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.
Listen to her words of guidance and humor for women like you who are thinking about joining the Academy.
"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
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.
After completing the Academy Leslie laughs as she looks back at the ordeals that taught her to love herself as never before.
"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
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.
The self-forgiveness she's learned in the Academy has helped her slow down and honor her inner wisdom.
"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
I'll be creating content with your input in real time.
I am consolidating a decade of teachings I've presented in my book, Tap, Taste, Heal, in my online courses, my in-person retreats, and in over 1,200 one-on-one meetings with women just like you.
🥑 You'll receive course content every two weeks that follows my signature "Heroine's Journey" process.
📚 Twice a month you can join an online Study Hall led by a Guidess (a senior student in the Academy), where you'll study the course material in silent solidarity with your Sister Heroines and share insights after the work is done.
🍓 You'll also receive support from Marcella directly in a monthly Q&A Call, where you can ask questions or sit in the "healing seat."
🍇 You'll have access to a private community platform where you'll find Q&A Call recordings, announcements, inspiration, and tech support.
🍑 You have the option of joining a private texting group on the Signal app, where you can get support 24/7 from your sister heroines.
Because I'll be creating this new program as we go, you'll have the chance to offer feedback that allows me to tailor the content to your needs.
Completely frustrated over her menopausal weight gain, the Academy helped Sandy end the forever war she was waging against her body.
"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
Mentor for Women Healing Their Relationship with Food
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.
The Academy has taught her that she can have the chocolate, or not. Either way, she's at choice.
"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
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:
Listen to the stories of women who’ve completed the Academy.
They’ll tell you it’s challenging, but the transformation is worth it.
I’ll support you every step of the way through the monthly Q&A calls, and you’ll have a community to lean on.
If you’re ready to go deep and stick with it, the transformation you’ll experience will be more than worth it.
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 just like you 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 live Q&A calls 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.
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.
"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
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.