Katie Hart, MS, LMHC, CN 

Founder, Mental Health Counselor and Certified Nutritionist

Katie has a passion for health and people; she works with helping people create sustainable health for themselves and for their families. Treatments use combined approach to health: mental and emotional wellness, helping people manage the challenges they face daily. Nutrition and mental health impact us all, families, parents, children, and individuals. HartsSpace is a place where understanding and healing can happen from the inside out!

Training /Approach

Katie’s academic background began at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and Theater.

Years later, after many personal adventures and life experiences, she obtained a Master’s degree from Bastyr University, MSNCHP, in Nutrition and Clinical Health Psychology.

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Katie’s training encompasses a mind, body, spirit approach to mental health and nutrition. She believes that the power of nutrition and therapy can heal a person. Her background and passions have driven her to create a clinic where a person may grow using their own intuition and cultivating healing from a place within their own resources. She sees people as their own expert and uses techniques and tools to help people to better understand and create the change they desire.  Her unique approaches have helped many create sustainable change. Children also find a friendly space for healing, and a place to be seen using play. 

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Her goal is to make a mark on the health and nutrition climate working with patients to find better ways to manage their bodies, minds and spirits. She strongly believes that our systems and our beings are connected, and we cannot fully treat our wellness without taking into account all the aspects of a person's life!

For this reason she chose to create a practice model combining Functional Medicine Nutrition and Mental Health. This was the beginning of HartsSpace. Since 2008, she has seen a need for a farther-reaching approach for patients. In addition to one-on-one provider support, there is a deep missing need for interconnection with people and their health pursuits. We can do better when we are seen, heard, and accepted on our journeys; we thrive in community and also weather the struggles better.  

In 2022, in collaboration, HartsSpace launched Live Well, Eat Well and Be Well a FREE accountability group for wellness, and its add-on components of trainings, retreats, provider and peer support.

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"I vision the world and the people in the world like plants. What was put on this earth is here to nourish us mentally and emotionally. When we find the proper balance of nutrients to thrive, mental and emotional wellness and mindful approaches to balance we sustain ourselves we are in full bloom. Children too can blossom when given the nutrients and tools for success. Sustainable health is the key to future generations of better health.”

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• Expert Nutritionist and Mental Health Therapist - Katie is a specialist in both nutrition and mental health therapy, offering a comprehensive approach to healing that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit.

• Harnessing the Power of Nutrition and Therapy: Katie firmly believes in the transformative potential of combining nutrition and therapy, advocating for their synergistic effects in promoting overall well-being.

• Empowering Self-Healing: Katie facilitates a space where individuals tap into their intuition and inner resources to cultivate their own growth and healing, recognizing that true healing comes from within.

• Client-Centered Approach, (Psychodynamic and CBT skills)  Katie sees each person as their own expert, guiding them with techniques and tools to understand themselves better and facilitate the change they desire.

• Catalyst for Sustainable Change and Better Health:  Through her unique methodologies, Katie has empowered many to create lasting changes in their lives, fostering long-term wellness.

• Transformating the Health and Nutrition Landscape: Katie's mission is to revolutionize the health and nutrition landscape, partnering with patients, providers and teams to discover effective ways to manage their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

• Interconnected Wellness Advocacy: Recognizing the intricate connection between systems and beings, Katie emphasizes the importance of addressing all aspects of a person's life for comprehensive wellness.

• Community Building and Group Support: Katie assists individuals in finding community and support through groups, retreats, and holistic approaches that cater to the whole person they are.

•  Navigating Eating Confusion: Katie helps individuals navigate the complexities of eating, including chronic health conditions, metabolic problems, performance nutrition, and nutrition for longevity and stress management.

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Michelle Benson, MS, CN

Functional Nutritionist and Eating Psychology Expert

Michelle has a passion for helping individuals find the nutrition and lifestyle strategies that work best for their individual needs. She believes there is no one size fits all approach to health and considers a combination of her patients’ lived experiences, history, labs, current stressors, and preferences to generate plans and strategies catered to each of her patients. In addition to nutrition and lifestyle interventions, Michelle utilizes her past training in Eating Psychology to help patients understand why they eat the way they do and address various eating behaviors. Most recently, her passion has invited more group and community work as she's witnessed the healing that happens when we heal together.

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A lover of biochemistry, neurobiology, and research, Michelle has been involved in the nutrition and wellness space for over a decade. She received her Eating Psychology Certification in 2014 knowing full well that much of the battle of nutrition and diet change is psychological. After working in various multi-faceted wellness offices and exploring the vast realm of nutrition, she pursued her Master’s degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, graduating in June of 2022. Her collaborative approach through the Functional Medicine lens and the background of Eating Psychology gives her patients a thorough understanding of their symptoms, behaviors, and strengths, leading to lifestyle and diet improvements that feel empowering, rather than restrictive. Michelle has been involved with the HartsSpace team since 2013 when she first interned with the practice during her undergrad studies.

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In general, Michelle works with patients in multiple areas.

• Individuals seeking to improve their relationship with food and body (craving management, emotional eating, binge eating, compulsive eating, etc.)

• Patients wanting to understand behaviors around food. Together we will utilize mind-body nutrition using eating psychology concepts (i.e. frame of mind around food, history with eating, etc.,)

• Individuals who want to improve their body composition and metabolism through diet and exercise support. This can include weight loss in certain individuals, but more importantly, improving muscle health for more energy, agility, and metabolic flexibility

• People with suspected neurotransmitter imbalances: Neuro-nutrient therapy (using amino acid therapy to assist in mood and cravings in conjunction with the psychological aspects discussed above)

• Those suffering from metabolic disorders and blood sugar regulation. Using a functional medicine approach to improve metabolic health, repair metabolism, and manage blood sugar to improve lab markers, increase energy, and create better moods.

• Patients looking for fertility, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition support. Women looking to get pregnant, support their pregnancies, and improve postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, etc. As a mother of two kiddos, I have a soft spot for this population to support moms but also families overall

• Individuals who desire a group and accountability setting to grow, learn, and heal

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"My approach to working with patients is rooted in fostering a healthy, two-way conversation between the mind and body by addressing both psychological and physiological aspects of health together. In a world dominated by diet culture, conflicting messages, and increasing stress—both mental and physical—it’s easy to lose touch with how to nurture our bodies and minds in a compassionate, empowering way.

My goal is to help individuals reconnect with themselves by developing a healthier relationship with food and their body, moving away from restriction and fear, and toward nourishment and balance. By focusing on improving health outcomes through functional nutrition, I aim to create a sense of peace around food, allowing people to feel energized, clear-minded, and capable of bringing their best selves into the world. Ultimately, I believe that when we make space for this mind-body harmony, we can live more freely, happily, and authentically."

Karin Lund, MS, CN

Functional Nutritionist and Women’s Health Expert,
specializing in hormone balance and disordered eating.

Karin’s journey into women’s health and nutrition began as she sought natural remedies for her painful periods and struggled with body image. Balancing the roles of mom, wife, and career woman, she learned that women's needs shift with their cycles. Through sustainable lifestyle changes, she found peace with food and body. Compelled by love, Karin shifted from food rules rooted in fear to boundaries built from trust.

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​Transitioning from Health Care Administration to Functional Nutrition, Karin now integrates evidence-based treatments and patient-centered functional medicine, using food as medicine to support hormonal health, menstrual and perimenopausal wellness, and recovery from unhelpful eating habits such as binge-eating and food addictions. She guides clients toward balance and well-being, drawing on trauma-informed care and Well-Being Therapy.

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Karin specializes in PMS/PMDD, irregular menstrual cycles, endometriosis, PCOS, thyroid disorders, perimenopausal challenges, mood balance, and adrenal fatigue, as well as food addiction and disordered eating. She also supports those transitioning out of Twelve Step food recovery programs, helping them sustain long-term success. By using the brain-body science of the polyvagal theory, also known as "the science of feeling safe," Karin teaches mindfulness practices to support the nervous system and reduce compulsive eating behaviors.

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​Karin holds a Master's in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, and has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. She authored the "Becoming Fiercely Free Food & Gratitude Journal."

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​Clients I Love to Help:

• Individuals prone to food addictions, addressing the root causes of cravings through neuro-nutrient therapy and nervous system regulation for long-term success.

• Women with hormonal imbalances (PMDD, endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids), optimizing each phase of the menstrual cycle and reducing disruptive symptoms.

• Women experiencing perimenopausal symptoms such as mood changes, insomnia, and night sweats, transforming this significant transition into a powerful experience.

​"I help women who prioritize their well-being improve hormone function and develop peace with food and body. With a down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is approach, I listen, interpret body messages through the art of storytelling, and build trust, leading to nourishing interventions and a deeper understanding of your health "

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As a firefighter's wife, endometriosis warrior, and mother of four, Karin lives for trail walks and beach days with her daughters. Karin and her family attend Calvary Chapel on Whidbey Island, where spirituality is woven into both her personal and professional life. 

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We are thrilled for Karin to build her practice with us here at HartsSpace. She is accepting new patients now!