In this episode of The Dr. K Show, Dr. Michael Karlfeldt sits down with Dr. Nicki J. Monti—renowned psychotherapist, teacher, speaker, media personality, and author of Stuck in the Story No More and Our Love Matters. Known for her straight-shooting style and work helping people break free from self-defeating patterns, Dr. Nicki brings a rare blend of clinical insight, lived experience, and soulful clarity to a conversation that challenges how we define love, identity, and healing.
Together, we explore why approval often masquerades as love, how early-life stories shape our relationships, and what it really takes to shift your life from the inside out. Dr. Nicki shares powerful reflections from her memoir The Divine Traumedy of Nicki Joy: A True Grime Tale—including addiction recovery, self-worth, and the “house of mirrors” concept (how the world reflects what we believe about ourselves). We also unpack practical reframes: changing perception without rewriting the past, learning to meet the present moment as “the best day,” and using tools like writing your obituary to reverse-engineer the life you actually want.
This episode is for anyone who’s felt stuck in old patterns, hungry for real connection, or worried we’re drifting away from humanity in an AI-saturated world. If you’re ready to trade self-judgment for self-respect—and move from performing life to actually living it—this conversation will hit home.
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