In this week's episode, host Matt sits down with staff member Marisa — Executive Project Manager and Board Liasion at Art Heals Arizona — to talk about the years-long, behind-the-scenes work of building an organization where everyone has what they need to thrive.

They dig into what it really means to foster belonging, how staff and volunteers are learning with the communities they serve, and why doing that work out loud — mistakes and all — matters more than waiting until everything is perfect.

This is a conversation about people caring for people. About building a culture rooted in respect, honest dialogue, and values that show up not just in a mission statement — but in the day-to-day.

If you've ever wanted to pull back the curtain on how a mission-driven nonprofit shapes its culture from the inside out, this one's for you.

What if everything we thought we knew about resilience was only part of the story?

In this episode of Canvas of the Heart, host Matt Sandoval sits down with Dr. Sherry Hamby — distinguished research professor, clinical psychologist, and author of the forthcoming book Stronger Than You Think (May 26, 2026) — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to heal from trauma and adversity.

Dr. Hamby shares how her work in rural Appalachia, on the San Carlos Apache reservation, and with survivors of domestic violence taught her that the people our systems most often underestimate are frequently the ones working hardest to find a way forward. Drawing on decades of research, she walks us through the resilience portfolio model — a framework built around four domains of strength: meaning making, regulatory skills, interpersonal relationships, and physical environment — and explains why real healing rarely looks like toughing it out alone.

Together, Matt and Dr. Hamby explore the concept of poly-victimization (why cumulative trauma exposure matters more than any single event), why creative expression belongs at the center of trauma recovery rather than on its margins, and what "trauma-informed care" actually requires of organizations that claim it.

This conversation touches the heart of what Art Heals Arizona does every day — meeting people where they are, building on what they already bring, and trusting that a good life is possible.

Topics covered: Resilience portfolio model · Deficit lens vs. strengths-based approaches · Poly-victimization and cumulative trauma · Art, music, and creative expression as healing tools · Trauma-informed vs. healing-centered systems · Institutional betrayal · Access to healing outside formal services

Connect with Dr. Hamby: Life Paths Research Center or her Book: Stronger Than You Think — available May 26, 2026

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Bianca Harper, director of ASU's Arizona Child and Adolescent Survivor Initiative (ACASI), whose mission is to foster the healing of intimate partner violence survivors. She walks us through the program's holistic approach to healing and the power of overcoming the stigma around these issues. Perhaps nowhere is the incredible healing power of art better personified than at the vigil ceremony hosted by ACASI and Free Arts, where families honored the memories of their loved ones through art, music, poetry, and storytelling. Free Arts' research-based program model, Art + Mentors = Resilience, helps children build the resilience they need to maintain personal well-being by connecting them with caring adults and creative activities that develop their personal skills and sense of self. Free Arts believes that healthy connections with adults create change. Through partnerships with local child welfare agencies and shelters serving families, Free Arts is able to provide this intervention to children free of cost to program participants.

ACASI Website Family Violence Center | School of Social Work

To become a Free Arts Volunteer Mentor, please visit FreeArtsAZ.org/Volunteer

Hosted by Matt Sandoval, CEO of Free Arts

Produced by Alvaro Morello Music by

Epidemic sound: Tell 'em No by Flux Vortex, Free Throw by Timothy Infinite

Contact the podcast at hello@freeartsaz.org

Follow us at: Youtube.com/FreeArtsofArizona Facebook.com/freeartsaz Instagram: @freeartsaz Twitter @freeartsaz You can make your donations to Free Arts at FreeArtsAz.org/Donate

Join Matt and Erina as they discuss the Free Arts Family Program, regulation, and co-regulation. Erina gives a brief overview of the history of the Family Program and how it has grown in the past three years and what a Family Empowerment Night looks like.

We wanted to share this episode during the holiday season because it can often be a deregulating time for a lot of individuals. Matt and Erina share some amazing art-based examples about how to both regulate and co-regulate - perhaps you will learn some techniques you can try during the next few weeks.

You can listen to it on YouTube or your favorite streaming platform!

Free Arts (www.freeartsaz.org) is an Arizona nonprofit organization that uses the power of the arts to help children who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Free Arts' research-based program model, Art + Mentors = Resilience, helps children build the resilience they need to overcome trauma by connecting them with caring adults and creative activities that develop their skills and sense of self. Free Arts believes that healthy connections with adults create change. Through partnerships with local child welfare agencies, Free Arts is able to provide this intervention to children free of cost to program participants.

To become a Free Arts Volunteer Mentor, please visit FreeArtsAZ.org/Volunteer

Hosted by Matt Sandoval, CEO of Free Arts

Produced by Alvaro Morello Music by Epidemic sound: Tell 'em no by Flux Vortex, Free Throw by Timothy Infinite

Contact the podcast at hello@freeartsaz.org Follow us at Youtube.com/FreeArtsofArizona Facebook.com/freeartsaz Instagram: @freeartsaz Twitter @freeartsaz

You can make your donations to Free Arts at FreeArtsAz.org/Donate