Our Story
Healing Not Hurting Started With a Conversation
Healing Not Hurting was founded in 2019 around a belief that continues to guide our work today: hurting people don’t have to keep hurting people.
But telling people to heal isn’t enough.
People need language for what they’ve experienced. They need opportunities to understand the patterns they’ve learned. They need practical tools. They need spaces where honest conversations can happen. And sometimes they simply need to realize they’re not the only person carrying something.
What began as a message grew into programming for children, teens, parents, educators and communities.
Healing Not Hurting University brings that work together through structured education, professional development and healing-centered experiences designed to help people see differently so they can begin living differently.
Healing-Centered Doesn’t Mean Ignoring Accountability
Understanding what happened to someone doesn’t mean pretending their choices don’t matter.
And healing doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations.
Our approach creates room for both.
We can understand the experiences underneath behavior while still teaching responsibility.
We can acknowledge hurt while learning healthier ways to respond.
We can have compassion for what someone has survived while challenging patterns that may continue causing harm.
Healing Not Hurting University helps people understand what’s underneath what they see — and what they can do differently with that understanding.
Meet the Founder
Ebony Hardy
Ebony Hardy is the founder of Healing Not Hurting and Healing Not Hurting University, where she develops and facilitates healing-centered educational experiences for children, teens, parents, educators, professionals and communities.
Her work sits at the intersection of trauma-informed education, social-emotional learning, youth development, family relationships and the conversations people are often taught not to have.
Since founding Healing Not Hurting in 2019, Ebony has developed curricula and facilitated programming across schools, school districts, community organizations and municipal initiatives.
Her approach is direct, relatable and rooted in the belief that information becomes more powerful when people can actually see themselves in it.
Whether she’s working with a room of students, parents, educators or community members, the goal remains the same:
Help people see differently so they can live differently.
Experience & Expertise Behind the Work
Healing Not Hurting University combines professional training with years of hands-on experience developing and delivering programming for youth, families, professionals and communities.
Areas of Experience
Trauma-Informed Education
Social-Emotional Learning
K–12 Program Development & Facilitation
Youth Development & Engagement
Parent & Family Education
Professional Development Facilitation
Community-Based Programming
School & District Partnerships
Municipal & Public-Sector Programming
Training & Credentials
Trauma-Informed Certification
Anger Management Certification
Youth Ministry Certification
Licensed Cosmetologist