When it comes to societal messages around beauty, we’ve all been swimming in toxic waters. On today’s episode, Christie Dondero Bettwy, helps us name some of the toxic beliefs and messages that we are being fed, so we might be freed from them.

Christie is the Executive Director of Rock Recovery in Arlington, Virginia. Rock Recovery is a Christian eating disorder therapy nonprofit where clients can access low-cost therapy and support groups. In our time together, Christie talks about her own recovery from a decades-long eating disorder, how her recovery story connects with her faith journey, and her passion for working at Rock Recovery. We also talk about how struggles with food, body image, and exercise may go unnoticed or undiagnosed because of how normalized disordered messages around food and body image are. Christie and I also name how such societal messages around food and our bodies impact all of us to varying degrees and she shares some fresh insights about body image. My hope is that as you listen today, Christie’s hard-won wisdom will ground you in truth, reminding you of the authentic beauty that is innate within you.