JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While society often encourages conversations about healthy self-care practices, Latoya “Torri” Copeland had to take another route to learn what self-care looked like in her life.
Copeland, who was born and raised in Jacksonville’s 45th and Moncrief neighborhood, is a licensed esthetician. She’s always aspired to uplift others but did not know that her aspiration would manifest through holistic beautification practices.
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As a survivor of sex trafficking and a child put through the adoption system, the 39-year-old found unexpected redirection in her pain that revealed her purpose.
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She owns The Garden of Esti Spa, a tranquil oasis inside a nail salon on Beach Boulevard that aims to make women — and men — feel empowered, beautiful and seen.
“It is my mission to combine my love for skin care with my desire to support individuals who have faced similar adversities, helping them to rediscover their beauty and rejuvenate their spirits through holistic and spiritual approaches,” Copeland said.
Her business is also a product of an “intense journey” filled with more headaches than triumphs.
She was an adopted child in a family where many conversations were not centered around that subject.
“I always knew that I was adopted, but it was like a forbidden topic in my household,” she said. “The reason I believe it wasn’t up for discussion was because of generational curses and toxicity that wasn’t willing to be put aside.”
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Copeland became a victim of sex trafficking at 25 years old.
“I showed up for a job interview for a Monster ad at that time, and I walked right into a sex trafficking ring,” Copeland recalled. “I was taken from my family for five months, and so when I came out of it, I never really dealt with it.”
Nearly 10 years after she came out of surviving sex trafficking, depression came crashing down on her like a wave in 2019.
The lingering trauma from her experiences required a level of healing that was hard to discover. But God redirected her steps.
“I never really found my place and my identity, even as a little girl at that point into adulthood. And then even further, the trauma from being trafficked just compounded it,” she said.
Self-care unknowingly became her mental aid that pulled her out of the darkness she faced. She started paying more attention to her skin, doing facials, wax treatments and other beautification processes that helped her learn how to regain love for the woman staring back at her in the mirror.
“The more I did it, the better I felt,” Copeland said. “I felt like I was essentially breathing life back into myself.”
With new breath in her lungs, Copeland didn’t want her efforts to stop with herself. She wondered how she could extend that same joy to others who battled depression, anxiety, PTSD or other mental challenges.
With two bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and political science, Copeland set her sights on law school but soon learned that wasn’t the avenue she wanted to take to achieve her dreams of giving back.
She worked in the nonprofit sector for years, helping young survivors and as a case manager working with children with behavioral health issues. But she returned to school and graduated in October 2024 with her esthetician license.
“I know firsthand the challenges that life can present, yet despite these hurdles, I have remained steadfast in my determination to create a brighter future for my children and to use my story as a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace,” Copeland said. “My faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of my life, and the journey into skincare was born from the realization of the profound impact that self-care has on our mental and emotional well-being.”
Copeland finally unlocked the key to happiness and hoped to pour that same foundation into her clients.
Her spa uses all-natural products and offers services such as full-body facials, paraffin baths, foot detoxes, waxings, and pregnancy facials.
Her goal is for every client to leave feeling refreshed and spiritually, mentally and emotionally reconnected with themselves.
“I see you,” Copeland said. “Whether you feel like you are making strides into the person you want to be or you desire to be, I see you and I hear you.”
Another part of her business mission is outreach.
Copeland wants to sponsor a monthly beauty makeover for a young woman who’s going through the adoption process or someone who is a sex trafficking victim.
The makeover would not stop with beauty. It would also include spiritual counseling services and activities to address inner healing and transformation.
The spa will open on Tuesday, April 1. It is located inside Modish Nails at 13500 Beach Blvd. If you’d like to book a service before opening day, you can email thegardenofesti@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.
For more information, visit thegardenofestispa.com.
If you’re a local business interested in partnering with Copeland, you can also email to reach out.
