You’ve tried every diet, every app, every detox.
Yet the hunger you feel goes deeper than food.
The Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy is where your healing becomes a Heroine’s Journey—
a pilgrimage of forgiving your past, living fully in your present, and stepping into the future that's been waiting for you to arrive.
You’ll walk a path of forgiveness and self-trust, guided by archetypal feminine wisdom and held inside a circle of women walking beside you.
Cross the threshold here to begin your Heroine's Journey.
"If you're ready to do some really hard work to become whole again, there's no question you should join the Academy. You will have a teacher who will care about you. That doesn't even count all of the women in the Academy who are all there for one another. It's always hard to think that you can fit in, but that should not be anyone's worry. The group is that welcoming.
If you're serious about getting into the stuff that's been holding you back for years, join the Academy. Don't even think twice about it, just join."
—Barb B., Foster City, CA
Listen to her words of guidance and humor for women like you who are thinking about joining the Academy.
Trying to decide if the Academy is a path for you? Schedule a free Illumination Call with me, and let's explore the options together.
Here’s why you can’t “willpower” your way to freedom
You’ve read the books, followed the plans, tracked the macros.
But when it comes to making self-care your way of life, something in you rebels ... gets too busy ... or gives up after the first setback.
Could it be the part of you that doesn’t feel worthy of care?
Or the part that doesn't feel safe to shine?
Maybe the part that feels loyal to the wounds of your family tribe?
You’ve spent years battling your food behaviors with willpower, but what if those behaviors aren't meant to punished like bad children?
What if, instead, they're parts of you asking to be loved and listened to?
Imagine that one day—maybe even a year from now—you could look back at every binge, every heartbreak, every dollar spent, and say thank you.
That’s the moment when the pain of the past becomes your path to freedom.
And that’s the Heroine's Journey you can start right here, right now.
"No matter what I was feeling—whether it was worthless, or betrayed, or fat—I just kept saying, 'I completely love and accept myself.'
It was something I'd never told myself. I didn't believe it, but there was so much love and cheerleading and compassionate, empathetic listening and encouragement, that I finally got myself to say, 'Even if I love myself just a smidge, can I carry on with just that smidge?' You just helped me hold on."
—Leslie I., Harwich, MA
After completing the Academy Leslie laughs as she looks back at the ordeals that taught her to love herself as never before.
Unlike diets that fade or fixes that fail, the Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy guides you through an inner pilgrimage that transforms how you love yourself—forever.
Here's what you can expect as you walk the path of the Heroine’s Journey:
You begin right here, with honesty and compassion for the woman you’ve become—and the hunger that brought you to this threshold.
You’ll learn why self-sabotage, numbing, and avoidance are natural protection patterns—and how to access their wisdom them instead of fighting them.
Through live calls, lessons, and sisterhood, you’ll be supported by Marcella and the Guidesses—senior students who walk beside you, not ahead of you.
You’ll uncover where you’re most vulnerable to old habits and learn practical tools—spiritual and metabolic—for staying steady when temptation inevitably calls.
In the safety of the circle, you’ll confront your deepest stories of shame, grief, and unworthiness—and turn them into medicine.
As you stabilize in your self-love, you’ll learn to embody self-trust, generosity, and joy—the virtues of a heroine who has returned home to herself.
By the time you complete your Heroine's Journey, you’ll be living proof of what’s possible—and ready to extend a hand to the next woman finding her way.
"If you're looking for the magic elixir or magic pill, this isn't it.
If you're ready to focus on healing yourself at a deeper level so that then better food habits can follow, then the Academy is an amazing place.
Marcella leads with intuition and generosity, and she helped me and our whole group address and heal our demons—some around food, all around loving ourselves as we are."
—Beth D., Sonoma, CA
But she did make peace with her food and learned how to trust her inner wisdom.
Would you like what Beth now has? Schedule a free Illumination Call with me, and let's explore what's possible.
When you join the Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy, you’re saying yes to the woman you seek to become.
Here’s what’s included in your tuition:
A complete 12-month Heroine’s Journey:
Audio-recorded teachings from Marcella found nowhere else
EFT Tapping sequences tailored to each lesson
Journal prompts and 7-day practice instructions
Additional resources to deepen integration
Value: $2,556 / year
Access to our private online space with:
Call recordings
Current announcements
An ever-growing resource library
Value: $864 / year
Daily connection, support, witnessing, and encouragement from your sisters.
Included in Community
Receive deep guidance, Q&A, coaching, and transformational group process.
Value: $2,400 / year
Guidess-led silent work periods followed by shared insights and reflection.
Value: $1,200 / year
"This technique teaches you something you're not going to find in the commercial market. If you want to be very open to looking at yourself differently, go for it! The work is hard, but it is so much worth it.
I am a completely different person than I was when I started. It is no longer about what the scale says to me, it's about loving myself as I am."
—Sandy D., Minneapolis, MN
Completely frustrated over her menopausal weight gain, the Academy helped Sandy end the forever war she was waging against her body.
I help women like you love and forgive yourself, your food & your figure
I’m Marcella Friel, founder of the Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy, author of Tap, Taste, Heal, and a lifelong student of forgiveness and feminine wisdom.
For nearly four decades I’ve walked a path of spiritual practice and recovery, rooted in Buddhist teachings and 12-step living.
These traditions taught me that genuine liberation is born from compassion toward ourselves and service to others.
This is the spirit in which I welcome you: one heroine to another, in mutual respect, support, and love.
"Marcella, you have got such a gift! When you're working with individuals you really focus on what they need, and the ideas that pop into your head to me are just mind-blowing. To me, it's just, 'How did you do that?' God has definitely given you a real gift for helping people heal."
—Gail G., Anacortes, WA
The Academy has taught her that she can have the chocolate, or not. Either way, she's at choice.
Here are the deets you need to know
Feeling interested, but still trying to decide?
Schedule a free 45-minute Illumination Call with me. We can talk about the specifics of your situation and explore together if the Academy is a fit for you.
Honestly? I can't answer that question for you. But here's what can:
If you’re ready to go deep and stick with it, the transformation you’ll experience will be more than worth it.
And if you decide, after 30 days of wholehearted participation, that the Academy is not for you, you can cancel your subscription, no questions asked.
Hell yeah you can! You’ve just never been taught how.
That’s exactly what the Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy will guide you through. This journey is all about learning to love and accept yourself—no matter your past.
But don’t just take my word for it. Listen to the stories of women on this page who learned to love themselves deeply as a result of doing the work in the Academy.
Healing takes time, especially when you’re addressing the deep emotional roots of food behaviors. This year-long journey allows you to fully integrate the lessons, tools, and strategies into your life for lasting change.
EFT (also called Emotional Freedom Techniques, or "Tapping") is a gentle, powerful self-help tool that reduces the negative emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger stress.
Some have called Tapping "emotional acupuncture," as it involves fingertip tapping on points that are at or near the end of certain acupuncture meridians.
The tapping acts as a circuit-breaker by disrupting the stress signals that link negative emotions to a particular experience.
If you'd like to deep-dive into Tapping to heal your food and body-love struggles, pick up your copy of my book "Tap, Taste, Heal: Use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Eat Joyfully and Love Your Body," available everywhere books are sold.
The Heroine's Journey is an archetypal journey of healing and transformation. It’s designed to guide you through a process of reclaiming your life and your power.
The stages of the Heroine's Journey include:
The Crisis/Crossroads: This is the moment when you recognize that the life you’re living is no longer serving you, and a change is necessary. It’s the point where you decide to stop relying on dieting or external validation and start prioritizing your own healing.
The Call to Healing: At this stage, you're invited to embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. You'll learn to prioritize self-care beyond dieting and reclaim your body and spirit from the oppressive cycle of negative thoughts and behaviors that have held you back.
The Resistance to the Call: As with any deep change, resistance often arises. You'll face inner conflicts, fears, and doubts as you work through the barriers that have prevented you from embracing your true self. In this phase, we will work together to address the fears, negative beliefs, and emotional blocks that have kept you stuck.
Meeting the Mentor: Along the way, you’ll connect with your inner wisdom and receive guidance from the mentor within. This stage helps you tap into your intuition, enabling you to make empowered choices that align with your deepest needs and desires.
The Adventure: In this stage, the Heroine encounters tests, temptations, enemies, and allies. You’ll face the real-life challenges that arise as you move forward, but you’ll also learn the tools to work through these challenges—like releasing and rewriting the negative beliefs that have held you back. You’ll also practice embracing feelings instead of turning to food for comfort.
Descending into the Abyss: The Heroine’s descent into the abyss represents the moments of deep emotional reckoning, where she confronts the most difficult parts of her journey. Here, you will experience the profound release of old wounds, and, through this, you will receive the Gift of the Goddess—unconditional self-love that frees you from your emotional and physical burdens.
The Return: After the transformation, the Heroine drinks from the Elixir of Life, a symbol of the healing and wisdom gained through the journey. In the Return, you emerge as a transformed woman, ready to embrace a life of true nourishment, self-love, and joy. You are now equipped to create new habits and practices that honor your body and spirit, including learning to appreciate meal planning and home cooking as an act of self-love.
Carrying the Message: In the final stage, you will return to your world as a woman who is deeply changed and grounded in self-love, ready to carry the message of healing to others. The example you set inspires other Heroines to embark on their own journeys, just as you did.
The Heroine's Journey is about more than just releasing old patterns. It’s about embracing your true essence and stepping into the fullest version of yourself, ready to live a life of emotional freedom and authentic joy.
Through this transformative process, you will break free from emotional eating, heal old wounds, and embrace a life that honors your true worth.
Yes! You’ll have monthly Mentorship Calls with me, where I provide present-time teaching, answer your questions, and offer you a "healing seat" if necessary.
You can also opt for additional 1:1 sessions as bonus packages if you desire more personalized support.
If you’re feeling called to this program, it means you’re ready. This is your chance to heal once and for all. I’ll be there to support you every step of the way as you step into your Heroine’s Journey.
No worries! The Academy is designed for you to go at your own pace, and all materials are accessible throughout the 12 months.
A great way to get caught up when you feel behind is to join the Study Hall calls that are held twice-monthly.
In these calls you'll work on the curriculum in silent solidarity with your sister classmates and share insights about what you learned.
In short, you can revisit any lesson whenever you need, and the supportive community is always there to keep you motivated.
I’m committed to your healing and transformation, and I want you to feel fully supported every step of the way.
If after the first 30 days you feel that the course isn’t resonating with you or isn’t meeting your expectations, simply reach out to me to cancel your subscription. No hard feelings, no questions asked. My priority is that you feel confident, supported, and empowered on your journey.
I truly believe in the power of this work, and I want to ensure that you have the experience you deserve. If it’s not the right time or fit for you, I want you to feel comfortable with your decision.
"Long story short, I would say, just go for it. If you keep waiting for the next best thing, I don't know that's gonna come.
There's no easy way out of this work of alchemy and transformation. There are moments when it can feel graceful, but it also takes commitment and grit and willingness to experience the full spectrum of healing."
—Georgia M., Floyd, VA
Feeling out of control after her worst swing from bingeing to cleansing, Georgia found a new perspective that happened to be the answer she needed.
A women’s forgiveness and food freedom program
Every heroine reaches a moment when she knows: the path she’s been walking can’t take her where she longs to go.
Join a circle of women who are turning pain into wisdom, food into nourishment, and self-doubt into self-trust.
Step inside the Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy and begin the pilgrimage home to yourself.
Cross the threshold here to begin your Heroine’s Journey.