retreat leader, surf instructor
Natalie Small
Natalie Small grew up on the east coast of the USA sailing and boogie boarding with her family from North Carolina to Florida until she moved to Los Angeles at age 10. As soon as she had her drivers license she learned to surf and hasn’t stopped since. Her love for the ocean lead her to call “Mi Corazon”, a 28 ft sailboat in San Diego harbor, home in her 20s. Most recently home has been Huanchaco, Peru, known as the birthplace of surfing with the longest left in the world (Chicama) only an hour away.
Between surf and sailing trips through Europe, Asia, and South America, Natalie got her masters and license as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She combined her love for the ocean with healing to create the non-profit, “Groundswell Community Project”, which provides small group surf therapy programs for intersectional communities of womxn overcoming trauma, abuse, addiction, displacement, racial and gender violence, depression, and grief. Since it’s founding in 2016, Groundswell has supported over 4000 women to find their healing, power, and belonging in the waves together around the world. Natalie is excited to continue providing supportive spaces for SWA amigas to intentionally connect, explore, and play in the waves for their mental health and wellbeing.
Natalie is honored to be Holly’s therapy supervisor as they build a high level holistic surf coaching curriculum, programs, and retreats to support beginner to advanced surfers in tools to enhance their wellbeing and surf practice in the waves and back on land.
