Mental Health Decoded with Mordechai

Sharing my dissertation topic and thesis.

Question 1 - Is It Ever Appropriate to Lock a 3-Year-Old in a Room to Protect a Baby During a Dangerous Tantrum?

Question 2 - I Called Previously as the Great-Grandmother. After Hearing Last Week's Discussion, I Have a Question About Grief: Is There a Right Way to Grieve?

Question 3 - My Responsible 6½-Year-Old Wants to Be a Baby Again and Still Misses Her Pacifier. Is This Normal?

Question 4 - My 2-Year-Old Constantly Wants Attention, and 20 Minutes of Play Feels Like 6 Hours to Me. Why Does It Feel So Difficult, and What Can I Do About It? 

Question 1 - At What Age Should Parents Start Worrying About OCD? Should They Be Concerned About OCD in a 9- or 10-Year-Old?

Question 2 - What Is Countertransference, and Is It Normal for New Mental Health Providers to Doubt Themselves?

Question 3 - How Can I Continue Doing Chesed After Being Taken Advantage Of?

Question 4A - If Simple Skills Like Ice Can Calm the Amygdala, Why Are There So Many Different Therapy Modalities?

Question 4B - What Would You Tell Someone Who Feels That a 45-Minute Therapy Session Is Not Enough Time? 

Question 1 – When can you trust your body and your feelings, and when should you be cautious about them?

Question 2 – What is Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)?

Question 3 – Why does it seem like so many people are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) today?

Question 4 – My 7-year-old daughter does things that really bother me. What bothers me even more is how strongly I react. How can I work on both her behavior and my reaction to it?

Question 5 – If I did not receive the love and emotional connection I needed as a child, nothing seems to fill that emptiness. How can I begin to heal? 

Question 1 – I often find myself feeling very lonely in my struggles, even though I have a community and people who support me. How do I cope with that sense of loneliness?

Question 2 – As both a therapist and a client, I have learned how important good supervision is. How important is quality supervision for therapists?

Question 3 – What are your thoughts on using AI, particularly an IFS-style AI model, between therapy sessions as a tool for reflection and support?

Question 4 – I recently started with a new therapist and was honest about some things that were not working for me. She said my comments hurt her feelings, and now I feel nervous about meeting with her again. Does this reaction make sense? 

Question 1 – My child has PANDAS and complex challenges. After years of research and treatment, how do we know what to try next?

Question 2 – Should I continue therapy during the summer, switch to Zoom or phone sessions, or take a break?

Question 3 – My child's PANDAS labs were not very elevated, but antibiotics helped. How much should symptoms matter compared to test results?

Question 4 – How do you know when you are the problem in therapy?

Comment 5 – I connected with caller #2's question about continuing therapy over the summer. I noticed two opposing parts in me—one wanting to leave therapy and one wanting to stay. I would like to share a diary entry about this experience.

Comment 6 – The first caller on Radio Kol Bramah (June 1, 2026, Program #1320) came across as disrespectful. I was triggered by the way he spoke, but I was impressed by how calmly and professionally you responded. 

Question 1 – Is it wrong that therapy costs so much when families are struggling financially?

Question 2 – Am I traumatizing my 2-year-old by letting him cry at bedtime since the new baby arrived?

Question 3 – I ended an unhealthy friendship three times. Now that I am engaged, how do I stop myself from going back again? 

Question 1 – Can we discuss the highly sensitive child book? How do you help a child like this, and is it more nature or nurture?

Question 2 – My 10-year-old daughter is very confident, but I have a neighbor her age who is manipulative toward her. She pressures her, excludes her, and tries to control situations to fit her own agenda. How can I guide my daughter in handling this?

Question 3 – My parents still tell me how I should dress, even though I am already a mother of teenagers. I’ve tried asking them respectfully to stop and to respect our differences, but they make me feel like I’m being disrespectful. How can I develop a thicker skin around them?

Question 4 – I struggle with social anxiety and was told that exposure therapy would help. I’ve tried it, but I don’t feel it’s working. Why might exposure not be helping me? 

Question 1 – Why are there no more programs on Kol Mevaser?

Question 2 – Regarding last week’s program: Why did you recommend not staying with the same therapist for more than two years? Are there ever exceptions?

Question 3 – How can I help ground an 11-year-old child who becomes very dysregulated? He says he enjoys getting hyper and making other children hyper. At seudos, he starts throwing things and says he can’t control himself.

Question 4 – Is it okay to allow children to get hyper and silly? My kids tend to become more energetic than others, and I sometimes encourage playful behaviors like jumping in puddles and playing in the mud. 

Question 1A: Regarding being in therapy for 5 or 6 years (5-18-26 program 1), what are the exceptions where long-term therapy may still be appropriate or beneficial?

Question 1B: When interacting with difficult or complicated people, how can I set limits and say no without feeling hurt or guilty afterward?

Question 2: I had a general question about anorexia and how it develops emotionally and psychologically.

Question 3: I am starting therapy and want to know how to tell whether the therapist is the right fit for me.

Question 4: How do you deal with a friend who is overly pushy or demanding?

Question 5: If someone struggles with anorexia, is full healing and recovery truly possible?

Question 6: I was asked to help support a child from a very difficult home environment in building self-esteem. Is that something I should take on, and how can I know if I am the right person for that role?