Summary In this bold and beautiful episode of Thriving Not Surviving, Helen speaks with Crystal Powers, an Elite Courtesan, content creator, and advocate for ethical tech. With honesty and heart, Crystal shares her journey from childhood trauma and emotional struggle to personal liberation, growth, and thriving in her truth. Together, they explore the power of therapy, the importance of forgiveness, and how transformational coaching helped her build emotional resilience and self-worth. Crystal speaks openly about her work, challenging outdated myths about sex work and shedding light on the emotional connection, care, and deep personal boundaries it requires. She also discusses her mission to build tech platforms that prioritise safety, visibility, and empowerment for sex workers, and how creative expression through costume design and content creation — can be healing and freeing.💫 This conversation is packed with insight, warmth, and truth, a call to reclaim your story, follow your calling, and create change from the inside out.

Keywords: Elite Courtesan, healing, trauma, forgiveness, ethical tech, sex work, empowerment, transformation, community, personal growth, safety, boundaries, costume design, emotional connection, myths, coaching, financial independence

Takeaways

• Crystal Powers is an Elite Courtesan offering transformative experiences

• She values sisterhood, support, and community among women

• Her journey from surviving to thriving involved deep personal healing

• Forgiveness became a key to personal freedom

• Therapy and coaching helped her rebuild her life

• Crystal’s tech vision centres on safety and dignity for sex workers

• She creates respectful, conscious adult content

• Visibility and self-acceptance are core to her mission

• Sex work is about connection, boundaries, and empowerment

• Emotional resilience is essential in the industry

• Many sex workers are business owners, creators, and community leaders

• The myths about sex work often fail to reflect lived truth

• Creative work like costume design is a vital outlet and career

• The right resources and planning make entering sex work safer and more empowering

References from Show

https://www.crystallisedpowers.com

Instagram.com/CelestialCoutures

animascoaching.com

🎧 For full transcription: helen@inspiredhealing.co.uk

📲 Instagram: @helens_inspired_healing

🌐 www.inspiredhealing.co.uk

🎵 Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios

🎨 Cover Art: Dave Champagne

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of grief, baby loss, suicide, and death from illness. Please listen with care.

Keywords: Grief, trauma, healing, loss, psychotherapy, spirituality, rituals, mental health, emotional resilience, PTSD, personal growth, shamanism, somatic healing.

Episode Summary:

In this deeply moving episode of Thriving Not Surviving, Helen Valentino speaks with Maria — a psychotherapist and trauma specialist — about her extraordinary journey through grief, loss, and spiritual transformation.

Over just two years, Maria experienced the deaths of nine loved ones. She opens up about how this intense period of loss impacted her personally and professionally, and how it led her deeper into the realms of ritual, somatic healing, and spiritual exploration.

Together, they explore the multifaceted nature of grief — from the trauma of loss to the gifts that can emerge when we meet death with presence and ritual. Maria offers gentle, embodied wisdom on how to move through grief, the somatic signs of PTSD, and the ways in which childhood trauma can shape our responses to death.

This episode is a tender, honest, and healing space for anyone navigating loss or seeking a deeper understanding of how we honour life — and death.

Takeaways:

• Maria lost nine loved ones in two years

• Grief is a uniquely personal experience that defies a set timeline

• Trauma can open doorways to unexpected spiritual insights

• Rituals help us process grief and honour those who have passed

• Cultural narratives shape how we view and experience death

• Somatic approaches are vital to healing trauma and grief

• PTSD can arise from repeated or complex trauma, not just flashbacks

• Music, nature, and animals can support emotional release and healing

• Grief can trigger unresolved childhood trauma patterns

• Community, compassion, and gentle listening are essential for healing

• Maria’s experiences led her toward shamanism and spiritual practices

• Accompanying someone in their final moments can be a sacred honour

Soundbites:

• "It's like you land on Planet Grief."

• "We don’t have an understanding of death."

• "Ritual gives the soul a language."

• "We need a more somatic approach to healing."

• "PTSD isn’t always loud — sometimes it’s silent and deep."

• "Grief taps into our own patterns and history."

• "It’s about very gentle listening."

References & Contact Info:

🌿 Instagram: @goldenthread.thehive

https://www.soulwave.co.uk/dying-matters

https://wcwaid.co.uk/

https://penhaligonsfriends.org.uk/

https://treglobal.org/

🎧 Full transcription available upon request: helen@inspiredhealing.co.uk

🌿 Instagram: @helens_inspired_healing

🌐 Website: www.inspiredhealing.co.uk

🎵 Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios

🎨 Cover Art: Dave Champagne

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

✨ Episode Description

In this raw and heartfelt episode of Thriving Not Surviving, host Helen Valentino is joined by Andy, a gifted master carpenter and channel for dragon medicine, who shares his extraordinary journey from a high-control religious upbringing to a life of spiritual awakening and healing.

Raised in a fear-based, authoritarian religion, Andy speaks candidly about the mental health crises he endured, the crushing burden of guilt and confession, and the deeply painful experience of being shunned by his community. These events triggered an identity crisis, an experience that, while devastating, became a turning point in his path to self-discovery.

His healing deepened when he reconnected with an old friend and began exploring psychedelics, which opened doors to suppressed emotions and spiritual insight. He found solace and transformation in nature-based spiritual practices, shamanism, and a growing relationship with dragon energy.

Helen and Andy explore themes of emotional healing, masculine and feminine energy balance, and the power of community and ceremony—including the transformative potential of acacia medicine. Andy shares his experiences of channelling dragons, his connection with spirit, and the lessons learned from challenging life experiences.

This episode is a moving conversation about reclaiming identity, breaking free from systems of control, and stepping into one’s true power. It's a powerful reminder that healing is possible, even after deep spiritual wounding—and that every one of us has unique gifts to share with the world.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Andy was raised in a fear-driven, high-control religious environment.
• Confession practices were shaming and left lasting wounds.
• He experienced deep mental health struggles, particularly after being shunned.
• Separation from his wife and counselling led to greater self-awareness.
• Psychedelics became a doorway to suppressed emotions and spiritual connection.
• Andy now channels messages from dragons and other spirit guides.
• Nature and shamanic practices were central to his healing.
• The Medicine Festival was a major turning point.
• He emphasises the need for community, trust, and self-empowerment.
• He now holds dragon circles to help others on their spiritual path.
• Living in the present can help alleviate fear of the future.
• Critical thinking and personal truth are vital on the spiritual journey.

🐉 Resources & Mentions:

• Books:
• The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
• God: A Human History of Religion – Reza Aslan
• The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross – John Allegro
• Dragon Medicine & Circles:
• www.dragoncircle.co.uk
• IG/YouTube: @wakingupwithdragons
• Acacia Ceremonies:
• www.freespiritexperiences.com/ceromony

📧 helen@inspiredhealing.co.uk

📸 Instagram: helens_inspired_healing

🌐 inspiredhealing.co.uk

🎵 Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios

🎨 Cover art: Dave Champagne

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.