Katy Perry Ready to Do a 'Soul Overhaul' and Get Past Childhood Trauma

By Charity Gibson, CP Contributor Thursday, February 08, 2018

Singer Katy Perry revealed she is still on her journey of soul cleansing and hopes to "emotionally elevate" herself so that she can one day, soon, start a family.

In Perry's latest interview with Glamour on Tuesday, the pop star was asked what kept her going in times of doubt or wanting to give up.

"I have had a lot of those thoughts, and I've written a lot of songs because of those thoughts. I would say that all of my best songs, or what I think are some of my better songs— 'By the Grace of God,' 'Roar,' 'Firework' — are basically motivational pep talks to myself. They're my soul speaking to me, saying, 'Come on. We can do this. One foot in front of the other,'" the 33-year-old said.

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Since last year, Perry, whose birth name is Katheryn Hudson, has been speaking openly about wanting to simplify her life and return to her true essence. She said she is still on that journey and plans on taking it one step further this year.

"I'm preparing to do a big soul overhaul very soon that I'm nervous about. I want to emotionally elevate myself. I don't want to hold on to childhood trauma anymore. I want to grow into becoming an adult," she said.

"I'm preparing myself for having a family of my own someday. And that's the thing: I want to do a little bit more soul surgery before I have a family of my own so that I don't transfer any of those lingering feelings. I'm about to go heavy into that emotional process, and I'm nervous, but I don't think I have a choice anymore.

"This last year has been about killing my ego, which has been really necessary for my career. But for my personal life, it doesn't work that way. If I want to have that true balance, I have to step into being Katheryn Hudson."

Last year in June, Perry — who no longer identifies with Christianity — launched a marathon weekend of livestream events to promote the release her latest album, Witness. During a live therapy session that week, she tearfully talked about her Christian upbringing, feeling "ashamed" of having had suicidal thoughts in the past but admitted God's grace helped her through.

In the session with Siri Singh from the Viceland series, "The Therapist," Perry explained what she spoke of in her Glamour interview, she also opened up about her struggles with her public persona as Katy Perry and who she really is — Katheryn Hudson. Perry claimed that she was living "under this crazy microscope" and because of it, is always challenged to be her authentic self.

"I so badly want to be Katheryn Hudson that I don't even want to look like Katy Perry anymore sometimes — and, like, that is a little bit of why I cut my hair because I really want to be my authentic self," she explained.

During the revealing sit-down, she said she and her parents, who are traveling Pentecostal ministers, are currently in therapy together. She teared up when recalling that she was shielded from a lot in her childhood because of her religious upbringing, but Perry also expressed that she is happy to get to really know her parents now because of the therapy.

She also talked about a low point in her life after she split with her ex-husband, Russell Brand, and battled thoughts of suicide. She admitted channeling her feelings into her aforementioned 2013 song, "By the Grace of God," which talks about God intervening.

"I wrote that song 'By the Grace of God' because I do believe in something much bigger than me and I call that God for me. I get to live this wonderful life and I've been given this gift, I know that God has His hand on me, and I know sometimes I go through things and they're just too intense and I can't handle them and then He swoops in and He shows me that it's His grace that brings me through it."