Paula Watson is Reimagining Healing Through Therapy and Grassroots Innovation

Paula Watson
Founder, YARDO CIC

Paula Watson is a Humanistic Psychotherapist, community organiser and the Founding Director of YARDO CIC. Her work is rooted in a lifelong commitment to justice, connection and wellbeing. Across her career in the arts, television, mental health and activism, Paula has consistently centred collaboration, creativity and care. Today, she brings that same clarity and purpose to her role on Do it Now Now’s Community Advisory Board.

With a deep understanding of systemic challenges and personal transformation, Paula contributes invaluable insight to DiNN’s learning and programme development. She is guided by lived experience and a belief in radical accessibility, and her voice remains focused on creating systems that work for people—not just on paper, but in practice.

Building a Life Around Community and Courage

Raised in North West London in a close-knit Windrush community, Paula was shaped by the strength and self-organisation she witnessed growing up. Her mother worked from home assembling factory blouses to support the family, while neighbours and church members shared food, transport and childcare. This collective spirit inspired Paula’s lifelong belief that togetherness is a powerful force for change.

Her early career was spent transforming disused spaces into vibrant hubs for creativity and activism. At CoolTan Arts in Brixton, Paula helped establish an alternative economy based on skills exchange, community support and shared resources. After the criminalisation of building occupations, she transitioned into film and TV, where she managed a training centre for marginalised young people and produced acclaimed projects on Black leadership in media.

These experiences made it clear that community-led innovation works best when driven by lived expertise, practical creativity and ethical integrity. Paula’s subsequent career shift into psychotherapy added a new layer of understanding, allowing her to work more deeply with people navigating personal and social complexity.

Leading with Purpose and Practicality

During the pandemic, Paula founded YARDO CIC with the support of a local grant. The goal was simple but urgent: make therapy and mindfulness-based support radically accessible to communities often excluded from formal mental health systems. YARDO’s early success demonstrated a clear need and confirmed Paula’s long-held belief that impactful work begins with listening and action at the grassroots.

Paula sees impact as both personal and collective. Whether helping one person shift their perspective or supporting many to feel safe and empowered, she values both depth and breadth of change. Her leadership is grounded in trust, mutual respect and a commitment to building spaces that are emotionally and practically supportive.

Her journey with Do it Now Now began through the Innovate Now programme, where she found an affirming and thoughtful space to reflect on her work. The experience helped her recognise the value she brings as someone who bridges strategic, clinical and community roles.

Moving Forward with Integrity and Imagination

Paula understands the complexities Black communities face, from housing insecurity and intergenerational trauma to underfunded services and systemic exclusion. She also sees the power in collaborative, values-led models like DiNN’s, which provide the tools for real change without sacrificing care or authenticity.

Her vision for the future is bold and deeply rooted. She dreams of establishing a publicly owned wellbeing centre in West London, a gathering place for healing, rest, mobilisation and joy. It would serve as a long-term sanctuary, shaped by the needs and strengths of the community it serves.

In all her work, Paula brings a rare combination of analytical skill, emotional intelligence and political clarity. Her contributions to DiNN reflect this blend, offering guidance shaped by history, hope and a clear sense of possibility.

A Final Word

“Check out the DiNN website. If you need advice or support, reach out. The community is rich with knowledge, and the resources from past programmes can help you start wherever you are.”

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About the Community Advisory Board at Do it Now Now

At Do it Now Now, we empower Black people with the skills, tools, and resources they need to lead, influence, and create the future, for themselves and their communities. Our values are clear: We are ambitious. We believe in community. We build trust.

The Community Advisory Board plays a central role in shaping how we deliver on our mission. Made up of individuals who have taken part in our programmes, the board brings lived experience, insight and accountability to the heart of our work. Members understand the journey of Black-led charities and social enterprises and use that knowledge to guide our programme design and resource development.

Through quarterly meetings, the Advisory Board co-produces aspects of DiNN’s strategy, research priorities, and storytelling. Members provide valuable feedback, healthy challenge and forward-thinking recommendations, ensuring that our work remains community-led, impact-driven, and aligned with our vision of systemic equity.

Together, we are building stronger foundations for the next generation of Black leaders.