Surf Therapy for Trauma Recovery

Did you know that as part of my trauma therapy offerings I am also certified in:

Surf Therapy for Trauma Recovery (Level 1)*.

This means that we can use surfing and Mother Ocean as a powerful therapeutic healing tool.

Here’s how surf therapy can benefit you:

✅ Mindfulness and focus: Surfing requires concentration and being fully present in the moment. When you are on a wave you can’t be anywhere else! Riding waves and navigating Mother Ocean's currents can help us develop a mindful mindset and promotes a break from rumination and worries.

✅ Self-confidence and empowerment: Overcoming challenging waves and conditions in surfing can translate into a greater sense of empowerment and resilience in our daily life.

✅ Connection with nature: Spending time in the nature has shown to have a calming and restorative effect on mental health. The sights, sounds, and sensations of the ocean can promote relaxation, mindfulness, and a sense of connection with the natural world.

✅ Physical activity and exercise: Surfing is a full-body workout! Physical activity releases endorphins and improves well-being. It can also help reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.

✅ Social support and community: Connecting with a surf community brings belonging, reduces feelings of isolation, and provides opportunities for social interaction and support.

✅ Trauma and PTSD: Surf therapy can be a great addition to the treatment plan of a person living with PTSD. The U.S. Marine Corps includes surf therapy as a form of mental health treatment. PTSD often means sleepless nights, panic attacks or high anxiety, and feelings of depression or complete collapse. Research shows that surf therapy is helpful when it is paired with other forms of trauma therapy such as trauma-informed counselling or EMDR.

✅ Mood: Mother Ocean can be fickle and teaches us that sometimes we just have to paddle out and hope for the best. This allows us to practice that some days we wake up with worries and just have to get moving and hope the tide turns for us! Sometimes it turns out so much better than we expected.

*Certified in Surf Therapy Trauma Training.

Learn more about the ways to use the waves to shift mental health in this YouTube video on surf sister programs and processing grief: Surf Sisters.

Veteran Surf Project helping PTSD sufferers find peace: Veteran Surf Project.

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**Adapted from GROUNDSWELL SURF THERAPY ™ content where my training comes from. Groundswell Surf Therapy programs are small intentional intersectional spaces for womxn to reclaim their healing, power, and belonging in the sea together. Groundswell’s research-based curriculum promotes holistic healing of individuals and their communities to overcome trauma and its impacts.

***Photo supplied by Andrew Lister.