In this moving and empowering episode, Adina sits down with survivor, advocate, and community health worker Whitley English to explore her journey of surviving a near-fatal assault and transforming that experience into a life of service, advocacy, and healing.

Whitley shares the realities of navigating the justice system, including the challenges she faced in securing protection and the resilience it took to continue fighting for herself. She speaks candidly about how her lived experience became the foundation for her work supporting others impacted by domestic violence and systemic barriers.

They explore Whitley’s work as the founder of WNC GEMS, where she serves as a bridge connecting individuals to essential resources like housing, healthcare, and education—while also addressing social determinants of health through a holistic, community-centered approach.

The conversation expands into spiritual wellness, ancestral healing, and the role of ritual in daily life. Whitley shares her practices with sacred oils, chakra balancing, sound healing, and biofield tuning, offering insight into how spirituality and embodiment can support deep healing and self-regulation.

Adina and Whitley also discuss advocacy, community care, raising conscious children, and the importance of creating safe spaces for healing—including for those working to unlearn cycles of harm.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is not linear, advocacy is deeply personal, and transformation is always possible.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

Whitley’s survival story and journey through the legal system
Turning trauma into advocacy and community impact
The creation and mission of WNC GEMS
Social determinants of health and resource accessibility
Spiritual practices for grounding, healing, and empowerment
Sacred oils, chakra work, and sound healing
Ancestral healing traditions
Supporting survivors and addressing cycles of violence

Resources Mentioned:

thesoulinstitute.co

beckysbiofieldtuning.com

Connect with Whitley:
wncgems.org

IG/TikTok: @wncgems

FB: WNC GEMS Creative Healing Arts

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Adina Arden Cooper is a Shadow Guide and Holistic Therapist. She helps highly sensitive creative visionaries heal trauma so they can not only survive this human experience but thrive in the expression of their greatest gifts. Adina has over 20 years of experience in education and mental health. She's also an artist, a seeker, a mother, and very curious person.

Visit Adina's website to find out more about her work
Follow Fire Bird Creative on Instagram

Roberta Anderson is a Professional Home Organizer, Feng Shui Consultant, Home Witch, and Astrologer based in Asheville, NC. With a deep understanding of both practical organization and intuitive energy work, Roberta helps clients create spaces that nourish the mind, body, and spirit. By combining the art of home design with the wisdom of astrology, she guides individuals in aligning their environments with their personal goals and energetic needs. Her holistic approach helps clients clear clutter, improve energy flow, and cultivate a more peaceful and balanced environment.

The Home Witch

Organize & Feng Shui

From Survival to Service: A Commitment to Healing, Advocacy, and Transformation with Whitley English