The Art of Connection: A Week of Therapeutic Support at CityHeART

By CityHeART’s HeART of Survival

At CityHeART, we believe that art can heal trauma and change the world. We also believe that sharing our true stories can make a difference, not just for ourselves when we share but also for those who get to receive our lived experiences.

These aren’t just pretty words on a wall. They’re the foundation of everything we do, especially when it comes to our weekly programming.

Every week, we open our doors to community members who are navigating complex systems while carrying complex stories. Maybe that means dealing with housing instability. Maybe it means recovering from domestic violence, managing mental health challenges, or simply trying to find a sense of belonging after a season of feeling invisible. Whatever brings someone through our doors, we meet them with creativity, compassion, and connection.

Our therapeutic support groups are rooted in art and storytelling because we’ve seen firsthand how powerful these tools can be. And the research backs us up.

Why Art and Storytelling? The Science of Creative Healing

Here’s the thing about trauma: it doesn’t always live in the part of our brain that processes words. Sometimes our hardest experiences get stored in ways that make them difficult to talk about directly. That’s where creative expression comes in.

Research published in a PMC article on trauma-focused art therapy highlights how art-making can support non-verbal processing of traumatic experiences. When someone picks up a paintbrush or shapes clay with their hands, they’re accessing memories and emotions that might be hard to put into words. They’re giving form to the formless.

Similarly, research published in a PMC article on community music programs notes that making music together can foster social connection and help address loneliness. There’s something about creating music together that reminds us we’re not alone.

And it’s not just about the “serious” arts. Research published in a PMC article exploring video game play and mental health recovery suggests that gaming can support coping, social connection, and a sense of progress during recovery for some people. Activities like crafting and social gaming can also create what psychologists call “flow,” a state of focused engagement that offers healthy distraction from distress and builds confidence through accomplishment.

This is the research behind our programming. But more importantly, it’s what we see happening in our space every single week.

Your Week at CityHeART: A Schedule Built for Healing

We’ve designed our weekly programming to offer multiple entry points into creative healing. Whether you’re a morning person or prefer afternoons, whether you love making music or would rather play board games, there’s a place for you here.

Monday Morning: Craft Group

We start the week with hands-on creativity. Our Monday morning Craft Club is all about making things with your hands, whether that’s knitting, beading, paper crafts, or whatever project calls to you. There’s something deeply grounding about working with physical materials, feeling textures, choosing colors, and watching something take shape under your fingers.

A systematic review in a PMC article found that crafts-based interventions are associated with mental health benefits, including improved wellbeing and reduced distress for many participants. But honestly? You don’t need a study to tell you that finishing a project feels good. That sense of “I made this” is powerful.

Tuesday: A Full Day of Connection

Tuesdays are busy at CityHeART, and we love it that way.

Morning Collaborative Music Group

We’re proud to partner with Century Villages at Cabrillo for our Tuesday morning collaborative music group. This session is all about making music together, no experience required. Whether you’ve never touched an instrument or you used to play in a band, you’re welcome here. The focus isn’t on performance. It’s on connection, expression, and the joy of creating something together.

Morning Art and Writing Group

Also on Tuesday mornings, we offer an art and writing group for folks who want to explore storytelling through multiple mediums. You might sketch a memory, write a poem, or combine words and images in a collage. This group is especially powerful for people working on processing their experiences and finding new ways to tell their stories.

Research on narrative therapy and expressive writing shows that the act of constructing a story about our experiences can help us make sense of them and even change our relationship to painful memories. When we write or create art about what we’ve been through, we become the author of our own narrative rather than feeling controlled by it.

Afternoon Game Club

Tuesday afternoons, we switch gears with our Game Club. Board games, card games, collaborative games, competitive games. All of it is welcome here. This might sound like “just playing,” but don’t underestimate the therapeutic power of play.

Games give us a structured way to interact with others, practice social skills, experience healthy competition, and simply have fun. For community members who may have limited opportunities for leisure and social connection, Game Club offers something precious: a chance to just be, without pressure or expectations.

Wednesday: Ukulele Class

There’s a reason the ukulele has become such a popular instrument for beginners. It’s small, affordable, relatively easy to learn, and produces a warm, cheerful sound. Our Wednesday ukulele class welcomes players of all levels, from “what’s a chord?” to “let me show you this song I learned.”

Studies have shown that learning a musical instrument can improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and increase feelings of accomplishment. Plus, the ukulele is inherently social. It’s an instrument that invites sing-alongs and jam sessions. Before you know it, you’re making music with other people, and that shared experience creates bonds that extend beyond the classroom.

A randomized controlled trial shared on ResearchGate describes a community program that included ukulele and found positive effects tied to participation, including improvements in social engagement and wellbeing for older adults. Plus, the ukulele is inherently social. It’s an instrument that invites sing-alongs and jam sessions. Before you know it, you’re making music with other people, and that shared experience creates bonds that extend beyond the classroom.

Thursday Morning: Art Class

Our Thursday morning art class offers more structured instruction for community members who want to develop their artistic skills. Whether we’re working with watercolors, acrylics, drawing, or mixed media, participants get guidance and support while exploring their creativity.

This class is particularly valuable because it combines skill-building with emotional expression. Learning techniques gives participants new tools to express what’s inside them. And the act of creating something beautiful, or even something imperfect but meaningful, can be profoundly healing.

Friday Afternoon: End of Week Processing

We close out the week with our Friday morning coffee hour and afternoon processing group.

Morning Coffee Hour

Ever just feel like grabbing a warm cup of coffee to hold onto tightly when it feels like everything is somehow slipping through your fingers? We’ve got you. Every Friday morning, we serve up freshly brewed coffee, breakfast style refreshments, and great conversation.

Oversleep? No worries! We serve up Free Lunch Fridays at noon every Friday as well. Come by any time on Friday for warmth and refreshment.

Afternoon Processing Group

This is a space for reflection, sharing, and community support. Participants can talk about their week, process challenges they’re facing, celebrate wins, or simply sit in supportive silence with others who understand.

Processing groups like this one draw on the principles of group therapy and peer support. There’s tremendous power in being witnessed by others who “get it.” Research published in a PMC article also highlights how personal narratives and storytelling can support identity reconstruction after trauma. When someone shares their story and sees understanding in the faces around them, something shifts. The isolation of difficult experiences begins to lift.

This group is facilitated with care and intention, creating a safe container for whatever needs to emerge. It’s the perfect way to transition into the weekend with a sense of closure and connection.

Who Is This For?

Our programming is designed for community members who are navigating complex systems, whether that’s housing services, healthcare, the legal system, or social services, while carrying their own complex histories. We serve survivors of domestic violence, veterans, seniors, families with children, and anyone who could benefit from creative healing in a supportive community.

Our CityHeART Family is made up of a team of creative storytellers who know firsthand the healing and empowerment that can come from sharing our stories and celebrating our lived experiences. As peers and volunteers in this space, we are quite grateful to get to come alongside the guests we see everyday.

We welcome referrals from social workers, case managers, and other service providers. If you work with clients who might benefit from therapeutic support rooted in art and storytelling, we’d love to connect.

Join Us

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community, through connection, creativity, and the courage to share our stories. That’s what we offer at CityHeART, every day of the week.

To learn more about our programming and how to get involved, send us an email at love@ourcityheart.org or follow us online on social media at @heartofsurvivallb.

We can’t wait to create with you.