About The
Healing Circle

Our Founder’s Why

The journey that led to the creation of The Healing Circle LA is deeply rooted in my personal experiences growing up, and the transformative power of healing circles I was introduced to as a youth. It began when I participated in the Boys and Men of Color program, where they took young men like me on retreats to places like Sierra Nevada and Big Bear Lake. These trips were eye-opening and life-changing, not because of the picturesque landscapes but because of the emotional work we did there.

In those camps, I was introduced to the power of expressing feelings through healing circles. We practiced breathwork and meditation—tools that, as an adolescent, completely shifted my perspective on how to navigate the world around me. These experiences ignited something within me, a recognition that emotional expression was not only important but necessary for Black and Brown boys like me. I saw firsthand how these practices could help us process trauma—trauma induced by our environments, our communities, and even within our families, particularly in marginalized areas like South LA.

Attending weekly healing circles led by Paco Retana further solidified this belief. Paco taught us that healing is a communal process, and through these circles, we could shed the weight of generational trauma and the social and emotional burdens we carried. It became clear to me that expressing our emotions wasn’t just about feeling better—it was about reclaiming our power and breaking the cycles of trauma that had been passed down through generations.

Starting The Healing Circle LA was my way of giving back, of creating a space where Black and Brown folx could safely explore their emotions, learn tools for healing, and build resilience. I know the impact these practices had on my life, and I see the same transformation in the men who now attend our circles. Healing is possible, and through collective expression, we can not only heal ourselves but also uplift our communities.

Joshua Ham
President/Founder

Joshua Ham is a community activist, revolutionary and all around humanitarian from South LA. After Witnessing the effects of violence, crime and addiction in his community, Ham decided to become the change he wanted to see by joining community organizations; such as community coalition and Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition.  Ham learned various skills such as facilitation, recruitment/outreach and relationship building. Ham used these skills to get my peers involved in different civic engagement projects in South LA.  Ham eventually got involved in policy reform that changed the outcomes for students of color in LAUSD. As a student at Manual Arts High School; Ham and his peers introduced the School Climate Bill of Rights. This bill prevented students from being suspended and kicked out of class for willful defiance. It required every school to have a restorative justice counselor on campus. This was a huge win in 2013 for students like Ham in LAUSD and provided him with the experience needed to be an effective organizer.