Did you know that there is such a thing as surf therapy?!? Back when I was working for a residential treatment center serving survivors of sex trafficking I had the tremendous opportunity to interact with an amazing organization in the local San Diego area called Groundswell Community Project. During my time as a therapist for that program I was introduced to this incredible organization and learned about this wonderful therapy modality. I would love to share more about it with you…

I’d like to introduce you to Natalie Small, an amazing therapist who spearheaded this awesome, outside-of-the-box therapy option for women who have suffered trauma or grief in their lives.

Why did you decide to open your Surf Therapy practice in San Diego, CA?

I did both my undergrad and grad school in San Diego so it was naturally where I had the most community, support, and network to build my work…plus San Diego has amazing ocean access that has been a cornerstone to both my therapeutic practice as well as my own well being

Natalie Small, LMFT and Surf Therapist in San Diego

What kind of services do you provide?

Surf Therapy! I still have to pinch myself that this is my job!

After grad school I felt completely burnt out on traditional talk therapy and started working on boats to take a break and use a different part of my brain and body. I ended up in Buenos Aires and got the opportunity to be trained and mentored by Graciela Botonii, who was the president of the International Experiential Art Therapy Association for Latin America. Through her mentorship and training I fell in love with the healing practice of welcoming the body, nature and community back into therapy! I came back to the states re-invigorized and started holding art therapy groups for women in recovery from sexual abuse and trafficking in California, Peru, and Mexico through partnerships with local orgs and safe houses and began training first care responders around the world with the org First Aid Arts. As I dove deep into the experiential art therapy practice I started exploring the expressive art modalities in my own life that helped me regulate, process and stay present. Being in, on, around, and under water through surfing, sailing, swimming, and simply being played huge impacts on my mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. With the support of the safe house GenerateHope in San Diego, we took our art therapy group to the beach and used surfboards as our pain brushes and the ocean as our canvas. It was radical the shifts and opening that happened in the women within just a single session. So we continued the sessions at the beach and in the sea and eventually that turned into what is now the non-profit Groundswell Community Project with the mission to build safer and braver spaces for womxn and their communities to reclaim their healing, power, and belonging through surfing mother ocean’s waves. We now have the first CEU accredited Surf Therapy training and have a cohort of associate therapists that do their internships in surf therapy each year.

Surf Therapy for Trauma in San Diego, CA

As an undergrad and graduate student I would have never imagined getting to combine the healing impact of the ocean with therapy. The ocean didn’t fit within the 4 walls of the therapy office. But with the encouragement, support, research, and trainings in eco therapy, art therapy and somatic therapy I have been able to not only create a practice for myself that brings both me and my clients joy and life but I also get to train and mentor the future generations of therapists that will get to practice healing outside of the 4 walls and reconnected to nature, community, and our bodies.

In my private practice space my work is all about integrating the medicine of water alongside the medicine of our bodies and community. I do this through surf therapy, sailing therapy, birth and postpartum doula work, and small group ocean therapy. All of my work can also be done via telehealth because We Are Nature! The medicine of the ocean is always within us!

How does your service help people with trauma?

Trauma can occur when: There is too much too soon. There is too much for too long. There is not enough for too long. Power and agency have been taken away from the person or collective. The stressors outweigh the resources available to navigate them. When our primal protective instincts, intuitions, and responses are thwarted. There is not enough time, space, or permission to heal.

Trauma robs us of our sense of safety, intimacy, power, and control. Trauma triggers are constantly pulling us out of the present and back into the traumatizing experience in the past.

The ocean invites us into the present moment through our senses and somatic stimulation. It allows us to explore the full spectrum of the human emotional experience, acknowledging both the existence of the hard things while also the experience of the beautiful things and that both can exist together allowing us to form new neurological pathways towards resilience, joy, and strength. Surf therapy normalizes falling as part of the healing and growth journey and allows us to have lived experiences in the body rather than just verbally processing. It provides both top down and bottom up experiences and can create a sense of meaning, purpose, and relationship with ones body, community and nature. It holds space for us to be seen, heard, and honored while also experiencing the power of seeing, hearing, and honoring others. Our research with UCSD shows that Groundswell Surf Therapy increases self awareness, emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, resilience and body relationship. Our research with USC shows a positive impact of surf therapy for those living with Chronic Pain as well.

Trauma happens to the body and is stored in the body.

Surf Therapy allows us to return to the body for healing

“Trauma is a fact of life, it does not have to be a life sentence” -Peter Levine

What kind of people do you love working with?

Women

Women are the birthers of the next generation and are often the last ones to receive mental health support and care. When we have healthy mamas we have healthy children, communities, and earth.

What happens during a first appointment with you?

With surf therapy, we meet at a beach location that fits your goals and safety needs. At the beach we take a moment to ground and take in the environment with our senses. We explore your intentions and hopes, fears and anxieties, and invite you to observe the conditions of the ocean and your internal conditions and engage with the water with the support of a therapist as you feel comfortable and challenged to do so.

We take things slow with our bodies and joy being our guide.

What do you wish people knew about services with you?

That you don’t need to even know how to swim to take part in surf therapy. It's more than learning to ride the waves of the sea, it's really about learning to ride the waves of life.

How can people contact you to learn more about your services in San Diego, CA?

https://www.groundswellcommunity.org/new-page-1 or my private practice https://www.nataliesmalllmft.com/

Waves of love through surf therapy in San Diego, CA and beyond!

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Blog Series: Highlighting Local Professionals - Natalie Small, LMFT