About Us
Our Story
How we started:
Groundswell Community Project was born a decade ago from a powerful moment of connection and reclamation. It began with eight women, all survivors, gathering at the ocean’s edge. In that circle, guided by the rhythm of the waves and the wisdom of their own bodies, they found healing, strength, and belonging — not just as individuals, but as a community. That sacred gathering planted the seeds of what would become Groundswell: a movement rooted in surf therapy, mental health advocacy, and radical joy. Founded by Natalie Small, a licensed marriage and family therapist, Groundswell emerged from a vision to create safe, brave, and inclusive spaces for women and gender-expansive individuals to heal through connection with the ocean and each other. What started as a single gathering has now become a global community — with over 5,000 participants supported through surf therapy programs across the world. Our story is one of regeneration, resilience, and collective care — and it all began with a circle on the sand.
Want to read our full birth story? See here
The Launch of the Groundswell Institute
Groundswell Community Project nonprofit and The Groundswell Institute share the same heart, but serve distinct roles:
Groundswell Community Project expands access to surf therapy, invests in community-based program partnerships, and provides scholarships and resources for the Groundswell community locally & globally.
Groundswell Institute is a clinical team focusing the ongoing development of accredited trainings and clinical practice. Offering trauma-informed eco therapy, somatic therapy, and play therapy for individuals and communities rooted in the Groundswell Surf Therapy™ model. Now accepting insurance!
Together, we are building a movement of surf therapy leaders, healers, and ocean advocates, ensuring that both individuals and practitioners have the tools, knowledge, and support to heal and grow through the power of the ocean.
Our Commitments:
Expanding access to surf therapy through free community-led events, structured programs, and scholarships for underserved and marginalized communities.
Empowering a global network of leaders—including community organizers, facilitators, and organizations—who bring this healing practice to their local beaches.
Advancing research and advocacy to integrate surf therapy into mainstream mental health care while uplifting diverse, community-based healing models.
Honoring the intersection of mental health, ocean health, and collective healing by fostering deep connections between people, water, and environmental stewardship.
Our approach: At Groundswell Community Project, we believe healing is a collective process — one that happens in the water, in the community, and in ourselves. Our work centers on creating trauma-informed surf therapy experiences and supporting the next generation of facilitators and organizations to bring this work to their communities. Groundswell Community Project operates as a nonprofit (501c3), ensuring that surf therapy remains a right, not a privilege.
Visit our Blog to learn more about our work worldwide, and follow us on Social Media to stay up to date on all things Groundswell.
