Too many high-achieving professionals push through life on autopilot — successful on the outside, but quietly overwhelmed, anxious, burned out, or just feeling “blah” on the inside. One of the biggest barriers I see in my work as a licensed therapist in Utah is stigma and misunderstanding around mental health treatment: what therapy is, when to seek help, and what healing really looks like.
That’s why I was honored to join Dr. David Morgan on the Mental Health Momentum podcast, hosted by Silicon Slopes, for a candid conversation about what therapy for professionals really means and how we can approach it differently.
You can watch the full conversation here before diving into the highlights below:
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Here are a few highlights from our conversation:
Therapy isn’t about labels.
One misconception we talked about is the fear that going to therapy means being permanently “diagnosed.” In reality, therapy for anxiety, stress, or trauma is about seeing the whole person, not just a label in a book.
There’s no finish line for mental health.
Many people wait for the “end” — a point where everything feels fixed. But mental health isn’t about perfection. It’s about building resilience and finding ways to reconnect with yourself over time through approaches like EMDR therapy, Brainspotting, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
The power of curiosity.
Stigma often comes from snap judgments. When we slow down and get curious — about ourselves and about others — we open the door to more compassion and less fear.
The ‘blah’ factor among high-achievers.
Despite having successful careers and full lives, many of my clients describe feeling stuck, uninspired, or burned out at midlife. We explored why this happens and how reconnecting with personal values can help bring back meaning.
Coaching vs. therapy.
We also unpacked the difference: therapy often helps people heal from trauma, anxiety, or depression, while coaching is about building on strengths and moving forward sustainably.
Small Changes, Big Shifts
One of my favorite points we discussed is how real change is rarely glamorous. It’s not about overnight breakthroughs or spa days — it’s the small, consistent habits over time that add up to transformation. Things as simple as taking a short walk, shutting off your phone earlier, or making time for a healthy lunch can slowly shift the way you feel and function.
This is the heart of my work at Illumine Therapy in Ogden, Utah: helping ambitious professionals who look like they have it all together, but don’t feel that way inside, take small but meaningful steps toward a more grounded and self-honoring life. Whether it’s through in-person therapy in Ogden or teletherapy across Utah, my goal is to help clients create lasting change.
If this conversation resonates, and you’re ready to move past the “blah” into a life that feels sustainable and aligned with your values, I’d love to help. You can learn more about my approach and schedule a session at (https://illuminetherapy.com).
Breaking Mental Health Misconceptions with Kristi Keding | Mental Health Momentum Podcast
Licensed therapist Kristi Keding joins Dr. David Morgan on the Mental Health Momentum podcast to debunk myths about therapy, explore why high-achieving professionals often feel “blah,” and share how small, consistent changes create lasting growth.
