Carolyn Whatley
Carolyn Whatley is a marriage and family therapist, spiritual practitioner, and justice advocate whose work centers on the integration of trauma recovery, addiction healing, and spiritual transformation. She serves as Team Lead for Activism at Hagar’s Voice, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of clergy sexual abuse. In her clinical role at an addiction recovery center, Carolyn walks alongside individuals navigating grief, loss, and the complex impacts of abuse and oppression. Grounded in a decolonizing, anti-racist framework, she works to cultivate trauma-informed communities where dignity, safety, and healing are accessible to all. Her therapeutic approach and justice work are deeply informed by the conviction that every person carries the image of the Holy Mystery and is worthy of honor, voice, and belonging.
“When we commit to emotional maturity rather than functionality, we no longer see people as vehicles for our own aims and successes. The way we relate to one another and the way we lead others is dramatically changed.”
—Carolyn Whatley, Need to Know: Empowering Female Leadership and Why It’s Essential for the Future of the Church
