Alys Cavanagh
Author of Love Bade Me Eat (Ark House Publishing), and contributor on ABC’s acclaimed documentary series The Piano (series 2) Alys has a story to tell that will bring hope to many. Autistic and a gifted child musician, Alys, experienced a nervous breakdown at 14 that decimated her piano-playing dreams and spawned a decades-long battle with anorexia, complex PTSD, self-harm and a host of other mental health conditions. At 44, broken, her family in tatters, and trapped in a relentless merry-go-round of psychiatric hospitalisations, Alys had a life-changing encounter with a person she names in her book as, simply `The Shepherd’.
It was an encounter that changed everything.
Today, her family reunited, her health restored and her music – miraculously – recovered, Alys uses her beloved piano, together with her communicative gift to share her lived experience of the One who gave all to save her. Her heart is moved to reach those touched by the devastation of a chronic eating disorder and its associated comorbidities, including personality disorders, OCD, complex PTSD, and self-harm.
Her message, and the Love of whom she speaks, is available to all.
author.
If a speaking event is not an option, or a little far away for you right now, you can access the entirety of Alys’ story through her recently published book `Love Bade Me Eat’. In this searingly honest, at times humorous, deeply moving account, Love Bade Me Eat shares Alys’ encounter with the Love - `The Shepherd’ - that rescues her from the clutches of chronic, life-threatening anorexia. Within its compelling narrative, it provides life-giving truths that tackle each of the multifaceted layers of a severe and enduring eating disorder.
Chapter topics include:
Body Image
Exercise and learning to rest
Identity
Body sensations
OCD, rituals and rigidity
Self-hatred
Perfectionism
Boundaries
Trauma and flashbacks
Suicidality
Self-harm
Finding True Beauty
Letting Him rewrite my story
Is my recovery good enough
Befriending my anorexic self
Filling the anorexic void
And more.
Alys writes with characteristic sensitivity to make her story a safe space for those of no faith background at all, or those who have been wounded in their faith journey. Love Bade Me Eat will touch not only those affected by eating disorders and their associated conditions, but anyone seeking a deeper – or perhaps first-time encounter with the Love from which they came.
BOOK RELEASE DATE APRIL 12th 2026!
speaker.
Alys’s story is not one of a `perfect’ recovery, but of a perfect Saviour. She communicates, with clarity, vulnerability, and, at times, humour, her lived experience of The Shepherd who walks with her, loves her, strengthens her, and never gives up on her whether recovered, sick, relapsed or somewhere in between. With this key focus in mind, her talks cover a range of pertinent topics for those dealing with mental illness, including, but not limited to:
Body Image
Exercise and learning to rest
Identity
Neurodiversity and interoceptive dysregulation
OCD
Self-hatred
Perfectionism
Boundaries
Trauma and flashbacks
Suicidality
Self-harm
Relapse
Alys speaks in a wide range of settings, including, but not limited to, psychiatric wards and treatment programs, prisons, supported residential services, schools, churches, youth groups, professional bodies working with mental health and corporate settings.
musician.
Alys uses an array of beautiful, poignant and moving classical music to share her story. Her playing is not intended as a `perfect’ performance to be impressed by, but rather a healing space in which to rest, bathe and reflect upon the words that she has shared. Ideally, it will be, for those listening, a place of encounter with the One of whom she speaks.
As with speaking, Alys can deliver her music in a wide range of settings, including, but not limited to, psychiatric wards and treatment programs, prisons, supported residential services, schools, churches, youth groups, professional bodies working
with mental health and corporate settings. She brings her own keyboard on wheels – all she needs is a power-point.
Whether you are enquiring about a speaking engagement or something else entirely, you are warmly welcome to reach out here. Alys reads each message personally and will respond as she is able.