Hi, I'm Katie!

 

I'm so glad you're here.

 

Beauty Begins Within is a place where we can have honest conversations about mental health, eating disorders, OCD, recovery, and everything in between. My hope is that as you explore this space, you'll find encouragement, practical tools, and a reminder that you don't have to navigate these struggles alone.

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If someone told me at 18 years old that I'd one day build a business helping women heal their relationship with food, I never would have believed it.​ For most of my life, I was a pretty happy-go-lucky girl. But during college, my relationship with food started to change. What began as an occasional binge slowly became something I couldn't control. At first it happened every few months. Then every few weeks. Then every few days.

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Before I knew it, food occupied far more space in my mind than I wanted to admit.

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I spent years stuck in the binge-restrict cycle. I'd promise myself that tomorrow would be different. I'd try to "make up for it." I'd swear this was the last time. And then somehow I'd find myself right back where I started.

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At the time, binge eating disorder wasn't widely discussed. I knew I wasn't the only person struggling, but it certainly felt that way. Therapy wasn't financially possible for me, so I started doing what I've always done when faced with a problem: I learned everything I could.

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I researched. I reflected. I paid attention to patterns. I opened up to people I trusted. Little by little, I began building my own path forward.

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Eventually, I recovered.

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And then, a couple years later, I relapsed.

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As painful as that experience was, it taught me something incredibly important: healing doesn't mean you stop struggling; it means you have the tools to find your way back when you do.

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Today, I have been binge-free for years, but my mental health journey doesn't end there.

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I also live with OCD—primarily relationship OCD (ROCD), which comes with obsessive rumination. My brain loves certainty, and when it can't find it, it has a tendency to create problems where none exist. Through therapy, education, and a lot of practice, I've learned that recovery isn't about eliminating difficult thoughts and emotions—it's about changing the way we respond to them.

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A little about me outside of my mental health journey— I love to read, write, lift weights, spend time with people I love, and soak up as much sunshine as possible. I grew up in Connecticut, moved to Tennessee in 2023, and am finally making my way to Florida—where I fully intend to make up for decades of cold weather!

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Professionally, I've spent years working in marketing, where I discovered another passion: helping people connect with ideas that make their lives better. Beauty Begins Within combines both sides of who I am—the storyteller and the survivor.

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And while I certainly don't have all the answers, I hope that by sharing my experiences—the messy parts included—I can help you feel a little less alone and a little more hopeful. I'm so glad our paths crossed. <3