About Us
Building a Community Where Everyone Thrives
FREE HEARTS operates as a dedicated sanctuary for emotional health and empowered living, founded on the principle that compassion is a tangible, transformative force. Our work is meticulously structured around developing comprehensive programs that directly address the core elements of emotional well-being and personal mastery, ranging from early childhood development programs that instill foundational social skills to adult workshops that focus on stress management, mindful living, and sustained professional development. We utilize research-backed methodologies delivered by highly qualified professionals, ensuring that our supportive services are both deeply caring and clinically credible, striking that crucial balance between warmth and expert knowledge. The infrastructure of our organization is designed to be fully accessible and highly adaptable, allowing us to effectively meet the diverse needs of the families and individuals who walk through our doors in the Hermosa Beach community, providing a consistent haven of support, understanding, and unconditional positive regard. Our staff and volunteers are rigorously trained to create an environment free from judgment, promoting open dialogue and authentic connection, solidifying our role not just as a service provider, but as a genuine partner in life’s most essential journey of self-improvement and emotional fortitude.
Our Story
From a Single Vision to a Spreading Movement of Compassion
FREE HEARTS began with a simple yet powerful realization among its founders: the most significant barriers to human potential are often not external, but internal, rooted in unaddressed emotional hurt and a lack of tools for personal processing. Born from a series of informal community support groups in the Hermosa Beach area several years ago, the organization quickly gained traction as people discovered the profound relief and empowerment that comes from sharing vulnerability and learning foundational emotional skills in a non-judgmental space. What started as a small, volunteer-led initiative soon formalized its structure to meet the overwhelming demand for its unique blend of therapeutic and educational services, driven by the immediate positive feedback from participants who experienced significant breakthroughs in their personal and family lives. This early history instilled a deeply democratic and community-focused ethos in FREE HEARTS, ensuring that every program, every resource, and every strategic decision remains directly responsive to the articulated needs and voices of the very people we exist to serve. Our roots are firmly planted in the belief that grassroots efforts, powered by genuine human connection, hold the key to large-scale positive change, guiding our development into the robust organization we are today.
What We Do
Comprehensive Care for Emotional Fitness at Every Stage
The structure of our programming at FREE HEARTS is built upon a layered, age-appropriate model designed to provide continuous support and emotional education from early childhood through adulthood, ensuring that individuals are equipped at every phase of life. Our offerings are broadly categorized into three main pillars: foundational emotional literacy for youth, targeted resilience and coping mechanism training for adolescents, and advanced wellness and relationship workshops for adults and families, each pillar supported by dedicated, specialized staff. Every program begins with a careful assessment to ensure that the content and delivery method are precisely tailored to the specific needs and developmental stage of the participants, maximizing engagement and the efficacy of the learning process. We proudly host both regularly scheduled group sessions, which are essential for peer support and social learning, and accessible one-on-one mentorship opportunities for those requiring more individualized attention, all within a confidential and encouraging framework that prioritizes vulnerability and honest self-exploration as the true pathways to empowerment and lasting personal transformation.
Our Mission
Spreading Love and Compassion in Every Corner of Life
Our core mission at FREE HEARTS is directly focused on empowering individuals by intentionally fostering emotional well-being and consistently supporting deeply meaningful personal growth across all facets of life, from the home to the workplace and the wider community. We are dedicated to creating and sustaining a powerful, nurturing environment where everyone, regardless of their past experiences or current circumstances, feels completely safe, encouraged, and thoroughly equipped to thrive emotionally, socially, and personally. This mission is realized through the careful development and implementation of supportive programs and accessible resources that deliberately cultivate fundamental human qualities such as empathy, resilience, self-awareness, and a genuine, lasting connection to others. We tirelessly work to dismantle the barriers that prevent individuals from accessing their full potential, promoting a culture where vulnerability is seen as strength and kindness is the default operating principle, all while maintaining a highly professional standard of care and credibility in every service we provide to the people of Hermosa Beach and beyond.
Our vision
Building a Global Community Defined by Emotional Freedom
The long-term vision of FREE HEARTS is to see a future world in which emotional literacy is universally recognized as a core life skill, equivalent in importance to reading and mathematics, leading to societies that are inherently more peaceful, productive, and interconnected. We aspire to become the leading model for community-based emotional well-being and personal development, expanding our proven programs and collaborative impact far beyond our Hermosa Beach origins to create replicable, scalable models for similar organizations worldwide, sharing our expertise and resources with those who share our passion for human potential. Our goal is to significantly reduce the stigma associated with mental and emotional health struggles, building a culture where openly seeking support is celebrated as an act of courageous self-care and wisdom, fundamentally transforming how individuals view their own emotional landscapes. We see a future where every child grows up with the emotional toolkit to navigate complexity, and every adult has the resilience to meet life’s challenges with grace, guided by a sense of unwavering inner purpose and profound connection.
Our Value
Integrity, Compassion, Empowerment, and Growth
The daily operations and strategic direction of FREE HEARTS are anchored by four immutable core values: Integrity, Compassion, Empowerment, and Growth, principles that guide every interaction and every decision made within our organization. Integrity is the commitment to transparent, ethical practice, ensuring that all our programs are evidence-based, our financial operations are open to scrutiny, and that we consistently uphold the trust placed in us by our community members and partners. Compassion is the non-negotiable heart of our work, requiring us to approach every individual with profound empathy, treating their struggles with dignity and profound respect, fostering a non-judgmental space where healing can truly begin and flourish. Empowerment speaks to our focus on fostering internal strength, ensuring that our services help individuals discover their own capabilities and take full ownership of their personal journey, moving beyond dependence toward self-mastery. Finally, Growth represents our commitment to continuous learning and improvement, both for the individuals we serve and for our organization as a whole, ensuring that our methodologies always remain at the cutting edge of psychological and educational best practices.
Our imapct
Strengthening Families and Fostering Community Resilience
The impact of FREE HEARTS radiates outwards from the individual participant to the deepest levels of the community, creating a measurable and sustained effect that strengthens the social fabric and increases collective resilience against modern stresses. By providing highly accessible and effective emotional tools, we enable individuals to communicate more constructively within their families, leading to a demonstrable reduction in household conflict and an increase in overall family cohesion and mutual understanding. In the wider community, our presence contributes to a more compassionate public discourse, as participants who have mastered self-regulation are better equipped to engage in difficult conversations with patience and empathy, serving as silent catalysts for positive social change. Furthermore, our programs are specifically designed to be preventative, equipping people with coping mechanisms before crises strike, thereby reducing the reliance on external social services and contributing to a more self-sustaining, emotionally healthy population. This sustained, long-term impact solidifies FREE HEARTS’ essential role as a key contributor to the long-term well-being and enduring vitality of the Hermosa Beach community.
Our Team
Meet the Caring Experts Who Bring Our Mission to Life
The FREE HEARTS team is composed of passionate, highly qualified professionals and deeply committed volunteers who are united by a singular, powerful belief in the transformative power of love and emotional education. Every member of our staff, from the executive director to our program facilitators, brings a wealth of specialized knowledge, including certifications in counseling, child development, social work, and educational leadership, ensuring that our warmth is always backed by credible, research-based expertise. We are not just service providers; we are active practitioners of the principles we teach, committed to modeling integrity, empathy, and continuous personal growth in our daily lives and interactions, creating an authentic and inspiring atmosphere for participants. Our team culture prioritizes open communication, mutual support, and collaborative problem-solving, which translates into a cohesive, highly effective delivery of services to the community, making us a true family of compassionate experts dedicated to your well-being.
Sarah Chen, Executive Director
Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Non-Profit Management and over fifteen years of experience in youth advocacy and community development, having dedicated her professional life to creating equitable access to mental health resources in underserved communities. She is a certified trauma-informed practitioner and frequently leads workshops on organizational resilience and compassionate leadership, ensuring that the ethos of FREE HEARTS penetrates every level of its operation. Sarah’s leadership style is characterized by deep empathy, strategic foresight, and an unwavering commitment to integrity, fostering a work environment where staff feel valued and inspired to perform at their best while prioritizing self-care. She fundamentally believes that the greatest impact comes from empowering local communities to become self-sustaining in their emotional wellness, tirelessly working to build strategic partnerships that amplify our reach and effectiveness far beyond the center’s four walls, making her a visionary in the sector.
Dr. Elias Vance, Clinical Program Lead
Dr. Vance, who oversees the development and clinical efficacy of all our educational curricula, holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and specializes in positive behavioral support and early childhood attachment theory, bringing an invaluable scientific rigor to our programs. His professional focus is on translating complex psychological research into accessible, practical, and deeply engaging tools that parents, educators, and children can use immediately to improve their daily interactions and emotional regulation skills, constantly updating our material to reflect the latest neuroscientific discoveries. Elias is known for his calm, patient, and deeply analytical approach, ensuring that every program offered by FREE HEARTS is not only warm and engaging but also clinically sound and ethically responsible, providing a foundation of credibility that supports our compassionate mission. He frequently publishes articles on emotional literacy and family resilience, establishing FREE HEARTS as a key source of information.
Maria Rodriguez, Community Engagement Coordinator
Maria is the vibrant heart of our outreach efforts, responsible for bridging the gap between our center and the diverse communities we serve, bringing with her a B.A. in Social Work and five years of experience organizing volunteer networks and family support initiatives. Her passion lies in creating truly inclusive environments where all voices are heard and celebrated, diligently working to ensure our programs are culturally sensitive and physically accessible to everyone in Hermosa Beach, regardless of language or socioeconomic background. Maria coordinates all our community events, manages our dedicated volunteer corps, and personally facilitates parent support groups, utilizing her exceptional interpersonal skills to foster genuine, lasting connections that strengthen the entire FREE HEARTS ecosystem. Her tireless dedication ensures that our commitment to compassion is actively reflected in our external relationships, making her an essential part of our organization’s identity and reach.
Mark O’Connell, Youth Program Facilitator
Mark is a dynamic and creative educator with extensive experience in mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques for children and adolescents, holding certifications in both youth mentorship and experiential education methodologies. He leads our most popular programs for middle school students, focusing on teaching resilience, digital well-being, and navigating peer pressure through engaging activities like creative storytelling, therapeutic art, and outdoor exploration sessions. Mark has a unique ability to connect instantly with young people, fostering a rapport built on mutual respect and genuine enthusiasm, which allows him to deliver profound emotional lessons in a fun and relatable manner, creating a safe space where even the most hesitant adolescents feel comfortable exploring their inner lives. His commitment to preventative mental health strategies makes him an essential figure in equipping the next generation with the tools necessary for future success and happiness.
Our Work
Empowering Minds Through Emotional Literacy
Education & Learning
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence as a Core Life Skill
At FREE HEARTS, education and learning extend far beyond traditional academic subjects, centering instead on the fundamental cultivation of emotional intelligence, which we view as the most vital ingredient for a successful and balanced life, making it the central pillar of all our youth and adult programs. Our curriculum is specifically designed to teach participants how to accurately identify, articulate, and healthily process a wide spectrum of emotions, moving past simple reactions to engage in thoughtful, measured responses in challenging situations, a skill often overlooked in conventional schooling. This process involves introducing concepts like self-awareness, social awareness, relationship management, and self-regulation through interactive, age-appropriate lessons, utilizing tools ranging from feeling charts and mindful breathing exercises for children to sophisticated cognitive restructuring techniques for adults. By focusing on emotional literacy, we empower individuals to understand their inner world, which inevitably leads to clearer communication, deeper empathy for others, and a significantly reduced susceptibility to stress and anxiety, creating a solid foundation for all future academic and professional pursuits.
Play & Exploration
The Essential Pathway to Social and Emotional Mastery
We recognize that for children, and often for adults, the most meaningful and profound learning happens not in a lecture setting, but through purposeful play and open-ended exploration, which serves as a natural and powerful laboratory for social and emotional development. Our environment is intentionally rich with opportunities for collaborative and creative play, utilizing carefully chosen activities that naturally prompt discussions about sharing, turn-taking, conflict resolution, and understanding different perspectives, facilitating real-time social learning in a low-stakes environment. For younger participants, this means hands-on sensory stations and dramatic play areas that encourage imaginative emotional expression; for older groups, it translates into team-building exercises, problem-solving games, and collaborative community projects where communication and mutual reliance are absolutely essential for success. This focus on experiential exploration allows individuals to safely test boundaries, manage unexpected outcomes, and practice new relational skills without the pressure of performance, solidifying their learning through joyful and memorable personal experiences that are far more impactful than rote memorization.
Social & Emotional Development
Fostering Empathy and Building Resilient Relationships
The core of our mission is realized through dedicated programs aimed at enhancing social and emotional development, equipping individuals with the critical interpersonal skills needed to build and sustain meaningful, resilient relationships throughout their lives. Our work in this area focuses heavily on developing empathy, which we teach not as an abstract concept, but as a practiced skill of actively listening to and accurately understanding the emotional states and perspectives of others, forming the basis for genuine human connection and collaborative success. We facilitate regular group dialogues and structured peer interactions that encourage respectful disagreement, active listening, and the thoughtful navigation of relational challenges, providing immediate, constructive feedback from trained facilitators to guide participants toward healthier patterns. This deliberate focus on social-emotional mastery results in individuals who are not only emotionally intelligent but are also highly effective communicators, ethical decision-makers, and deeply contributing members of their communities, capable of navigating the inevitable complexities of human interaction with grace, confidence, and compassion.
Programs/Services
Tailored Support for Every Stage of the Human Journey
FREE HEARTS is structured to provide continuous, dedicated support across a wide spectrum of ages and developmental stages, ensuring that our services are relevant and impactful whether a participant is just beginning to understand their feelings or is navigating the complexities of adult life. Our offerings begin with our Early Hearts Program (ages 3-5), which focuses on foundational emotional vocabulary, self-regulation, and positive peer interaction through guided play, providing the crucial building blocks for future emotional health. This is followed by our Compassionate Kids Program (ages 6-12), which shifts focus to understanding social dynamics, conflict resolution, and building resilience against common childhood stressors like bullying and academic pressure. Our Teen Empowerment Workshops (ages 13-17) address identity formation, mental health stigma, and navigating complex adolescent relationships, while our Adult Wellness Series targets issues like stress management, mindful parenting, and fostering meaningful connections in professional and personal spheres, thereby creating a lifelong continuum of support.
Community & Engagement
Partnering with Parents for Lasting Home-Based Success
We operate on the fundamental principle that family involvement is not just encouraged but is absolutely essential for the long-term success and sustained emotional well-being of any individual participant, recognizing that the home environment is the most powerful laboratory for applied emotional learning. FREE HEARTS actively partners with parents and guardians by offering specialized workshops that mirror the skills their children are learning, ensuring a consistent and supportive emotional language is spoken across both the center and the home, maximizing the positive impact of our programs. We provide resources such as guided discussion guides, positive parenting tools, and bi-weekly Family Check-In sessions where parents can consult with our clinical team, receive targeted support, and connect with other families facing similar challenges, breaking the isolation that often accompanies emotional struggles. Our goal is to empower parents to become the primary facilitators of their children’s emotional growth, transforming the family unit into a powerful, co-regulated sanctuary built on mutual respect, deep understanding, and clear, compassionate communication.
Community Partnerships
Collaborating to Amplify Our Reach and Deepen Our Impact
FREE HEARTS is committed to building robust and mutually beneficial partnerships with local schools, businesses, and other non-profit organizations throughout Hermosa Beach and the surrounding communities, viewing this collaboration as the key to holistically serving the diverse needs of our population. We actively work with local school districts to provide faculty training in trauma-informed classroom management and emotional self-care for educators, extending the reach of our expertise to thousands of students indirectly through their teachers’ improved capacity. Our relationships with local businesses involve employee wellness programs, joint fundraising efforts, and corporate volunteer initiatives, allowing us to leverage private sector support and expertise to sustain our operations and broaden our financial stability. By pooling resources and coordinating efforts with other organizations that serve the community, we ensure there are no gaps in the continuum of care, establishing a powerful, interconnected network of support that ensures every individual has access to the precise help they need at the exact moment they need it most.
Testimonials
Voices of the FREE HEARTS Community
★★★★★
Jessica L. (Parent of Child, Age 7, Compassionate Kids Program)
Before enrolling my son in the Compassionate Kids program, our home life was characterized by daily uncertainty and explosive emotional outbursts that often left both of us feeling exhausted and completely helpless, and I genuinely worried about his long-term emotional stability and ability to function in a school environment. He struggled intensely with transitions and any form of frustration would immediately escalate into what felt like a full-blown meltdown, frequently resorting to yelling or physical aggression because he simply lacked the vocabulary and internal mechanism to express the enormous, overwhelming feelings inside of him. Since beginning his regular sessions at FREE HEARTS, the change has been nothing short of miraculous; he has not only learned a whole spectrum of emotional vocabulary, moving past ‘mad’ to identifying ‘frustrated,’ ‘disappointed,’ and ‘overstimulated,’ but he has also mastered several core self-regulation techniques, such as the ‘turtle technique’ and mindful breathing, which he consciously and proactively applies when he feels his emotional temperature rising. This shift has allowed him to pause, communicate his need for space, and return to conversation rather than simply reacting impulsively, leading to a dramatic reduction in major incidents and transforming our relationship into one built on mutual understanding and patience, a profound gift that has given him a true head start in navigating life’s challenges.
★★★★★
Michael D. (Adult Wellness Participant, Executive Stress Management)
I initially joined the Adult Wellness Series with a healthy dose of skepticism, primarily seeking tools for better stress management in my high-pressure executive role, as I was constantly battling feelings of professional burnout and finding it increasingly difficult to switch off work-related anxieties when I returned home each evening. The transformative module on Mindful Communication proved to be the most invaluable component, going far beyond generic breathing exercises and instead teaching me how to truly listen and respond with genuine, non-reactive presence, a skill that had deteriorated significantly under years of constant professional demands and multitasking, which had inadvertently bled into my personal life. Applying the principles of setting compassionate yet firm boundaries, coupled with practicing true presence in dialogue, fundamentally improved my relationship with my wife and children, transitioning our interactions from transactional problem-solving to deeply connected emotional sharing, drastically reducing household tension. Furthermore, my ability to lead my team at work has significantly improved, allowing me to approach complex decisions with a greater sense of calm and clarity, ultimately making me a more effective, compassionate, and resilient leader who models emotional intelligence in a tangible way for my entire organization.
★★★★★
Sofia P. (Parent of Teenager, Age 14, Teen Empowerment Workshop)
Navigating the complexities of early adolescence with my daughter was proving to be a highly challenging and emotionally isolating experience for both of us, particularly as she struggled to find her identity and manage the overwhelming pressure of social media, leading to frequent withdrawal, moodiness, and a constant, underlying sense of anxiety that she refused to discuss with me directly. The Teen Empowerment Workshop offered the confidential, non-judgmental, and expertly guided peer-support structure she desperately needed, providing a safe harbor where she could explore her fears and self-doubts alongside other young people facing similar developmental hurdles, something far more impactful than any advice I could offer as her mother. The facilitators expertly taught her skills for navigating peer pressure with grace, establishing necessary and healthy digital boundaries to protect her mental space from constant comparison, and cultivating genuine self-acceptance, lessons that resonated profoundly within the peer-driven environment of the group. This experience has given her a noticeable, sustained boost in self-confidence, allowing her to approach new friendships and academic challenges with a renewed sense of courage and self-worth, effectively replacing the constant parental worrying I used to feel with a deep sense of relief and pride in her blossoming maturity.
★★★★★
David & Karen W. (Family Mindfulness Participants, Family Cohesion)
As a couple and as a family unit, we had reached a point where chronic stress and poor communication habits were severely eroding our domestic tranquility; the everyday demands of work and raising two young children meant we were constantly communicating in shorthand or reacting defensively when issues arose, never truly connecting on a meaningful, emotional level. Our decision to attend a Family Mindfulness Retreat at FREE HEARTS was truly transformative, forcing us to consciously pause and examine the dynamics of our household in a gentle, supportive setting, where the focus was on collective healing and shared growth rather than finding fault. Learning the practice of sitting together in quiet reflection and sharing our ‘heart-needs’—articulating needs for rest, connection, or support—instead of launching into ‘heart-complaints’—criticisms or demands—completely reset the emotional baseline of our family interactions. The immediate applicability of the techniques, such with using a shared ‘calm-down corner’ for both adults and children, provided us with a unified, common language for love and support that we actively and consciously use every single day to manage small frictions, prevent unnecessary conflict escalation, and ensure that our home remains a sanctuary of patience, understanding, and deep mutual respect for everyone.
Volunteer With Us
Be part of our mission
Why Volunteer
Lend Your Heart to Our Mission and Change Lives
Volunteering with FREE HEARTS is a deeply rewarding opportunity to directly contribute to the emotional well-being and profound personal growth of individuals in the Hermosa Beach community, providing an invaluable way to transform your passion for compassion into tangible, life-changing action. Our volunteers are the indispensable backbone of our operations, extending the reach of our professional staff and ensuring that the warmth and supportive environment we promise are delivered consistently to every participant who engages with our programs. Whether you possess specific professional skills in areas like event planning, social media management, or administrative support, or if you simply have a vast, compassionate heart and a few hours to dedicate each week, your unique contribution will be immediately felt and profoundly appreciated by our staff and the families we serve, reinforcing the powerful truth that spreading kindness is a collective, community-wide endeavor. By choosing to volunteer, you don’t just give your time; you become an active role model for empathy and engagement, helping to build the very resilient and supportive community that we all aspire to live within and thrive within.
Ways to Help
Diverse Opportunities to Match Your Skills and Schedule
We offer a wide spectrum of flexible volunteering opportunities designed to accommodate various skill sets, time commitments, and personal interests, ensuring that every willing heart can find a meaningful role within the FREE HEARTS family and actively contribute to our core mission. For those who enjoy direct interaction, we are often in need of Program Support Volunteers who assist our facilitators during youth workshops, helping to manage activities and provide one-on-one encouragement, where your presence can make an immediate impact on a child’s learning experience. Individuals with professional skills can contribute as Administrative Support Volunteers, assisting with essential tasks like data entry, communications, and scheduling, or as Events and Fundraising Volunteers, helping to plan and execute our community activities and campaigns, providing the vital resources that sustain our operations. We also welcome those with expertise in marketing or graphic design to join our Communications Team, helping us to craft and share our message of hope and empowerment throughout the local community, utilizing their creative skills for a profound social good.
Impact of Volunteering
Transforming the Lives of Others While Deepening Your Own
The impact of your dedication as a volunteer at FREE HEARTS is exponential, creating a lasting positive ripple effect that extends far beyond the time you spend at our center, fundamentally transforming the lives of our participants while also enriching your own journey of personal fulfillment. By offering consistent, reliable support, you help to stabilize the emotional environment for children and families who may be facing instability, allowing our professional staff to focus on intensive clinical work, maximizing the efficacy of our programs and directly increasing the number of people we can responsibly serve each month. Beyond the crucial operational support you provide, your presence as a caring, engaged, and compassionate role model teaches invaluable social lessons, demonstrating firsthand the power of selfless giving and community engagement to all who encounter you, inspiring others to follow suit. Moreover, many of our volunteers report a profound increase in their own sense of purpose, empathy, and personal connection, finding that the act of helping others navigate their emotional landscapes inherently deepens their own self-awareness and personal growth, proving that giving back is truly a mutual exchange of light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive Answers to Your Most Common Questions About FREE HEARTS Programs
What is the process for enrolling an individual or family in a FREE HEARTS program, and how is the right fit determined?
Enrollment in our diverse programs is designed to be a supportive and highly customized process, beginning not with a form, but with a brief, confidential, and complimentary initial consultation with one of our experienced program coordinators who specializes in needs assessment, which ensures we achieve a perfect, holistic match between the participant’s specific emotional goals and the most effective available service. During this initial conversation, we discuss the individual’s or family’s current challenges, their previous experiences with emotional education, and their long-term aspirations for personal growth, allowing us to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs before suggesting a specific program track, whether that be Early Hearts, Teen Empowerment, or the Adult Wellness Series. Following the consultation, the formal application involves completing a detailed intake form that helps our clinical team understand relevant history, preferred learning styles, and any specific areas of sensitivity, thereby allowing us to tailor the group environment and the facilitator’s approach to maximize engagement, comfort, and the overall efficacy of the learning experience from the very first session, making the transition seamless and fully customized for success.
What is the process for enrolling an individual or family in a FREE HEARTS program, and how is the right fit determined?
Enrollment in our diverse programs is designed to be a supportive and highly customized process, beginning not with a form, but with a brief, confidential, and complimentary initial consultation with one of our experienced program coordinators who specializes in needs assessment, which ensures we achieve a perfect, holistic match between the participant’s specific emotional goals and the most effective available service. During this initial conversation, we discuss the individual’s or family’s current challenges, their previous experiences with emotional education, and their long-term aspirations for personal growth, allowing us to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs before suggesting a specific program track, whether that be Early Hearts, Teen Empowerment, or the Adult Wellness Series. Following the consultation, the formal application involves completing a detailed intake form that helps our clinical team understand relevant history, preferred learning styles, and any specific areas of sensitivity, thereby allowing us to tailor the group environment and the facilitator’s approach to maximize engagement, comfort, and the overall efficacy of the learning experience from the very first session, making the transition seamless and fully customized for success.
Can you elaborate on the structure and core principles of the FREE HEARTS curriculum, and how it differs from traditional academic models?
Our educational curriculum, which we term the Heart-Centered Approach, is a proprietary, constantly evolving framework developed by our clinical team that intentionally moves away from traditional academic models—which focus primarily on cognitive knowledge—to center entirely on the practical acquisition and application of emotional literacy skills, recognizing this as the fundamental foundation for life success. The curriculum is delivered in sequential, module-based units, starting with foundational skills like teaching participants how to accurately identify, label, and articulate complex emotions using sophisticated emotional maps, and progressing to advanced modules focused on real-world skills such as conflict resolution, empathetic listening, and the development of healthy, compassionate personal boundaries. We achieve this by integrating research-backed methodologies from positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral techniques, utilizing experiential learning tools like role-playing, therapeutic art, and reflective journaling, which ensures that participants are not simply memorizing concepts, but are actively embodying the principles of emotional mastery through guided, practical experience.
What provisions are made regarding meals and snacks during extended program schedules, and how does FREE HEARTS manage specific dietary restrictions or allergies?
We fully understand that proper nutrition plays a critical and indivisible role in maintaining mental clarity, emotional regulation, and sustained energy levels, particularly for young participants during our extended program sessions, and we manage this responsibility with extreme diligence and care. While FREE HEARTS does not operate a full-service kitchen capable of providing complete, hot daily meals, we ensure that a selection of healthy, non-processed, and allergy-aware snacks (such as fresh fruit, whole-grain crackers, and cheese sticks) and constant access to fresh, filtered water are consistently provided during all programming that extends beyond two hours. Furthermore, we treat all documented dietary restrictions, including allergies, sensitivities, and religious dietary requirements, as an absolute priority, requiring parents to complete a detailed form upon enrollment and actively maintaining a strict, visible log of all participants’ needs for immediate reference by facilitators, ensuring cross-contamination risks are rigorously minimized and that every participant receives safe, appropriate, and nourishing sustenance while in our care.
Contact Us
Connect With Our Team and Start Your Journey to Emotional Freedom
Stay Connected and Follow Our Journey on Social Media
We are deeply committed to maintaining open, accessible lines of communication and warmly encourage you to reach out to our dedicated team using the method that is most convenient for your needs, ensuring that your journey to emotional well-being can begin immediately and without unnecessary friction. For all general inquiries, questions about specific program content, volunteer opportunities, or administrative matters, the most reliable way to connect with us is through electronic correspondence; please feel entirely welcome to send us a detailed email at info@frhearts.site, and a member of our highly responsive team will typically get back to you within one business day, providing thorough and personalized answers to all your concerns and requests. If you require more immediate assistance, would like to speak directly with a program coordinator, or wish to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your specific family or individual needs, our main office phone line is staffed during regular business hours, providing the opportunity for direct, verbal communication and personalized guidance. We recognize that reaching out is often the hardest step, and we promise a warm, non-judgmental, and highly professional response, whether you are inquiring about enrolling a child or seeking support for yourself.
Full Contact Details:
Organization Name: FREE HEARTS
Address: 2452 WRTLE AVE, HERMOSA BEACH, CA 90254
Email: info@frhearts.site
Join Us/Work With Us
Build a Rewarding Career Centered on Compassion and Impact
A Nurturing, Collaborative, and Growth-Oriented Environment
The internal culture at FREE HEARTS is intentionally designed to be a living, breathing reflection of the very values we teach in our programs, creating a professional environment that is deeply supportive, highly collaborative, and relentlessly focused on the continuous personal and professional growth of every team member. We foster a non-hierarchical, open-door policy where every voice is heard and valued, ensuring that team members from all levels feel comfortable sharing innovative ideas, offering constructive feedback, and participating actively in the strategic direction of the organization, resulting in a more dynamic and effective operation. Our commitment to compassion extends internally, meaning we prioritize work-life balance, encourage rigorous self-care practices, and provide robust support systems to prevent burnout, recognizing that our team members can only pour into the community if their own well is consistently full and nurtured. Working at FREE HEARTS means joining a true family of professionals who are united by a common, powerful purpose, where mutual respect, continuous learning, and celebrating each other’s successes are daily, non-negotiable standards of interaction and collaboration.
Full Contact Details:
Organization Name: FREE HEARTS
Address: 2452 WRTLE AVE, HERMOSA BEACH, CA 90254
Email: info@frhearts.site