Kourtney Kardashian found herself at the center of a family conflict in the dramatic Season 4 finale of The Kardashians , as she broached the subject of therapy, revealing a palpable generational divide within the Kardashian-Jenner clan. The incident occurred during a road trip to San Diego, where Kourtney, who is known for being open about her mental health, attempted to address her mother Kris Jenner ‘s controlling nature.
A series of incidents during the road trip sparked the conversation, including Jenner’s complaints about not being involved in Kourtney’s public pregnancy announcement and her impatience in selecting rooms at the rented house. Kourtney questioned Jenner about her need for control to understand her mother’s behavior. “What about you makes you have this need to be so controlling?” Kourtney asked while seated next to Jenner and Khloé. “Are you ever curious about yourself about why you’re so controlling?”
Khloé, quick to defend her mother, blamed Jenner’s behavior on her age, implying that changing ingrained habits at 67 might be difficult. “She’s 67. You think she’s — I’m not changing at 38 like that,” Khloe said before asking to Kourtney that she should “just accept everyone” for the way they are.
Kourtney, on the other hand, persisted, delving into the concept of “feminine energy” and advocating for self-care, which she believes could help break certain family patterns. As the conversation progressed, Kourtney brought up the subject of therapy, which was close to her heart as she had previously openly discussed her mental health journey through therapy.
Jenner kept ignoring Kourtney’s concerns by trying to focus on other things which made Kourtney ask her directly, “Do you do therapy or no?” Khloé reacted to Kourtney’s suggestion of therapy to address generational trauma and break patterns, saying, “Or we’re basing medical advice off of TikTok?”
Kourtney Kardashian says her family would benefit from therapy and thinks that her siblings decisions to pick unhealthy partners is the result of “generational trauma.” https://t.co/inZst1fAw0
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) November 30, 2023
The clash of viewpoints reflects a larger societal shift in attitudes toward therapy. While younger generations, such as Kourtney’s, are more willing to seek professional help for personal issues, older generations may still be wary. Seeking therapy was once stigmatized, associated with shame, and viewed as a last resort, according to Tracy Ross, a licensed clinical social worker, in a 2020 interview with HuffPost .
Despite Kourtney’s best efforts, the family’s opposition to the idea becomes obvious. Jenner deflects the discussion by emphasizing her full and fabulous life, indicating a reluctance to explore the potential benefits of therapy. Khloé remained skeptical, claiming that everyone has problems and that therapy may not be the answer.
Kourtney Kardashian asks her mom if she goes to therapy. The convo is awkward. https://t.co/x6ey3NhY9X
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 30, 2023
Kourtney reiterated her belief in the benefits of therapy in the interview with cameras but expressed a newfound acceptance of her family members’ resistance to change, as per People . “I know that people in my family would benefit from therapy, but I’m letting go of trying to change other people and just accepting everyone for who they are,” Kourtney stated. “This is me, this is my journey. That’s you and that’s your journey and just be accepting but also live my life the way I want to.”