Community Partner Spotlight Series: One Sea Wellness

One Sea Wellness is a trauma-informed, water-based healing project rooted in both the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and the river communities of Gunnison, Colorado. Founded by PJ, whose own healing journey led her to surf therapy, the program supports women, youth, and survivors in reconnecting with their bodies through water, movement, and community. Whether in ocean waves or flowing rivers, One Sea Wellness creates spaces where healing is grounded in belonging rather than performance. For PJ, water is medicine—and her vision is to expand access so more people can find safety, strength, and connection through it.

Healing Doesn’t Always Have Four Walls

Discover how Groundswell is expanding mental health recovery beyond the clinic, utilizing surf therapy and somatic practice to create safer spaces for healing in the waves.

Community Partner Spotlight Series: Groundswell Peru | Mujeres y Mar

Mujeres y Mar is a women-centered surf therapy project based in Huanchaco, on Peru’s northern coast. Founded by Patty after her own healing journey with the ocean, the program invites women to experience the sea as a place of transformation and belonging. Mujeres y Mar is growing a powerful sisterhood, normalizing conversations about mental health, and deepening care for the ocean. For Patty, the sea is resilience, balance, and transformation—and she dreams of expanding this work so more women in Peru can rise with the waves.

This piece reflects on a recent trip to El Salvador, where a simple reunion with the ocean turned into a powerful experience of community, healing, and collaboration. During volunteer work, Ari met Ceci — a therapist, surfer, and kindred spirit — and the two began dreaming up a women’s circle rooted in accessibility, cultural wisdom, and the grounding power of the sea. Months later, that shared vision came to life in Playa El Zonte, where women across generations gathered to reflect on mental health, dismantle stigma, and connect through art, storytelling, and supportive conversation.

The Science of Surf Therapy: New Research on Chronic Pain Relief

A groundbreaking new study from the Pain Trauma Institute, in collaboration with USC and Groundswell Community Project, reveals that surf therapy can significantly reduce chronic pain and promote nervous system healing. Through guided sessions rooted in trauma-informed care, participants living with conditions like chronic pelvic pain, Lyme disease, and long COVID reported a 50% average decrease in pain intensity, as well as increased emotional vitality and deep brainwave shifts associated with rest and regulation. Beyond the data, the ocean offered something deeper — a sense of agency, awe, and belonging. Surf therapy reconnected participants not just to their bodies, but to the belief that healing is possible, even when medicine falls short. This research marks an early but powerful step toward integrating surf therapy into chronic pain care — not as a cure, but as a co-therapist.

When the Ocean Becomes Medicine: Understanding Surf Therapy

Surf therapy goes far beyond learning to surf — it’s where the ocean becomes a partner in healing. Unlike a traditional surf lesson focused on technique or performance, surf therapy combines the natural rhythm of the waves with mindfulness, somatic practices, and community connection to help participants feel safe, grounded, and alive in their bodies again. Rooted in both science and lived experience, it draws on the ocean’s proven ability to calm the nervous system, boost mood, and build resilience — reminding us that healing doesn’t happen in isolation, but in connection with nature, movement, and one another.

Partner Spotlight: Mindful Waves

In Nosara, Costa Rica, Mindful Waves is creating safe, supportive spaces for women to connect with the ocean and themselves. Founded by Dani after her own personal transformation through surfing, the program now partners with local mental health organization Nosara Siente to bring surf therapy to women and children in the community. Through intentional rituals, circles of belonging, and a deep respect for the sea, Mindful Waves empowers women to heal, grow, and reclaim their strength. Rooted in Groundswell’s global movement, they are building ripples of impact that reach far beyond the shoreline.