“I learned so much that I never knew about autism and eating disorders even after years of being in both communities online. Explanations as to why I struggle with certain behaviours and situations, how our brains and bodies work, and techniques to help move away from needing an eating disorder to handle the world. I struggle to justify spending money on myself but I’m so glad I spent this money. Thank you Livia!”

– Nico, UK

“This program was brilliant! It helped me shift my mindset to understanding how eating disorders function as adaptive responses when experienced by neurodivergent people. The Academy shone a light on a way forward – to decode what is serving vs not serving our authentic selves, and therefore a way out of the false safety of an eating disorder.”

– Eve, Australia

“I am so grateful to have been a participant in Livia’s Autistically ED-Free Academy. My daughter has been in recovery for anorexia for the last four years and was recently diagnosed with autism. I can’t tell you how comforting it is to finally have someone understand and validate the struggles our daughter has been through. Livia has helped me to recognize that some of my daughter’s “ED behaviors” are actually autistic adaptations, and that not all ED recovery follows the same path or responds to the same treatments. The weekly meeting topics and the Q&A sessions were equally beneficial. I highly recommend the Autistically ED-Free Academy to anyone who is struggling in their recovery and wants to begin to trust themselves and their loved ones again.”

– Becky, USA

“I feel that I have met a community of like minded people that have made me feel so much less alone. I feel so validated in my experiences now and no longer feel like I am doing recovery ‘wrong’ or that my behaviours, thoughts and feelings are wrong. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the program and thought I wouldn’t have much to add, but I had so much to say!! I cannot express how validated and understood I felt and it has empowered me to listen and honour my autistic traits, using them to discover myself.”

– Ash, UK

“The Academy came into my life at just the right time. I was so alone and isolated in my journey and judged myself a lot for not being able to get out, even though I knew what to do. The Academy showed me that its really not a "knowledge" or "willpower" problem, but more so an adaptation to the state of my nervous system, which is highly impacted by my feelings of loneliness and self judgement. Thus the true medicine was being connected with like minded souls, who share the same struggles - so the community aspect of the Academy was truly a game changer for me!! We can't heal in isolation but we can also not heal in the wrong environment, as its sometimes the case in traditional treatment. I'm super grateful I met like minded weirdos as me and that we were able to help each other <3”

– Kathi, Germany

“Livia’s Autistically ED-Free Academy has been incredibly useful. This program is unique, in the sense that she harnesses autistic traits in working on recovery, as opposed to overriding them. She has been so generous with her knowledge, experience and insights, and puts a lot of thought into her responses. Livia is knowledgeable, warm, funny, and utterly sincere. She puts people at ease without even trying. I would definitely recommend this program!”

– Shankari, UK

“The Academy helped me understand the main source of my daughter’s struggles with her eating disorder. I realised the importance of supporting her in discovering and embracing her neurodiversity. Livia’s eye-opening presentations and the safe environment fostered by her inspired insightful discussions and created priceless learning moments. Thank you to Livia and the community for this journey together.”

– Zsofia, Belgium

“The Academy was the first time I ever experienced optimism that I could recover! Your insights into anorexia and autism have been inspiring and enlightening, providing me with one of the greatest gifts...hope. Your writing style is such a joy to read and very engaging. You seem like quite the natural poet! I especially loved the Invitations for Curiosity. It was so nice to finally have very tangible and actionable steps to compassionately and gently step forward to a life where I could smile a whole lot more. I still have a long way to go in recovery, but I am learning to trust that I can do it! So thank you, truly, for everything you do. Resources for autistic folks with eating disorders are very, very rare and you have greatly filled that missing piece. Thank you, for giving me the best chance I have ever had to experience happiness and peace!”

– Janelle

“Livia is a GOLDMINE of tips, advice and experience on how to navigate eating disorder recovery from a neurodivergent perspective. A very validating and empathic experience. Excellent course materials, make sure you take advantage of them during the course! I have learnt so much and am now able to empathise so much more with my son.

Additionally the group support from the Quasi Recovery course was invaluable for my son when he reached a very dark place. The comments from the group and yourself Livia, helped him to crawl out of that hole and carry on.”

– Susannah, UK

“Being part of the Autistically ED-Free Academy has really helped me understand myself better. It’s made me realise how much my eating disorder links to feeling safe and needing control, and how hard it can be to let go of that. I’ve learned that recovery doesn’t have to mean total freedom or chaos – it can mean finding a way that feels safe and works for me. It’s been a really helpful space to learn, reflect, and feel understood.”

– Anna, UK

“The sessions and times I had worked with Livia are going to be one of the most valuable experiences I have done. She is extremely knowledgeable in both eating disorders and autism. This is very very rare and she has a gift to explain to me in an angle I have not been able to see and know. If I have to use one word to describe our relationship, I would use the word – connection! True connection is always missing in many relationships and even to ourselves.”

– Tammy, US

“After listening to the podcast, I felt that you understood my experience in a way that few people did. I had already made some progress in ED recovery by myself (or discovery), after having been successively failed by (or, as they would like me to think, having failed AT) all of the ED treatment services. Many of them only made the situation worse. The course offered a completely different way of looking at this journey in a way that was much more holistic and sustainable, focusing on life itself rather than just the eating disorder.”

– Jenny, UK

“I was in shambles the weeks before I joined. I felt guilty, not doing enough, losing my child…but throughout the Academy I got such a better understanding of my daughter and her PDA. The Academy improved my relationship with her. The video calls were great as well as the WhatsApp group. The Academy provides such a safe environment to share, reach out, and learn.”

– Rose, Netherlands

Our daughter was trapped in a cycle of over exercising and not eating enough. She was not engaging with the eating disorder service within CAMHS and we felt totally powerless while watching our daughter deteriorate. Whilst reading Rainbow Girl it struck me that our daughter could really benefit from a more individualistic and neuroaffirming approach. I was so ecstatic to find that Livia did offer this and we have not looked back since registering with The Academy. Livia is compassionate, insightful, non judgemental and reassuring, all things that we had not seen in traditional treatment.

The Academy has helped us restore our relationship with our daughter by giving us back the confidence to trust our instincts, to understand that she needs to feel involved and listened to at every step and has also given us the opportunity to learn about eating adaptations in a compassionate and non judgmental space. Thank you so much Livia 💕

– Claire, UK

“Thank you to Livia and everyone in the community for the great support we received. Livia, I admire your dedication and preparation for this Academy, most of all I admire your humility, even when you have changed lives, you present yourself in a very authentic way. The changes we made in our son’s recovery were because of you, and all those adjustments made a very positive impact in him.”

– Humberto, US

“To be honest, I couldn’t even afford the Academy. However, I am so glad that I booked it anyway, because of what I’ve learned from you and this community, the people I got to know, and the discussions I was able to join. You created a unique space with your open heart and open mind, your honesty and lovability. All this is so much more worth than the financial debts. You have such an empowering way of doing what you are passionate about and that encourages me. I cannot describe how grateful I am for you and what you are doing!”

– Eva, Germany

“As someone who facilitates carer workshops on a regular basis the Academy was a unique learning opportunity for me to more fully understand what it is really like for someone with autism to both have an eating disorder, and be expected to respond to classic treatment for neurotypical patients. How damaging it can be to be told over and over "you don't fit" or in Livia's case "you are not treatable." The course was so empowering for all participants whether they came as carers, patients, or like me in a more professional capacity. I cannot do justice to the depth and breadth of the course in this short testimonial. It has certainly informed me in so many ways so that I can endeavour to run courses that are affirming to all participants in the future.”

– Jenny, UK

“In the Academy, I found a community that understood my struggles and gave me valuable insights to help me understand how my ED interacts with my neurodivergence, and how I can leverage it for recovery.”

– Ana Sofia, Portugal

“The Academy has provided me with a sense of connection with others in s similar situation I never thought I'd experience. I feel so much less alone. Liv was so supportive the whole way through and her authenticity and honesty helped me feel a lot more self compassion. She has so much knowledge on autism and EDs, far beyond anything I have received from any healthcare professionals in the NHS.”

– Bethan, UK

“I can’t put into words how grateful I am for Liv’s help and support! I got to know her through her podcasts and blogs, and I absolutely loved both. But what truly changed my life was her 1-on-1 coaching. I discovered quite recently that I’m autistic, and I was really struggling with my ED recovery journey. Liv helped me put things into perspective and find my joy and happiness again.

From the very first moment we met, I felt a connection with her. She creates such a safe space, and I looked forward to our call every single week. She always understood me, often without me even having to put my feelings into words. That was incredibly helpful for me, since I find it quite difficult to express my feelings and experiences.

I’ve learned so much from her and her content, and we as a community are incredibly lucky to have her. She truly changed my life for the better with her positive energy and simply by being herself. Thank you so much Liv, because you are an absolute life-changer!”

– Julia, Netherlands

“As a coach, Livia is a very thoughtful listener. She really gets it. She has done a lot of research and bridges the gaps in the current knowledge base by adding her own lived experience. She creates a more visceral understanding of how a real autistic person views the world. She doesn’t diminish the neurodivergent experience. But her coaching style is very empowering and after every session I left feeling a little lighter and ready to take on my challenges. She lifts me up.”

– Anne, US

“Livia changed my life. As an autistic person that has ED lived experience, she truly 'gets it' like no one else I worked with before. She understands the unique struggles when autism and eating disorders overlap and has genius insights on challenging the eating disorder while embracing the autism. Her guidance helped me break free from rigid patterns while keeping my need for structure and routine. I learned to trust parts of myself that I had pushed away for years. I finally feel confident about my recovery and I couldn’t have done it without her.”

– Bo, UK

“As a parent, I struggled with helping my daughter find a path toward recovery. We had done all of the traditional treatments (Residential, PHP, IOP, FBT, inpatient hospitalization), but nothing seemed like the right fit FOR HER. I had read all of Livia's books, and her perspective and experiences had a lot of similarities with my daughter, so we joined the Academy hoping to find a new aproach to recovery. The Academy is COMPLETELY different than anything we've experienced before. It was aimed at getting to the core of who my daughter is, what she wants, and how she interacts with the world. The focus was on her becoming a fully developed and fullfilled person, not just gainig weight (although that's important as well, but not to be done in a way that is traumatizing). The sense of community that we experienced each week with with the other participants was also incredible. It was such a lovely group of caring people…My daughter and I looked forward to it every week, and were quite sad when it was done.”

– Lindsey, USA

“My daughter who has been suffering with anorexia for 5 years has, in the last week, taken her own first steps towards recovery. To all other parents out there, I'm not saying that this was solely because of Liv's course but I am certain that her reframing of an ED through an autism-affirming lens helped me better understand and support my daughter in a way that FBT never did. It's early days and I know that with eating disorders, nothing is ever easy or straightforward but Liv's course gave me insights, empathy, and practical advice that whatever the outcome of this part of the journey, I know has been super helpful. I can really recommend this to anyone else in a similar situation.”

– Amy, UK

“THANK YOU! The Academy has truly been the most supportive and affirming experience and has made such a positive impact on my sense of self and understanding of my difficulties. It feels like I have found my tribe and I finally feel like I am not alone and that is priceless. ”

– Becky, UK

“Livia is so well informed and passionate that you will take away priceless and unique insights into the mind and world of someone who has lived with both anorexia and autism and is able to explain how she survived. And more importantly now thrives.”

– Felicity, UK

“I was tired of listening to the ‘experts’ and ignoring my own instinct about what was right for my daughter. The Academy affirmed what I knew, that I am the expert on my daughter, and she needs to be believed. It can feel so isolating and exhausting to have to explain such a complicated life experience to people who don’t share this experience. Thank you for providing a place to connect with people who get it:)”

– Kara, USA

“After finding traditional eating disorder treatment very frustrating and invalidating, I was curious to try Liv’s Academy as I’d already learnt so much from her podcasts and being part of the Liv Label Free Membership. My fears going into the Academy was that I wasn’t “autistic enough” or “sick enough” to fit into the group. However, I was completely proven wrong because I really did feel like I belonged and was a worthy member of the group. The WhatsApp group was a particular highlight of the Academy for me as I was able to ask specific questions as well as share my own experiences with others in the group in between the weekly group calls.

My biggest insight from the Academy is that there are other people like me out there! People that understand me without me having to find the “right” words to explain it. People who offer accommodations before I even realise that’s what I need. People who are willing to listen to me express myself in a way which works for me and not what society deems “appropriate.” The connections I have made help me feel a little less alone in this world and I will be forever grateful for this.

The Autistically ED-Free Academy is a neurodiversity-affirming support package which accommodated my neurodivergent needs where other treatment programs didn't, validating my struggles. Liv is so thoughtful in how she structures the Academy, catering for a diverse range of needs which enables the Academy to be super accessible to neurodivergent people! I loved how carers and individuals were combined because it was so useful to hear insights from each perspective. The weekly modules were super interesting and thought-provoking and were used as a springboard for discussion in the calls.

The weekly group calls became a lovely part of my routine, connecting with like-minded beings and sharing common experiences and offering support to one another! It was a wonderful community to be part of and I’d 1000% recommend it. It was so special to be part of the Academy. I will never forget this amazing experience and the connections I've made in this wonderful community. Thank you Liv, you truly are a beautiful being with a heart of gold 💖🌈 ✨”

– Laura, UK

“We are so glad that we found the Academy. Although our daughter wasn’t ready to engage with it directly, it gave us the confidence, skills and strength to help her find her way to the beginning of her recovery (or discovery) journey, as well as the tools we’ll need to help her see the journey through.

The Academy will guide you through an alternative, neuroaffirming approach to eating disorders. The modules gave insight into how to work with our daughter’s neurodivergence in order to provide a safe and loving environment in which she had the space to take control of her own recovery.

It then went on to examine how that process might develop, what hurdles may be encountered and how relationships can then be repaired - and even strengthened!”

– Barnes, UK

“The friendships and sense of community that I have gained from participating in the Academy has been invaluable. The content of the Academy is fantastic, and you can tell that Livia has dedicated so much time, effort and personal experience into creating this course. Week 8 was especially good for me as it helped me realise that I can have 'flexible routines' that allow me to push myself out of my comfort zone whilst still respecting my autistic boundaries.”

– Rosie, UK

“Thank you for this Academy and how valuable it has been. It has come at a crucial time for us as we work past a hard winter with my daughter. It seems to be a cycle each year that it gets harder the further we get into winter and we start to do better again as the days begin to get a bit longer. When this series began my daughter (young adult) wasn’t in a mental space to join in. For the last few weeks we have been listening to all the sessions and will be sad to see the series end. She especially liked the PDA session as we learned of PDA a year or two ago and definitely resonate with that. Our experiences over the years have so many parallels with yours, Livia, and your thoughtful creation of your presentations has been great. My daughter likes your podcasts, but feels these talks have been such a step up in being helpful. It will take a lot of time and maintaining a sense of safety to keep trying to take steps forward. She has lost a lot of trust in programs because they have so misunderstood her needs and her actions. Thank you for being a voice to get the word out that ‘treatment as usual’ is NOT always the best course!”

– Sonia, USA