Bring Healing to Your Community
Host a Holding Frames gathering—a trauma-informed, art-based space where your community can process together, break isolation, and turn pain into messages of care for others.
What Is a Holding Frames Gathering?
A Holding Frames gathering is a temporary, non-clinical space where people who've experienced disaster, crisis, or collective loss can come together to create art—specifically, to paint messages of hope on frames that will be delivered to another community facing hard times.
It's not therapy
There's no diagnosis, no clinical treatment, no pressure to "process" verbally. Mental health professionals are present to ensure safety, but this is community-based healing, not counseling.
It's not art class
No artistic skill required. No judgment about what people create. The act of creating is what matters—hands moving, colors mixing, messages forming.
It's holding space
A gathering is 2-3 hours where people can simply be—side by side, creating together, choosing their own level of engagement. Some paint in silence. Some share stories. Both are welcome.
It's about connection
Participants paint for another community, knowing their frames will hold messages that say "you're not alone." In doing so, they break their own isolation and find purpose in their pain.
Every gathering is guided by the FRAME Method: Presence (regulating the nervous system through art), Proximity (breaking isolation side-by-side), Power (restoring choice and agency), and Purpose (turning pain into care for others).
Who Hosts Gatherings?
Holding Frames gatherings happen in schools, workplaces, faith communities, neighborhood centers, disaster recovery organizations—anywhere people are navigating collective loss or transition.
Schools & Universities
After community violence, student loss, or collective grief, schools host gatherings for students, staff, and families to process together in a safe, structured way.
Workplaces
Organizations navigating layoffs, restructuring, loss of colleagues, or industry-wide crisis host gatherings to support employee wellbeing and restore connection.
Community Centers
Neighborhood spaces, libraries, and community organizations host gatherings for residents affected by local disasters, violence, or collective loss.
Faith Communities
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and spiritual communities host gatherings for congregants navigating grief, loss, or communal hardship.
Service Organizations
Nonprofits, disaster relief agencies, and crisis response organizations host gatherings for the communities they serve or for their own staff experiencing vicarious trauma.
Grassroots Groups
Informal community groups, mutual aid networks, and neighborhood associations host gatherings to support their members through collective challenges.
What Hosting Looks Like
Hosting a gathering is a partnership. The Holding Frames brings expertise, structure, and materials. You bring space and invitation to your community. Together, we create the conditions for healing.
What The Holding Frames Brings
- Trained facilitators who guide the gathering using the FRAME Method
- Mental health professionals present throughout to ensure safety
- All art materials—frames, paints, brushes, aprons, everything needed
- Trauma-informed structure—opening circle, creative time, closing ritual
- Pre-gathering consultation to understand your community's needs
- Post-gathering follow-up and resources for ongoing support
- Connection to receiving community—we deliver the frames and share impact
What You Bring as Host
- Physical space—a room with tables, chairs, and access to water (gym, cafeteria, community room, fellowship hall)
- Invitation to participants—you know your community and how best to reach them
- 2-3 hours of time for the gathering itself (setup and cleanup included)
- 1-2 community liaisons present who can answer questions and provide local context
- Flexibility—we adapt to your community's needs, timing, and cultural context
- Optional: Light refreshments (if appropriate for your setting—coffee, water, simple snacks)
Note: We work with hosts to address any barriers—financial, logistical, or otherwise. If you're interested but concerned about feasibility, let's talk. We're committed to making gatherings accessible.
Our Trauma-Informed Commitment
Every gathering is designed with safety, choice, and dignity at the center. Here's what that means in practice:
Voluntary Participation
No one is required to attend, speak, share their story, or create in any particular way. Showing up is enough. Observing is enough. Leaving early is okay.
Mental Health Support
Licensed mental health professionals are always present—not to "treat" anyone, but to ensure emotional safety and provide support if someone becomes distressed.
No Pressure to Disclose
Participants are never asked to share details of their trauma, loss, or crisis experience. The focus is on creating, not processing verbally (unless someone chooses to).
Cultural Humility
We adapt to your community's cultural context, language, traditions, and needs. Our facilitators are trained in cultural responsiveness and follow your community's lead.
Privacy Protection
We never share identifying information, photos of participants, or personal stories without explicit consent. What happens in the gathering stays in the gathering.
Community-Led Approach
We're not here to "fix" your community. We're here to hold space for whatever your community needs—whether that's silence, laughter, tears, or connection.
How to Get Started
Hosting a gathering is a collaborative process. Here's what to expect from initial conversation to gathering day:
Initial Conversation
Schedule a call with our team. We'll learn about your community, what you're navigating, and whether a Holding Frames gathering might be helpful. No commitment required—this is about discernment.
Planning Call
If we mutually decide to move forward, we'll have a deeper conversation about logistics: timing, space, participant population, cultural considerations, and any specific needs or concerns.
Community Preparation
We'll provide guidance on how to invite participants in a trauma-informed way—what to say, what not to say, how to set expectations. You'll handle invitations; we'll support you in crafting the message.
Gathering Day
Our team arrives with all materials, sets up the space, and facilitates the 2-3 hour gathering. You're present as community liaison, but we handle the structure and guidance.
Follow-Up & Connection
After the gathering, we debrief with you, provide resources for ongoing community support, and keep you informed about where the frames are delivered and the impact they make.
Questions Hosts Often Ask
How many people should attend?
Gatherings work well with 10-50 participants. Smaller groups feel intimate; larger groups create energy. We adapt to your community's size and space constraints.
What if people don't want to participate?
That's completely okay. We always emphasize that participation is voluntary. Some people attend and just observe. Some create silently. Some engage deeply. All are welcome exactly as they are.
Is there a cost to host?
We work to make gatherings accessible regardless of a community's financial capacity. Let's talk about your situation—costs, sponsorship options, and how we can make this work for you.
How soon can we host after a crisis?
Timing matters. Gatherings typically happen in the weeks or months after immediate crisis response—when emergency services have stepped back but communities still need support. We'll help you discern the right timing.
What if someone becomes emotionally overwhelmed?
Our mental health professionals are trained to support individuals who become distressed. We have quiet spaces, grounding techniques, and protocols for ensuring everyone's emotional safety.
Do you host gatherings virtually?
While in-person gatherings are ideal for full sensory engagement, we have adapted the FRAME Method for virtual contexts when in-person isn't possible. We can discuss what format might work best for your community.
What if we're not sure we're "crisis-affected enough"?
There's no threshold of suffering required. If your community is navigating loss, transition, grief, or collective stress—and if creating together might help—you're "enough." We trust communities to know what they need.
Can we host multiple gatherings?
Absolutely. Some communities host one gathering; others find value in a series over several months. We'll work with you to determine what serves your community best.
Ready to Explore Hosting?
Whether you're certain or just curious, we'd love to talk. Schedule a no-pressure conversation to explore whether a Holding Frames gathering might serve your community.
Not ready to host but want to support communities that are? Make a gift to sponsor gatherings in underserved areas.