Katherine Baldwin Speaker | Primary & Creative & PHSCE & Lifestyle & Careers & Women & Well-being & Languages & Teacher CPD & Exams & Media

Katherine Baldwin

A high-flyer who overcame an eating disorder and self-harm

Katherine is an expert speaker on eating disorders, addictions, self-harm, stress and anxiety, combining powerful personal testimony with tools to support pupils to achieve their full potential while staying healthy and well.

Katherine is a compelling speaker who openly shares her experiences of anorexia, binge eating disorder, alcohol abuse, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, depression and burnout, along with the tools and strategies she has used to heal and recover, to support pupils to avoid and overcome self-harm and to support teachers and parents to spot the signs of unhealthy behaviours in young people and intervene effectively.

Katherine's disordered eating began in her pre-teen years in response to challenging circumstances at home and as a way to avoid painful feelings she didn't know how to manage. Her first eating disorder was anorexia but this flipped to binge eating when she was 16 and she continued to binge eat throughout her adult life.

Katherine hid her eating disorder and other self-harming behaviours behind a broad smile and a competent, confident exterior. She studied at Oxford University, travelled the world and built a high-flying career as a journalist, ultimately working for the global news agency Reuters in the Houses of Parliament and travelling with prime ministers, until she burnt out, broke down and sought help in her thirties. She has been on her healing journey for 22 years, during which time she has studied counselling and psychotherapy, written a book on healthy relationships, coached people all over the world to love and care for themselves, delivered a TEDx talk and spoken in schools, universities and to global corporations. As a trained journalist, she is a skilled storyteller.

Katherine is passionate about supporting children, young people and adults to take care of their wellbeing before they suffer a mental health crisis or fall into addiction. Speaking from experience, she encourages people to be honest about what's going on inside, before it's too late. Her mission is to empower people to thrive, not just survive, and to achieve their full potential in all areas of life while maintaining their mental, emotional and physical health. Katherine's vulnerability gives pupils and teachers permission to open up about their own struggles and prioritise their emotional health, leading to a healthy school environment where personal problems are addressed before they spiral out of control. Her talks sow seeds, helping people to understand that it's OK to struggle and that it's healthy to share their difficulties and ask for help rather than hide them.

Katherine can speak or host workshops on the following topics:

Managing stress, anxiety and overwhelm in healthy ways
Avoiding and overcoming eating disorders, addictions, body image issues and other forms of self-harm
Overcoming perfectionism and fear of failure to thrive
Overcoming low-self esteem and building self-worth, confidence and emotional resilience
Avoiding 'compare and despair' and managing the pressures of social media
Achieving our full potential while staying happy, healthy and well

Katherine also inspires and motivates pupils to set their sights high and achieve their unique potential by sharing her story of growing up in a single-parent family in Liverpool and going on to study Modern Languages at Oxford University and travel the world. She also delivers talks on careers in journalism and entrepreneurship.

Testimonials from Teachers

"Our centre would like to thank Katherine for her workshop on eating disorders and coping mechanisms. The life of a teenager in London brings many challenges and coupled with these are school exams and family expectations, as well as social media and friends. Katherine challenges students to pause and take a moment to reflect upon themselves as young adults. Katherine’s own experiences will probably have struck a chord with many sitting within the hall whether they admit it or not. Our centre is very grateful to Katherine for highlighting the many triggers that can cause complications and ensuring students know what options they have."

– David Bailey, Head of Sixth Form, Our Lady's Convent High School

"A really engaging workshop which enabled the students to consider their underlying issues with body image. Within a safe and trusting environment, Katherine offered a range of accessible coping mechanisms. This is invaluable work which gave the students a safe place to examine deep-rooted, often taboo body image concerns. Feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive."

– J. Winters, Sixth Form Tutor, Bromley High School

"Katherine came in and delivered a workshop to my group of 14 students. All of the students have faced challenges at school and as a result, are no longer educated in mainstream education. Despite these potential obstacles, Katherine delivered an engaging and thought provoking workshop which led the students to think clearly about their areas of strength and their natural gifts ... Katherine led with confidence, despite the challenging group."

– Naomi Aidoo, Lead Teacher, St David's KS4 Alternative Education Provision

"Both talks that Katherine gave yesterday were powerful and engaging and motivational."

– Jacqui Skevington, Bloxham School

"Excellent, truthful and really powerful at engaging difficult areas of discussion. I feel I have more of a toolkit for discussing difficult issues with pupils and staff."

– Greg Webber, Biology teacher, Bloxham School

"The talk was a powerful mix of informative, vulnerable and calm, and conveyed very useful strategies for understanding stress responses. I would recommend Katherine's talk because it made complex and painful issues understandable and therefore gave hope for managing them"

– Emma Exelby, Head of Sixth Form, Bloxham School

"A really engaging workshop which enabled the students to consider their underlying issues with body image. Within a safe and trusting environment, Katherine offered a range of accessible coping mechanisms. This is invaluable work which gave the students a safe place to examine deep-rooted, often taboo body image concerns. The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive"

– J. Winters Sixth Form Tutor, Bromley High School, Kent

"Excellent, truthful and really powerful at engaging difficult areas of discussion. I feel I have more of a toolkit for discussing difficult issues with pupils and staff"

– Greg Webber, Biology teacher, Bloxham School

“Katherine possesses a rare ability to make complex mental health topics accessible and relatable, reminding us that we are never alone in our experiences. Her talk was a breath of fresh air, marked by profound authenticity, making her stand out as a speaker”

– Tobias Wägli, Account Manager, Cisco

“Thank you so much, Katherine, for an open and vulnerable session. It was amazingly thought-provoking and my favourite part of our wellbeing week”

– Emma Govus, Global Health Lifestyle and Wellbeing Director, AVEVA

“Katherine’s professionalism and preparation are always impeccable, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure her sessions are impactful and engaging. What truly sets Katherine apart is her ability to create a safe and welcoming space through the power of her personal story. She shares her experiences with honesty and openness, which inspires vulnerability and deep reflection in those who attend her talks. Her unique approach not only resonates with the audience but also encourages meaningful conversations and personal growth. Katherine is an outstanding speaker and facilitator and I would highly recommend her to any organisation looking to offer authentic, transformative wellbeing sessions”

– Janice Hutton, Wellbeing Programme Manager, Pavelka