Best known for her work on Melrose Place and Ally McBeal, Courtney Thorne-Smith has a new project - sharing her personal experience and insights to help girls and women overcome problems with body image and self-esteem for health and happiness. Courtney will be speaking at the Girls Festival in Denver on Saturday, October 7, 2000, in City Park.

"Happiness really does come from within. Be true to your dreams and stand up for what you believe in, not what society expects you to be," says Courtney. "Girls can be whatever they want to be. That's what Girls on the Move is all about."

Courtney tells her personal story in this month's issue of Self magazine (which also features an article on Girls on the Move). In the self-written article, Courtney chronicles her struggle to balance her desire to fit stereotypes created by the media and her own personal well-being. "I feel proud of trying to set my own standards instead of manipulating my body to fit into someone else's idea of what is acceptable," she says.