Sunday morning workshops for ages 13 - 25
Thrive Together Wellness Workshops is a new workshop series rooted in community, psychology, and decolonizing healing practices. In a time of collective stress and uncertainty, we’re returning to the roots of healing our minds, bodies, and spirits- together.
By learning these practices in a group setting, you’ll build skills you can use in your everyday life, whether you’re coping with stress, big emotions, or just trying to feel more grounded. These are tools you can use for yourself and share with others.
Workshops are open to teens and young adults ages 13–25 and are designed to be welcoming, inclusive, and supportive. Each workshop takes place on a Sunday morning for 90 minutes, offering a fun and relaxing space to learn, connect, and reset.
Finding connection is tough these days but you're not alone in this struggle
Many young people are feeling isolated and lonely, doing their best to get through a lot on their own. You deserve real connection, spaces where you can slow down, listen to your body, trust your inner wisdom, and feel supported by community. That’s where Thrive Together Wellness Workshops come in. We gather in person in Pasadena on Sunday mornings to learn and share healing practices drawn from mindfulness, psychology, expressive arts, folk magic traditions, and more. These practices aren’t new- communities across time and cultures have leaned on them to survive, heal, and stay connected.
In a world that asks you to handle everything alone, this is an invitation to come together, remember what works, and tap into your strongest, most aligned self.
What do you mean by healing practices?
While these workshops are facilitated by a licensed therapist, healing practices are absolutely
not limited to therapy. They are meant to be shared, learned, and practiced together. Across cultures and throughout history, healing has often happened in community- with people gathering, learning from one another, and witnessing each other’s experiences. A big part of the healing came not just from the practices themselves, but from feeling seen, supported, and connected.
EMDR
As an EMDR Certified Therapist™, I’ve learned many tools and techniques from EMDR that can be taught as stand-alone coping skills. While learning EMDR skills in a workshop isn’t the same as doing therapy, I can share some of the powerful practices I teach all of my EMDR clients.
These tools are designed to help you feel more grounded, regulated, and resilient so you can start building skills you can use on your own and in everyday life.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness goes far beyond meditation. It’s about learning how to access calm and steady inner states in ways that actually work for you. In these workshops, we explore mindfulness through gentle breathing practices, simple body-based skills, and learning how to relate to your thoughts and feelings with more curiosity and less judgment.
These practices are meant to help you slow things down, feel more present, and build a sense of inner peace and acceptance you can return to when life feels overwhelming.
Expressive Arts
Creativity can open doors that words can’t. Expressive arts offer a powerful way to connect with your inner voice and move emotions and experiences out of your body and into the world around you. Through collage, paint, crafting, and other creative practices, we make space for complex feelings to be seen, felt, and expressed without needing to explain or get it “right.”
These practices are about process, not perfection, and about honoring your experience in a way that feels authentic and freeing.
Workshop descriptions
February 22, 2026: Scrapbooking - Holding What Matters
Last year, our community experienced devastating wildfires that deeply impacted so many lives. Whether or not you lost your home, moments like these remind us how meaningful our memories and personal keepsakes truly are. In this workshop, we’ll create a special place to hold and organize what matters most to you. Whether you’re starting fresh or simply wanting to care for what you already have, this is a chance to slow down and honor your story. Bring photos, flat memorabilia, concert tickets, postcards, or any items connected to positive memories from your life. Craft supplies, and scrapbook materials will be provided for everyone. Bring your own photo album and flat memorabilia like photos, notes, prized stickers and cards. Together, we’ll learn the art of scrapbooking while making space to reflect, remember, and rebuild in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire.
March Workshop: EMDR Tools for Daily Grounding
This workshop introduces tried-and-true grounding tools drawn from EMDR therapy, including visualization techniques and somatic (body-based) exercises. These practices are designed to help you feel more present, steady, and emotionally safe in your day-to-day life. You do not need to be in EMDR therapy to attend. While this workshop is not a substitute for therapy, the skills you’ll learn are the same foundational tools I teach EMDR clients to help build inner resources, resilience, and a stronger sense of safety from within.
May Workshop: Building Your Intuition
This workshop blends mindfulness traditions, psychology, and intuitive practices to help you reconnect with your inner voice and innate wisdom. Together, we’ll explore ways to quiet external noise, tune into subtle signals, and recharge your spirit. We’ll work with guided imagery, reflective exercises, oracle cards, and creative prompts to engage the mind’s eye and listen to the parts of ourselves that don’t always get a chance to speak. This space is about curiosity, connection, and trusting what you already know deep down.
Getting started
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Email me to set up your workshop
Contact me by email and I will add you to my workshop email list. I can also set up payment with you so you can reserve your spot. I prefer Zelle payments, cash or check but can also accept credit cards with with a small processing fee.
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Get updates by email
You will get a reminder with details about the upcoming workshop by email. Workshop location will also be shared in the email, it will be in central Pasadena in a group meeting space.
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Get ready to thrive in community:
Bring any required supplies on the day of your workshop. Your workshop will take place on a Sunday morning at 10am for 90 minutes!
Hi, I’m Cristina Lugo, LCSW therapist for teens and young adults
For the past 15 years, I’ve specialized in supporting young people navigating anxiety, depression, school-related stress, family and friendship challenges, and the emotional intensity that often comes with this stage of life. I know how overwhelming it can feel to try to figure yourself out while everything around you is changing.
Alongside my individual therapy practice, I’m also a longtime community organizer who believes healing doesn’t only happen one-on-one, it happens together. Thrive Together Wellness Workshops are my way of sharing therapeutic tools, wisdom, and practices in a community setting, so healing can feel more accessible, connected, and real.
EMDR
As an EMDR Certified therapist, I have learned many tools and techniques from the protocols of this type of therapy that can be easily taught as stand alone coping tools. To be clear- teaching EMDR skills is not the same as receiving EMDR therapy and these workshops are not therapy. I can however share with you some of the powerful skills I teach all of my EMDR clients so you can build on your own resiliency at home.
Mindfulness
To support cohesion, friendship and stress management.
Therapeutic arts and crafts
Sometimes the best way to express a feeling or an idea is through art! Especially as the seasons change, there are opportunities to explore creativity throughout the year.
Group day, time and location
New Paragraph
Payment details
Each workshop is roughly the same price, with changes depending on associated costs
Scrapbook workshop: $150
Sliding scale available, please discuss this with me in your email
With the right support, we can all thrive.
Let’s do it together. Reach out today to book your workshop!
Frequently asked questions
What is group therapy for teens, and how does it work?
Group therapy for teens creates a safe, therapist-led space where young people connect with others who are going through similar struggles.
In my Pasadena-based teen groups, participants explore topics like anxiety, identity, friendships, family stress, and emotional overwhelm all in a setting where they don’t have to explain or hide who they are. Sessions include open discussion, skill-building, and sometimes creative or mindfulness-based tools to help teens express what they’re feeling.
How is group therapy different from individual therapy?
In individual therapy, teens work one-on-one with a therapist, which offers a private space for focused support.
In group therapy, teens hear from peers who "get it," which helps reduce shame, build confidence, and strengthen social-emotional skills. Many clients find that group therapy adds a sense of belonging and helps them realize they’re not alone in what they’re feeling.
How long does group therapy for teens usually last?
Group therapy doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all timeline. Some teens attend for a few months, while others stay throughout all four years of high school depending on their needs and desire to continue. It’s common for teens to pause or transition out of group as life changes like starting college or shifting priorities and that’s okay. The goal is to support growth while they’re here, not to add more pressure.
How do you maintain the privacy of the space?
I take group confidentiality very seriously and each group member has participated in a 60 minute intake meeting with me where I explain confidentiality and why it’s extremely important. Every group member has agreed to this and other group agreements that I cover in the meeting.
I go to ___ school and don’t want to run into someone from school in group therapy. How do you handle this?
All of our group members go to different schools in the Pasadena area. If you go to the same school as one of our existing group members, I will check with both of you on if there is anyone from the school you would be uncomfortable being in group with. If there is not a match with names then we can proceed. I have had members from the same school before and it has always been a positive experience. I am happy to talk more if this is a concern for you.
How do I know if the group is working to help me?
Twice per year I have private 30 minute meetings with you and a parent called seasonal consultations. This meeting is our chance to discuss progress on your goals in a private setting and also hear from you, your parent and to give and receive feedback.
What is a Good Faith Estimate?
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate,
visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.
Testimonials
I’ve been seeing Cristina as my therapist since 2022, and in that time she’s supported me through so many stages of life: from unemployment and relationship struggles to anxiety and navigating my bipolar I diagnosis.
We’ve done EMDR, workshopped big life decisions, and engaged in activities that have prepared me for tough conversations. She’s given me new perspectives, ideas, resources (like communities and events), and other creative and actionable advice that I use almost every day. She not only helps me work through issues, but she also helps me realize and celebrate my wins. That perspective has been a big part of helping me recognize my self-worth and build confidence. Above all, I appreciate Cristina for her openness and nonjudgment in hearing about things going on in my life. I’ve had many therapists in the past, and sometimes it feels like you have to present yourself without flaws. But with Cristina, I feel comfortable sharing even the messy sides of myself. The care that Cristina has for her practice really shines through. It shows in the way she’s always learning, researching, and introducing new tools, approaches, and even psychological theory that reflect her creativity, insight, and genuine desire to help. She’s guided me through difficult stages, opened my eyes to new perspectives, and given me both emotional and practical tools to carry with me. If you’re considering working with Cristina, my best advice is to try a session and see for yourself. She’s made a lasting impact on my healing and growth, and I’m so grateful for her support.
Cristina is a committed, conscientious, and inventive therapist. She and I co-facilitated a middle school therapy group for nearly five years. During our time as co-facilitators, I deeply valued her ability to utilize a trauma- informed, culturally sensitive framework to understand each individual group member. Her approach supported the development of a safe and trustworthy group space, which allowed members to engage authentically and form meaningful connections with one another. She coined the term “culture of caring” to describe the space that we (facilitators and group members) co-created. This term became a way to describe one of the core values of the group when welcoming new members. The term also describes the way in which Cristina practices therapy and engages with the world.
Dr. Angela Youngs
I found Cristina after a few unsuccessful attempts at traditional talk therapy. I was looking to try EMDR to tackle some recurring challenges in romantic relationships. From our first session, Cristina fostered a warm and nonjudgemental environment where I feel safe diving into some of the most tender parts of my past. Now, with Cristina’s help, I am able to see my past as a tool to understand how to successfully reach my goals and not something to be ashamed of. I finally feel like I am on the right path to achieving my goals and living a life where I can welcome authentic love and feel compassion for myself.
I’ve been seeing Cristina as my therapist since 2022, and in that time she’s supported me through so many stages of life: from unemployment and relationship struggles to anxiety and navigating my bipolar I diagnosis.
We’ve done EMDR, workshopped big life decisions, and engaged in activities that have prepared me for tough conversations. She’s given me new perspectives, ideas, resources (like communities and events), and other creative and actionable advice that I use almost every day. She not only helps me work through issues, but she also helps me realize and celebrate my wins. That perspective has been a big part of helping me recognize my self-worth and build confidence. Above all, I appreciate Cristina for her openness and nonjudgment in hearing about things going on in my life. I’ve had many therapists in the past, and sometimes it feels like you have to present yourself without flaws. But with Cristina, I feel comfortable sharing even the messy sides of myself. The care that Cristina has for her practice really shines through. It shows in the way she’s always learning, researching, and introducing new tools, approaches, and even psychological theory that reflect her creativity, insight, and genuine desire to help. She’s guided me through difficult stages, opened my eyes to new perspectives, and given me both emotional and practical tools to carry with me. If you’re considering working with Cristina, my best advice is to try a session and see for yourself. She’s made a lasting impact on my healing and growth, and I’m so grateful for her support.
Cristina is a committed, conscientious, and inventive therapist. She and I co-facilitated a middle school therapy group for nearly five years. During our time as co-facilitators, I deeply valued her ability to utilize a trauma- informed, culturally sensitive framework to understand each individual group member. Her approach supported the development of a safe and trustworthy group space, which allowed members to engage authentically and form meaningful connections with one another. She coined the term “culture of caring” to describe the space that we (facilitators and group members) co-created. This term became a way to describe one of the core values of the group when welcoming new members. The term also describes the way in which Cristina practices therapy and engages with the world.
Dr. Angela Youngs
