Introducing Dr. Kristy Money, New Kid on the MMHA Leadership Block
By Dr. Kristy Money, Neuropsychologist & Media Manager, Mormon Mental Health Association
Yesterday, a client told me she can’t apply for a W-2 job because she doesn’t have a valid government ID.
Why? Because she can’t afford the $800 in fines required to reinstate her license.
So instead, she’s driving for Uber every day, risking even more tickets and fines just to survive. She’s exhausted. On a basic Maslow’s hierarchy level, there’s already so much going on there: housing, transportation, income, safety, chronic stress. The wealth inequality piece alone is staggering.
And yet, in the middle of all of that, she quietly added something else:
“I’ve actually never had an orgasm.”
Hi there, hello! I’m Kristy Money, the new Media Manager for MMHA, and moments like this are why I care so deeply about this work.
I’m a neuropsychologist (BA and PhD from BYU, living in TX now) specializing in ADHD and autism assessment, but I’m also deeply interested in the places where culture, religion, mental health, and the body intersect in ways we don’t talk about enough.
One thing that has surprised me recently is how little female orgasmic disorder research has advanced since the 1980s. At the same time, recent dissertation research on evangelical purity culture has found that greater exposure predicts higher likelihood of anorgasmia. But most of us didn’t need to read a dissertation to know that. We’re all in the cultural trenches of Mormonism, and I imagine most of us have seen things and may even have battle scars ourselves. I certainly have, and do.
Did you know (my client did not, because only half of women have experienced this) women can and do orgasm in their sleep—verified in sleep labs with EEG and physiological monitoring—which raises an important clinical question: if the physiological capacity exists, what happens psychologically, culturally, or relationally in waking
life?
As Mormon mental health professionals, we sit in a unique position. We see how messages about worthiness, modesty, gender, embodiment, and shame can quietly shape nervous systems and relationships over
decades.
My hope in this role is to help create thoughtful conversations around exactly these kinds of issues: relevant, clinically grounded, and deeply human.
And we’d love to hear from you, too.
MMHA Moments are short reflections from members about the intersection of Mormon culture and mental health. These can include:
Clinical observations
Current events or cultural moments
Personal or professional reflections
Topics you think our community should be talking about
We’re excited to continue building a space for nuanced, compassionate, evidence-informed conversations. The board and I are also really excited about the upcoming conference on July 30–31. We can’t wait to meet more of you in person and continue these conversations together. This year’s theme, Mormon-ish, feels especially meaningful, and we hope to see you there.