“Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better.” ~Maya Angelou
Seasons and Moods Healing Circles for Justice-Impacted Individuals and Communities will provide safe, non-judgmental, and supportive spaces – both inside and outside of detention facilities – to foster positive collaboration and community.
Gathering in circles has been practiced throughout history, and within many communities, cultures, and traditions all over the world. Community circles create a sense of safety, and promote equality, inclusion, and connection that benefits the participants, which then benefits the greater community.
It is an honor to be welcomed into various detention facilities, jails, and prisons to facilitate circle spaces with our justice-impacted brothers and sisters. We gather with the intention of constructing new bridges that are made of solid materials: empathy, self-awareness, curiosity, and pro-social interactions.
After some time, and with regular practice, the rickety bridges that were built out of old wounds, harmful practices, false narratives and paradigms are deconstructed and reevaluated.
A recent circle participant stated, “This is a great philosophy that is widely applicable. Denise has been great. I believe exposure to this type of material is vastly important to personal growth (and) not returning to jail. Learning to shift how we view our reality is honestly the only way to get better as a person.” –R. @ Santa Rosa MADF, Jan 2025
When we are seen through lenses of compassion and understanding, and when we are met exactly where we are on our life’s path with encouragement and support, the walls of animosity, anger, and distrust – that we may have initially constructed to protect us – will begin to disintegrate.
When we are told that we can do better, and then we are given the tools to do so, our outlook on life begins to improve and healing can happen. We begin to develop positive self-awareness, build supportive communities, shift our perspectives, and move forward with greater clarity, while leaving false and dehumanizing narratives behind.
When we work to heal ourselves, we will promote healing in our environments – whether it’s within the walls of a prison, or in our family homes, or within the greater global community. It is said, “Hurt people hurt people, healed people will heal people” … and the risk of sounding trite, the ultimate goal of this circle project is simple – to create a better world for all, one circle at a time!
**For more information, or to inquire about making tax deductible contributions to sponsor or fund this project going forward, please contact:
Denise Youssef seasonsandmoods@gmail.com