Join us at Goleta Beach Area A on Sunday, October 26, from 1:00 p.m. to sunset for Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party — a free, intergenerational celebration of Black wellness, cultural connection, and collective care.

All are welcome who come with respect and solidarity.

Kindred is partnering with the NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc to host this gathering in response to community calls for affirming, joy-centered spaces that support healing, relationship-building, and rest.

Attendees are invited to engage in a range of wellness activities including art therapy, yoga, meditation, a pier walk, and other offerings that nurture reflection and connection. Light refreshments will be provided, and meals will be available for purchase from Momma’s Soul Food Fusion, a local Black-owned business offering flavors that honor Black and African culinary traditions.

Rooted in a model of sustainable, liberatory healing, Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party is designed to combat racial isolation, strengthen intergenerational networks of care, and bridge UCSB with Black communities across Santa Barbara County.

Dr. Nolan Krueger, Assistant Professor of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, is leading the event in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students.

For more information and volunteer opportunities, visit the Kindred event site or email ntkrueger@ucsb.edu

RSVP HERE

A free, healing-centered, intergenerational celebration for Black youth, families, elders, and students across Santa Barbara County.

Programming includes:

• Art Therapy

• Meditation

• Restorative Yoga

• Creative Reflection

• Pier Walk

• Light refreshments provided free of charge to all attendees

• Delicious, culturally grounded meals available for purchase from local Black-owned food vendors

• Joy, Belonging, and Connection woven throughout the day

All activities are optional and designed to be accessible for all bodies, abilities, and ages.

RSVP HERE

Below is a general flow for the day.
Times and transitions are approximate — the event is designed to move with the rhythm and energy of the community.

Event Schedule

• 1:00–1:30 PM – Welcome & Community Grounding
  Opening circle led by Dr. Nolan Krueger and the Kindred team, with Community Host & Storytelling Facilitator Vivian Storm guiding shared intentions and hope-setting for the day.

• 1:30–2:15 PM – Food & Connection
  Shared meal and community time with light refreshments, conversation, and time to settle into the space.

• 2:15–3:45 PM – Creative Expression & Movement
  Rotating sessions in art therapy, restorative yoga, and creative reflection led by our facilitators. Participants are encouraged to move between offerings, engage where they feel called, or simply rest and observe.

• 3:45–4:45 PM – Storytelling & Collective Reflection
  Guided by Vivian Storm, with support from the reflection team, this shared storytelling circle invites participants to reflect on the day — centering joy, belonging, and the stories we carry forward.

• 4:45 PM – Sunset – Guided Rest & Closing Circle
  A gentle period of rest, gratitude, and closing reflection as the community winds down the day and welcomes the setting sun.

Amber Salik, AMFT (she/her) is a Los Angeles–based therapist and expressive arts practitioner who blends talk therapy with creative expression to support healing and growth. She works primarily with BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent adults, teens, couples, and groups, with a special focus on identity, relationships, life transitions, and trauma. Amber’s mission is to create spaces where people can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and use creativity as a pathway to resilience, self-discovery, and collective healing.
At Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party, Amber will hold space for community through art and creative expression.

Vivian Storm is a dynamic drag artist and community wellness facilitator with over 16 years of experience in the performance art scene. A beloved figure in the Santa Barbara community, Vivian is known for vibrant performances and a commitment to joy, inclusivity, and connection. Beyond the stage, Vivian (also known as Deejay Johnson) is a certified life and health coach who empowers clients through personalized coaching, mindfulness practices, and holistic wellness strategies. Vivian seamlessly blends artistry and wellness, creating spaces for both celebration and personal growth.
At Flourish & Flow, Vivian serves as the Community Host & Storytelling Facilitator, guiding the flow of the day and helping participants connect through reflection, laughter, and shared experience.

Guidance River Moon was born and raised in rural Louisiana and relocated to Santa Barbara after completing a rigorous internship with the Ritz-Carlton. Living with a pre-leukemic blood disorder, Guidance continues to move through the world with remarkable passion—sharing authentic Louisiana soul food that nourishes both body and spirit. A world-traveled content creator, actor, and pastor, Guidance brings a deep reverence for nature, food, and community to every meal prepared. Through their cooking, Guidance celebrates resilience, joy, and the power of food to connect people across cultures and experiences.

Naomi Hutchinson is a visionary holistic healer, wellness educator, and creative entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. As the founder of Healthy+Well, Naomi is dedicated to inspiring self-care, joy, and love while expanding access to transformative wellness practices for individuals and communities alike. Her work integrates over two decades of expertise in dance, mindfulness, and holistic health, empowering people to embrace intentional living and healing.
With a BFA in Dance from The University of the Arts and certifications in Yoga, Mindfulness, Reiki, Plant Medicine, and Trauma-Informed Facilitation, Naomi’s approach bridges movement, spirituality, and wellness. She has guided diverse audiences through wellness programming, from TK–12 students in underserved communities to executives and professionals seeking balance in demanding careers.
At Flourish & Flow, Naomi will guide movement and restorative practices that invite grounding, connection, and joy.

Kindred Collective for Healing and Liberatory Traditions
Housed within UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, Kindred is rooted in community-responsive mental health training, Black wellness, and justice-informed healing practices. Originally founded as The Healing Space, Kindred continues to maintain an affiliated therapy clinic under that name while expanding its work to include research, training, and community-based healing initiatives across Santa Barbara County.

Dr. Nolan Krueger
A liberation psychologist and faculty member at UC Santa Barbara, Dr. Nolan Krueger’s work bridges scholarship, healing, and community. He leads the Wellness & Empowerment Initiative (WE-I) — a research lab and collective focused on advancing mental health and liberation for Multiracial and BIPOC communities.

As affiliate faculty with Kindred, Nolan partners with students, practitioners, and community leaders to co-create spaces that center joy, resilience, and intergenerational connection. He conceptualized Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party in collaboration with Kindred and WE-I, envisioning it as a gathering where rest, reflection, and cultural nourishment are celebrated as essential practices of thriving.

At the event, Nolan and members of WE-I and Kindred will guide the community in the opening and closing circles, grounding the day in practices that affirm Black presence and possibility while nurturing connection across generations.

NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc Branch
Serving as a community co-host for this event, the NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc helps ensure Flourish & Flow reflects the collective needs, voices, and visions of Black communities across Santa Barbara County.

Volunteer

• Learn what roles involve and what to expect: Volunteer Information Sheet

• Choose a shift: Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet

• A complementary plate of food and a limited edition event tee, while supplies last!

Partner / Support
If you’d like to:

• Offer financial or in-kind support

• Share materials, equipment, or food

• Spread the word in your network

• Ask questions about the event

Please email Dr. Nolan Krueger at ntkrueger@ucsb.edu.

Prefer to just attend? We’d love to see you there — RSVP HERE.

Event Details

Title: Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party

Date & Time: Sunday, October 26, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. – Sunset

Location: Goleta Beach Area A
Wheelchair accessible and family-friendly

Hosted by:
Kindred Collective for Healing and Liberatory Traditions
at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education (Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology),
in partnership with NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc

RSVP HERE