Kate
“I am not afraid to talk about things that people generally keep to themselves because I know the ripple effect of vulnerability. When we are vulnerable, it encourages others to be vulnerable – and vulnerability is healing.”
Kate is a champion and advocate for mental health awareness, utilizing multiple avenues in the digital space to address difficult topics such as childhood trauma, body image issues, and substance abuse. Her real and raw recollections of her own personal experiences on her podcast will invite listeners in with open arms, pinpointing the root causes of shame and how to address them. By transforming vulnerability into a tool of positivity and progress, she is a guiding light for others to start their healing journey, helping to provide them with the resources to overcome their own adversities. Meet Kate. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
KG: My name is Kate Geller, @kateonshame, and I am a mental health awareness advocate, writer, and host of the podcast Shame On Shame.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, where I was a well-rounded, academic, funny, likable friend, student, daughter, sister... until years of unaddressed shame built up and took hold of my life.
This shame led to issues with substance abuse, my mental health, and body image. I even ended up in a psychiatric hospital, when things were at an all time low.
Eventually, I found my path to healing through facing this unaddressed shame and sharing my story, over and over again.
I found healing through making peace with, and OWNING, who I am.
After turning around my life, I'm determined to help as many people overcome shame as I possibly can.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
KG: Here are the 4 key words I would use to describe myself:
Vulnerable: I am not afraid to talk about things that people generally keep to themselves because I know the ripple effect of vulnerability. When we are vulnerable, it encourages others to be vulnerable– and vulnerability is healing.
Empowered: I am proud of who I am, what my life experiences are, and this empowers me to always act with confidence. I trust myself enough to face my fears, as they come up, and because of that, I am always growing.
Sensitive: I am super in-tune with how others are feeling. For example, if someone feels uncomfortable or insecure, I immediately pick up on it and make an effort to make them feel empowered or seen.
Goofy: I can be really weird.
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
KG: My authenticity. No matter what, I am always 100% uniquely myself. I try to use my authenticity to make others feel comfortable letting themselves shine, too.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that has defined you or made you stronger?
KG: Oh, man! That's a tough one. I have so many stories about experiences that have made me stronger. Stories about trauma. Stories about alcohol abuse. Stories about looking in the mirror and not recognizing myself because I'd gained so much weight. Stories about "mean girls." Stories about losing everyone in my life to my mental health.
But the best, and most important story, is about how I took all of these adversities and transformed them into power, creativity, and purpose...
How I used every setback in my life as an opportunity to find my voice and express it while helping other people.
You can listen to all of those stories on my podcast, "Shame On Shame!"
K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
KG: I talk to her all the time. Seriously! I speak to my younger self when I meditate on a regular basis.
Usually, I tell her, "You're going to face some horrifying things. But you are strong, brave, and beautiful. And you will never believe the amazing person you will become."
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
KG: I think being a woman means being human. I honestly have a hard time giving a concrete answer to this question because I think womanhood for everyone looks different– same goes for manhood or however else someone describes. themselves!
Sometimes, I struggle with being a woman because I think for so long we have been pigeonholed into fragile, subordinate roles. So for me, as a woman, I always make sure to show up with strength and authenticity– in a way that any other gender might show up, because in the end, we are all human.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to them if they were here now?
KG: Britney Spears. I'm not kidding. If I could have dinner with one person in the world, it would be Britney.
I have spoken out a lot about #freebritney on instagram. In fact my post about her naked photos reached 1.1-million people.
The reason that I admire Britney so much is that we have gone through so many of the same things. While I was not under a conservatorship, I was maltreated in institutionalized mental healthcare, and my trauma estranged me from pretty much everyone in my life (except my immediate family who supported me along the way).
I'm amazed that Britney went through so much of what I went through while in the public eye. I can't imagine what that must have been like.
And the fact that she's out there, posting on instagram, making videos, despite the trauma and censorship she's endured, is something that needs to be recognized. It takes a ton of courage, and I would tell her that.