She shares personal stories from her own pregnancies and licensing journey, and introduces a striking anchor-and-boat analogy that explains why depression keeps cycling back even when you think you're getting better. Whether you suspect something's off in your own life or you're watching someone you love quietly struggle, this episode gives you the language to finally name what's happening.

I want to hear from you!  To submit show ideas or be considered as a guest, visit https://chatwithdrkat.com/contact/

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Your teenager barely leaves their room, answers every question with one word, and seems to be drifting further away no matter what you try. You're not imagining it — and you might be accidentally making it worse. Dr. Kat sits down with clinical psychologist Christopher Fulton, Ph.D., who has spent 30 years working with teens and families at his collaborative practice in Calabasas, to talk about what he's actually seeing right now: post-COVID isolation at an all-time high, comfort zones that have shrunk to a screen and a bedroom, and teenagers turning to AI chatbots for the emotional support they used to get from real people.

Chris breaks down why punishment backfires and what to do instead, how to use small exposure steps to pull an anxious teen back into the world, and why the hardest move a parent can make — letting your kid fail — is often the one that builds the most resilience. He also shares why food allergies can mimic ADHD symptoms and what every parent should check before jumping to a diagnosis. This one is packed with tools you can use tonight.

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Your partner buys the new bed, replaces the carpet, upgrades the headboard — and you're standing there thinking, "but I asked you to paint the room yellow." It's one of the most common and quietly devastating patterns in relationships: your person puts in real effort, sometimes enormous effort, but it's never aimed at the one thing you actually asked for. Over time, the message that lands isn't "I'm trying" — it's "what you need doesn't matter."

Dr. Kat breaks down her Yellow Room Theory, a framework for understanding why couples keep missing each other even when both people are genuinely trying. She walks through what real communication looks like versus what most people think they're saying, why taking accountability first changes how your partner hears you, and what happens when someone waits so long to paint the room that their partner finally does it alone. This one comes with a homework assignment you can do tonight.

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If you love someone who's struggling with addiction, you've probably tried everything — the confrontations, the promises, the ultimatums, the cleaning up their messes while resenting them for it. And none of it worked. Amber Hollingsworth, a Master Addiction Counselor with nearly a million YouTube subscribers on her channel Put The Shovel Down, explains why the instinct to help is often the very thing keeping your loved one stuck — and why families unknowingly become the "bad guy" in a dynamic that makes addiction stronger.

Dr. Kat and Amber break down the difference between guilt and shame and why one motivates change while the other drives people deeper into substance use. They cover Amber's counterintuitive formula — let the world deliver consequences while you become the safe person — and why the bargaining phase (cutting back, setting rules) is actually a sign of progress, not failure. Whether it's a spouse, a parent, or a teenager who won't see the problem, this conversation offers a different way to think about what you can actually do.

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Most people only have honest conversations about their relationships after something goes wrong — after the blowup, after the resentment has been building for months, after that one small thing finally sets everything off. But what if you checked in before any of that happened? Dr. Kat walks through a simple set of questions designed to open up real dialogue with your partner, your friends, even your kids — before the weight of unspoken frustrations becomes too much to carry.

You'll hear the specific questions to ask (and the order matters), why asking permission before sharing your own needs completely changes the dynamic, and how something as small as a toothpaste cap is actually a signal about respect. Dr. Kat also explains why the person who says "I was blindsided" usually wasn't — and what they were really doing instead. Whether you start this conversation tonight or work up to it, these are the kinds of questions that quietly strengthen every relationship you're in.

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As AI becomes part of daily life, more people are turning to it for advice, reassurance, and even help with deeply personal struggles. In this episode, Dr. Kat talks with Robert Scholz about how AI is changing the therapeutic landscape, why so many people are using it in place of real human support, and what happens when a tool that sounds empathic starts to feel like a substitute for therapy. 

They explore where AI can be useful, where it can quietly reinforce unhealthy thinking, and why it falls short when serious issues like suicidality, abuse, domestic violence, privacy, and critical thinking are involved. The conversation also looks at how adolescents may be especially vulnerable, how therapists need to respond now that AI is already part of their clients’ lives, and why human judgment, accountability, and real connection still matter. 

I want to hear from you!  To submit show ideas or be considered as a guest, visit https://chatwithdrkat.com/contact/

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Women are often taught to push through discomfort, take care of everyone else, and keep going even when something feels wrong. In this episode, Dr. Kat shares a personal story about ignoring knee pain after a fall, only to learn later that she had been walking on a broken kneecap.

From there, she explores a deeper pattern in women’s health: how being used to pain, monthly discomfort, and even menopause-related changes can make it easier to dismiss symptoms and delay care. This is a grounded, honest conversation about self-neglect, awareness, and why taking your own pain seriously matters.

If you have been putting off an appointment, brushing something aside, or telling yourself you will deal with it later, listen in for a direct reminder to treat yourself with the same care, kindness, and attention you give everyone else. 

I want to hear from you!  To submit show ideas or be considered as a guest, visit https://chatwithdrkat.com/contact/

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If college applications and financial aid have your family overwhelmed, this conversation will help you breathe. Dr. Kat sits down with college admissions and financial strategist Shellee Howard to unpack why so many students do everything “right” and still get rejected, why box-checking backfires, and why this process can feel so emotional for both parents and teens. 

Together, they talk about what colleges are actually looking for, how students can communicate who they are instead of just listing accomplishments, how parents can have better conversations about fit, stress, and money, and why financial aid, merit scholarships, and college planning need a real strategy. You’ll also hear why the right college is not always the dream college, and how purpose matters more than a perfect résumé.  

Listen in if your family wants a clearer, healthier path through college admissions.

I want to hear from you!  To submit show ideas or be considered as a guest, visit https://chatwithdrkat.com/contact/

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If you have ever wondered why loving parents can start to feel controlling, overprotective, or anxious as their kids grow up, this episode will hit home. Dr. Kat explores the emotional overwhelm in parenting that begins when you have a child, shows up on school campuses and in everyday conflicts, and often resurfaces during the college transition for parents and the struggle of letting go of your child.  

In this conversation, Dr. Kat explains her “emotional floodgates” theory: the idea that parenting and independence can feel emotionally threatening not because you do not love your child enough, but because you love them so deeply. She unpacks why parents struggle when kids grow up, how parenting anxiety can turn into overprotective parenting, and what it means when a child says, “You raised me to be like this. Why can’t you trust that?” The result is a compassionate, practical look at trust, fear, and learning to let go without disconnecting.  

Tune in for a grounded, honest conversation about controlling parents, emotional floodgates, and the hard work of loving your child while letting them grow.

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In this episode of Chat with Dr. Kat, Dr. Kat speaks with Daviana Memont, a trans woman, about gender identity, therapy, family acceptance, and the debate over youth transition. Daviana shares her personal transition story, including how she understood her identity from a young age, how her parents and daughter responded, and what it was like to begin living openly.

Dr. Kat and Daviana also discuss the role of transgender therapy, the difference between immediate affirmation and deeper psychological exploration, and why Daviana believes children should not be rushed into social or medical transition. They explore parenting, mental health, confidence, emotional support, and the importance of giving families and individuals space to ask difficult questions with honesty and compassion.

This episode offers a direct conversation about transition, acceptance, gender dysphoria, therapy, and the concerns many parents have as they try to understand what is best for their children.

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