Martha Beck is a New York Times American bestselling author, Harvard-trained sociologist and life coach. She has published nine non-fiction books, one novel, and over 200 magazine articles.
Martha Beck was born in Provo, Utah. Beck is the daughter of Hugh and Phyllis Nibley. She grew up in a Latter-day Saint household and is the seventh of eight children. Her father was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU). She earned a BA in East Asian studies at Harvard University, as well as a master's and PhD in sociology from Yale University.
Before becoming a life coach and author, Beck worked as a research associate at the Harvard Business School, focusing on career paths and life-course changes. She also taught sociology, social psychology, organizational behaviour, and business management at Harvard and the American Graduate School of International Management.
Beck has been a contributing editor for popular magazines, such as Real Simple and Redbook, and served as a monthly columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine, for 17 years.
Beck often explores themes of integrity, emotional healing, and self-discovery. Personal aspects of her life have also influenced her writing and public speaking.
She married John Christen Beck in 1983, and the couple had three children. Their second child, Adam, was diagnosed with Down syndrome before his birth, an experience Beck shares in her book Expecting Adam. After leaving the LDS Church in 1993 and publicly coming out as gay, Beck divorced her husband in 2004.
Her 2005 book, Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith, generated controversy within the Mormon community for its allegations of sexual abuse by her father and its critique of the LDS Church. The book discusses Beck’s recovery of memories of abuse and her journey away from the church, contributing to a broader conversation on memory, faith, and personal integrity.
Her most recent book, The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self, became an instant New York Times Best Seller upon its release in 2021. In this work, she outlines a four-stage process to help individuals achieve a sense of purpose and a life free from mental suffering, inspired by Dante’s The Divine Comedy.
Martha Beck currently resides in Pennsylvania with her family.
Photo credit: marthabeck.com
