The Kitchen Shrink

What happens when two people in a loving marriage suddenly feel like strangers during conflict?  This week, Cat and Kel answer a listener's question about why he and his wife seem to become completely different people when they argue. Through the lens of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), they unpack the negative cycle that keeps couples stuck, explain what's really happening beneath the anger and silence, and share practical...

Trauma can leave lasting wounds, but it doesn't have to define your future. In Part 2 of our trauma series, we explore what healing really looks like. From calming your nervous system and building healthy relationships to finding the right therapeutic support. Join us as we discuss practical steps toward recovery, dispel common myths about healing, and offer hope that change is possible. No matter what you've been through, healing ...

Trauma is one of the most misunderstood topics in mental health. It’s not just about what happened to you - it’s about how your brain and nervous system adapted to survive. In Part One of our two-part series, we break down what trauma really is, how it affects your brain and body, and the surprising ways unresolved trauma can show up in everyday life. Understanding trauma is the first step towards healing. Join us as we...

Have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling guilty, confused, responsible for someone else's emotions, or questioning yourself? In this episode, we unpack the subtle and often misunderstood world of relational manipulation. We'll explore what manipulation actually is, how it differs from healthy communication, and why certain conversations leave us feeling pressured to abandon our own needs, boundaries, and truth. Y...

What happens when everything in your relationship is great—except your sex drives don't match? In this episode of The Kitchen Shrink, Kat and Kel tackle one of the most common (and least talked about) challenges couples face: differing libidos. From the clinical perspective of desire discrepancy to the emotional impact of rejection, pressure, and misunderstanding, they explore why this issue is so common and why it doesn't ha...

The Kitchen Shrink takes a warm, honest, and often humorous look at the patterns that shape our closest relationships. In this episode, Kat and Kel explore codependency and enmeshment. What they look like, how they show up in families and romantic partnerships, and why even the most caring people can lose themselves in the process of trying to love others well. Through relatable stories and clinical insight, they unpack the differe...

What happens when a difficult conversation with your partner feels less like a discussion and more like a threat? In this episode of The Kitchen Shrink, Kat and Kel explore how growing up with a highly critical parent can leave lasting emotional scars. When children repeatedly receive the message that they’re not good enough, they often carry that belief into adulthood, along with a deep sense of shame and a persistent need f...

What happens when you’re not exactly depressed… but you don’t really feel alive either? This week, we talk about emotional numbness, doomscrolling, avoidance, shame, and the strange exhaustion so many people are carrying right now. Why do we avoid the things we know would help us feel better? Why does everything start to feel mentally heavy? Cat and Kel explore the nervous system’s role in shutdown, the dif...