Restorative Houston

This weekend we had a wonderful Rest & Release Stress Management circle! We were all amazed at how actually relaxing it was in spite of so many people showing up. We walked away less stressed, with more stress management tools & feeling more connected.

A HUGE thanks to for once again offering their beautiful space for us to do our circle!!

And we are so proud of our fully apprenticed circle keepers Jessica Hernandez & .michel8 for creating such a welcoming & soothing atmosphere. Y’all did amazing!

Our next circle will be July 4th called INTERdependence Day: Reimagining Freedom. Link to register is in our bio!

This year, we’re gathering to celebrate something different: Interdependence.

In a culture that often tells us to do everything alone, we’re creating space to explore a different possibility—the idea that freedom isn’t found in isolation, but in connection. That our well-being is tied to one another. That community, care, and collective responsibility aren’t barriers to freedom, but the foundation of it.

Join us for a restorative community circle where we’ll reflect on what freedom really means, imagine what a more connected and caring society could look like, and explore the ways we already practice liberation through community every day.

**Bring a potluck dish to share!

📅 July 4, 2026
⏰ 2 PM – 4 PM
📍 Bayland Community Center

Register through the QR code on the flyer.

It takes a village to serve a village! Thank you to the for donating 600 pairs of Bombas socks that we will be regifting to youth we are working with and to our community closet! We are so grateful for community partners that walk the walk. We appreciate ya’ll!

We are still on a high from the deeply impactful Non-violent Communication Workshop we hosted this weekend that the wonderful Bren Hardt, founder of , taught. Every single activity she had us do was incredibly engaging, enlightening & really drove each point home. We were all so impressed that we were left wanting another 4 hours of it!

Nonviolent communication is a huge part of the fabric of Restorative Houston’s DNA. We implement it in how we co-keep circles and especially in our harm repair & conflict resolution work. It is truly life-changing knowledge & practice that we are constantly seeking to improve on & learn more of. We met remarkable people that deeply align with our work which is always exciting. We also want to shout out the Rothko Chapel for lending us their gorgeous admin building for our workshop! We are working on creating another workshop! Stay tuned 😊

Congrats to on completing her capstone circle and becoming fully apprenticed!!

When headlines and policy debates shape how we think about our unhoused neighbors, restorative justice invites us to pause and examine the stories we’ve been taught to believe.

Recently, our apprentice Circle Keeper, Alissa, facilitated a community Circle in response to the ongoing conversations about homelessness, encampment sweeps, and proposed policies in Houston. As someone who lives in the neighborhood most impacted by these decisions, Alissa wanted to create a space for residents to reflect on their assumptions, fears, experiences, and hopes for a community where everyone belongs.
Through storytelling, listening, and honest dialogue, participants explored questions such as: What messages have we received about unhoused people? How do those messages shape our actions?

We are proud of Alissa’s leadership and commitment to bringing restorative practices to issues that deeply affect her community. Change begins when we are willing to see one another fully. this is what true civic engagement looks like!
Belonging RestorativeHouston

Kudos to Kristin Walker (last person on the right), a counselor at Channelview ISD’s DAEP who graduated from our Restorative Houston apprenticeship by completing her capstone circle and is now a restorative practitioner! We loved the circle she kept with staff who show up every day to support youth who struggle with addiction and trauma, and loved the care and humor they brought to the space.

We CANNOT thank everyone who donated enough for their generosity & support. Every day we are humbled by the caliber of people who show up for us & the work we do. You are the true definition of community. From the depths of our hearts: THANK YOU!

Our Motherhood and Caregiver Circle took place outside again at Beauty's Community Garden. Restorative practitioners Deshandrea Yates and Rayla Willis, M.S. CMHC, NCC, LPC-A Willis (also a Co Founder of Restorative Houston) had us write negative messages on paper plates, and then write affirmations about ourselves on ceramic plates. We shimmied, laughed, and became vulnerable in a very short amount of time. Thank you to our volunteers for sustaining this programming!

Arelia’s “Joy is Strategy” workshop had a deep impact on us & is what inspired us to adopt joy as Restorative Houston’s theme for 2026! She taught us a life changing new paradigm for how to see & practice joy that we are benefiting from every day.

Please go follow her page at She has incredible projects coming up including her book “Hijacking Equity and the Fight for Justice” which will be released June 19th!

We are so grateful Arelia is part of our RH Community & for the incredible work she does.