THREE friends from Christchurch are teaching young people with physical and cognitive difficulties how to surf.
Jess, Emily, and Sarah have been delivering surfing lessons and water-based therapeutic experiences as part of their non-profit organisation, Wild and Free Therapy.
Since launching the company in February this year, the trio have continued to help those facing disability or disadvantage using the ‘blue water therapy’.
A spokesperson for Wild and Free Therapy said: “Our adaptive surf therapy opportunities provide individuals access to the sea and blue space, in a safe environment adapted to their individual needs.”
The highly qualified trio use a twelve foot, bespoke-design, seated board to provide the water based-sessions.
Wild and Free Therapy relies on donations and charitable grants, and it was financial support from The Steve Bernard Foundation and The Dorset Children's Foundation which allowed the team to buy the board.
A spokesperson for the Wild and Free Therapy said: “The seated board and the stability it offers, along with the highly trained team and their risk-assessed staff ratios, means that the team can take people with almost all needs, including cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and profound and complex needs.”
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As well as supporting young people with physical disabilities, the group has also held programmes for young people with complex social-emotional and mental health difficulties and has provided sessions to Dorset mental health charities.
Jess, whose background is in child and adolescent psychotherapy, describes the sessions as “a relational approach to therapy” with the natural healing benefits of being in the ocean.
She said: “Surfing, swimming and paddle boarding offer playful experiences that quickly build trust, because the participant relies upon the adults to keep them safe, and thus attachments and positive relationships are built.
“Combined with the therapeutic experience of being in the ocean, our relational play based approach allows participants to develop their pro-social skills by activating their play, care and seeking systems, which helps to create neural pathways to their executive functions: planning, reflecting, adapting, self-regulating.
“By facilitating trust and safety, our team work on a trauma-informed approach to improve social, emotional & mental health difficulties, and increase resilience and protective factors.”
To support the organisation, visit the Wild and Free Therapy crowd funding page at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/wild-and-free-therapy
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