In this episode of Painting Your Path™, I sit down with Nadia Paredes: art therapist, former president of the American Art Therapy Association, immigrant, mom, and community mental health leader with Project HOPE.

After losing her son’s school in the Eaton fire, Nadia’s personal and professional worlds collided, leading her back into disaster mental health and community care. She shares how art, creativity, and community can help us navigate grief, shock, and long-term recovery.

Tune in to hear how Nadia thinks about healing after a crisis, what it really looks like a year later, and why she believes we are always “becoming.”

In This Episode, We Touch On:

Nadia’s story of losing her son’s school to the fire and how it reshaped her sense of community
Her journey back to disaster mental health work after years in other clinical roles
What art therapy actually is—and how it differs from “therapeutic art” or creative self-care
The mission of Project HOPE and how they’re supporting communities in crisis (including the Eaton fire response)
The idea of vicarious trauma for people working closely with survivors and communities
Simple micro-breaks and self-regulation tools to support your nervous system during stressful times

📺Watch on YouTube: Tune in here

Connect with Nadia:

Project HOPE website: https://www.projecthope.org
Project HOPE’s Mental Health Toolkit: https://www.projecthope.org/reports-resources/e-poster/quick-reset-mental-health-pocket-toolkit/
CA for the Arts Therapy Session with Nadia: https://youtu.be/OyMb0Xj4_78?si=II-p1ehnRlJfKezQ
Pasadena Village Hope to Healing program: https://www.pasadenavillage.org/events/4367-hope--healing-supper-club

Connect with Clarissa:

March 26th Free Virtual ArtfulRx (Paint with me session)
April 11th Women’s Retreat in Pasadena, CA. Email the word “BLOOM” to clarissa@clarissastudio.com for more details.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarissacastilloramsey.art
Self-Paced Vision Board Workshop: https://fromemployee2entrepreneur.live/visionboard

Support the show

Healing After Disaster with Art Therapist & Project HOPE Leader Nadia Paredes