Riding the Waves of Recovery: The Powerful Impact of Surf Therapy on Mental Health and Trauma
Monday, October 14, 2024.
Surf therapy, also known as ocean therapy or “blue care,” is rapidly gaining recognition for its profound effects on mental health and trauma recovery.
As more folks seek alternative methods to manage stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges, surf therapy is emerging as a transformative way to reconnect with nature and find healing through the ocean.
According to marine social scientist Easkey Britton, who has spent her life immersed in surfing and studying the relationship between humans and the sea, the ocean has the power to heal both mind and body.
Britton’s own experiences with the water and her research, outlined in her book Ebb and Flow, offer compelling evidence that the sea can be a source of restoration, particularly for those recovering from trauma or grappling with mental health issues.
What is Surf Therapy?
Surf therapy involves water-based activities, particularly surfing, designed to improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Part of a larger therapeutic approach known as “blue care,” surf therapy taps into the restorative effects of blue spaces—oceans, lakes, and rivers—to provide a unique form of healing.
Research shows that engaging with blue spaces can reduce stress, increase feelings of joy, and help folks process difficult emotions.
Surf therapy, in particular, encourages mindfulness, focus, and presence, allowing participants to break free from the anxieties of daily life and experience a sense of flow and connection with nature.
The Mental Health Benefits of Surf Therapy
Surf therapy offers a range of mental health benefits, particularly for those dealing with trauma, anxiety, and depression. Learning to surf requires folks to focus on the present moment, and hones situational awareness, a practice that can help alleviate stress and anxiety.
Surfing also creates a dynamic environment that builds resilience, as participants learn to overcome fears and challenges in a playful yet empowering way.
Jamie Marshall, an expert in surf therapy, explains that the dynamic learning environment provided by surfing helps folks build coping mechanisms and develop a stronger sense of self.
Participants often report feelings of joy, empowerment, and connection with nature, which can reduce the need for traditional treatments such as antidepressants.
Surf therapy also encourages group interaction, enhancing feelings of belonging and community. Many surf therapy programs are designed to foster social connections, allowing participants to share their experiences and support each other through their journey to recovery.
How Surf Therapy Supports Trauma Recovery
For folks recovering from trauma, surf therapy offers a powerful way to reconnect with their bodies and process emotions.
Trauma can often cause a disconnect between the mind and body, making it difficult for folks to feel and process their emotions. Surf therapy addresses this through what Britton calls “blue attunement”—a mindful embodiment that helps restore the mind-body connection.
Environment and health researcher Nick Caddick, who studies the effects of surf therapy on combat veterans, notes that this form of therapy can help folks feel emotions that may have been suppressed during traumatic events.
Immersion in the ocean, combined with the physical act of surfing, rewires the brain and helps regulate hormones, reducing fear and anxiety while promoting emotional healing.
The Science Behind Surf Therapy: Enhancing Neuroplasticity
Surf therapy not only helps with emotional healing but also has significant physical benefits.
Immersion in the ocean activates the body’s sensory system at a cellular level, which enhances neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to modify and strengthen neural connections. This makes the brain more agile and adaptive, which is particularly beneficial for those recovering from trauma or brain injuries.
By responding to the movement of the waves and learning to balance on a surfboard, folks can improve functional mobility and coordination.
For people recovering from physical injuries or conditions like acquired brain injuries, surf therapy has been shown to improve mobility and reduce the need for pain management medications.
Surf Therapy and the Connection to Nature
One of the core principles of surf therapy is the deep connection it fosters between humans and nature.
This “blue attunement” involves becoming aware of and responsive to the ocean, creating a sense of mindfulness and connection that is transpersonal.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, an Indigenous scientist and author, refers to this relationship as “reciprocal restoration,” meaning that as humans heal through their connection to nature, they also develop a deeper sense of responsibility and stewardship toward the environment.
This reciprocal relationship is essential for restoring not only personal well-being but also the health of the ocean. Britton and other advocates of surf therapy emphasize the importance of treating the ocean with respect and care, recognizing that a healthy ocean is crucial for both environmental and human health.
Global Surf Therapy Initiatives: Healing Through Blue Spaces
Around the world, surf therapy programs are helping individuals reconnect with the ocean and themselves.
One such initiative, Sea Sisters in Sri Lanka, empowers local women and girls by using surfing and swimming as tools for social change and personal empowerment.
Britton herself co-founded a similar project in Iran called Be Like Water, which aims to make surfing more accessible to minority groups of women and girls, strengthening their connection to nature and supporting their personal development.
These global initiatives highlight the transformative power of surf therapy and its potential to promote healing on both an individual and community level. By creating opportunities for folks to engage with blue spaces, these programs foster not only personal recovery but also environmental stewardship.
The Future of Surf Therapy: A Path to Healing
As more research supports the mental health and trauma recovery benefits of surf therapy, its integration into mental health care continues to grow.
Surf therapy presents a unique opportunity to combine physical activity, emotional healing, and environmental consciousness, creating a holistic approach to mental well-being.
However, for surf therapy to reach its full potential, it is essential that the ocean itself remains a safe, healthy, and accessible space for all.
Advocates like Britton emphasize the importance of restoring the health of the ocean, recognizing that human well-being and environmental well-being have always been deeply interconnected.
Surf therapy offers a path to healing for folks, families, and the planet.
As more people discover the therapeutic power of the ocean, they are also awakening to the need to protect and restore the blue spaces that make this healing possible.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Britton, E. (2021). Ebb and Flow: Connecting with the Ocean in a Time of Change. Watkins Publishing.
Caddick, N., Smith, B., & Phoenix, C. (2015). The effects of surfing and the natural environment on the well-being of combat veterans. Qualitative Health Research, 25(1), 76-86.
Marshall, J., Ferrara, A., & Lofgren, I. E. (2019). Surf therapy: A systematic review of the benefits of surfing for mental and physical health. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65, 101347.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.