Tag: surf therapy

New Surf Therapy Workshops with Holly

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Are you interested in Surf Therapy Workshops?

SWA founder Holly Beck has been running some really cool surf therapy workshops in California, including one specifically designed to address overcoming fear in the water.

Join a small group (max 6 participants) in learning about what fear is, how it shows up in our bodies, some tools to work on managing our reactions when we feel fearful as well as some practical surf tools to minimize feeling fearful in the ocean.

“Overcoming Fear” surf therapy workshop: March 5th, Bolsa Chica, 8:30am – 11:30am 

The workshop ($250) includes:
  • on-land learning component
  • coached surf session
  • 1:1 zoom call with Holly to go over your surf footage (and anything else you want to discuss)

But wait, there’s more! Holly also has surf therapy workshops that address your Inner Critic on March 6th and 12th in San Clemente. CLICK HERE for all the info.

Even more options:

Mar 3rd: Belonging: Finding Your Place in the Line Up; South County San Diego

Mar 11th: Your Relationship with Your Board & Others; North County San Diego

Mar 18th: Fear and Falling; North County San Diego

Email [email protected] with questions!

Q&A with Holly Beck: From Pro Surfer to Surf Therapy Intern

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After a career as a professional surfer, SWA Founder Holly Beck ran off to Central America to find herself. She built Surf With Amigas (and a family) over the course of 11 years living between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. In 2021 she decided to move back to calling California home base.

The ocean was always a place holly went to escape and find healing.

Now, she’s pursuing a Master’s in Counseling on the path to become a licensed surf therapist. She’s interning with Groundswell Community Project and partnered with Jess Ripley to create and lead surf therapy programs in Southern California.

Q + A with Holly

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in working with women in the world of holistic surf coaching?

A: After spending the last 12 years involved in surf coaching, i’ve realized that beyond the physical tips like looking down the line, putting more weight on the front foot, and all the other common bits of coaching advice that i’m typically giving Amigas, there is often a mental component as well. Whether it’s the un-helpful voice of our inner-critic, a fear of bigger waves, anxiety about getting in someone’s way, etc., there’s a lot going on in our heads that affects our surfing performance. I’ve been really interested in exploring that internal stuff both in my own life and then also adding it to a coaching program to create a more holistic approach to surf coaching that would be even more effective in the water, but also spill over into benefits to someone’s personal life as well.

Q: You’ve made a few big career changes in the past year. Looking forward, what are you most excited about?

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Surf Therapy Retreat at Surf With Amigas with Groundswell

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Surf With Amigas is offering our first ever Surf Therapy Retreat in partnership with Groundswell Community Project the week of June 11-18, 2022 at our Longboard Surf House location in Southern Costa Rica

holly beck surf coach

WHAT IS A SURF THERAPY GROUNDSWELL + SWA RETREAT?

OUR GOAL WITH OUR SURF THERAPY RETREAT IS THAT YOU LEAVE WITH A SUSTAINABLE SURF PRACTICE ROOTED IN SELF LOVE, SEA LOVE AND SISTERHOOD. 

 Groundswell + SWA Surf Therapy Retreats are facilitated by licensed clinicians and surf coaches that create a safe space for you to be brave and wild as you explore your truest self expression in the waves and the world. 

Surf therapy is for all surf experience-levels. Each retreat combines surf therapy rooted in somatic mindfulness practices, yoga/meditation, SWA’s highest standard of surf coaching, community engagement to support local women’s health and ocean health, and unforgettable adventures that will bond you with your new life long surfsisters.

Our surf therapy retreat and trauma informed instructors are here to support you in building the skills for working with trauma, anxiety, triggers, grief and mental blocks in the waves and back on land to enhance your relationship with self, others and the earth. We believe that surfing mother oceans waves is a powerful tool for reclaiming your healing, power, and belonging and can not wait to paddle out with you!

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Holly Beck Offers Holistic Surf Coaching in Huntington Beach

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holly beck, groundswell, surf therapy, coaching

After 11 years living full time in Central America running Surf With Amigas Retreats, our founder Holly Beck is headed back to CA for at least a year. She is working on earning a Master’s in Counseling with plans to become a licensed therapist focusing on surf therapy.
Holly says,

“The ocean has saved me so many times in my life. From dealing with childhood trauma, relationship breakups, the loss of a family member, and even just day to day struggles, the ocean has always been the place I’ve gone to find healing, clarity, release, and play. I’ve been excited to learn about mental health counseling strategies to combine with my experience in surf coaching. I’ve been working with a friend to create a holistic surf coaching program that I’ll be offering while I’m in California.”

holly beck, mamala wetsuits, surf therapy, surf coaching, California

Holly has teamed up with the crew at Groundswell Community Project, a 501c3 non-profit that provides research-based surf therapy curriculum and programs that are rooted in somatic, trauma-informed, nature, and community therapy models to best support the holistic healing of womxn and their communities overcoming various forms of trauma and its mental health effects. Holly will be volunteering to assist Groundswell with their existing programs for underserved communities who may have never even been in the ocean, as well as helping to develop programs for women who already have a surf practice.

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Nicaragua Surf And Service Retreat in Partnership with Groundswell Community

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Surf With Amigas is all about women’s empowerment, overcoming fear, supporting each other, and doing good. We discovered a sister organization with the same goals in the Groundswell Community Project and are teaming up to host a retreat in Northern Nicaragua the week of Oct 26-Nov 2 2019.

Groundswell Community Project Surf & Service Retreat

This retreat includes the intention is to provide a safe and brave space to dive deeper into self love, sea love, and surf-sisterhood together. Our time together will flow with daily meditation, yoga, environmental conservation and local community engagement projects, and of course…. opportunities to surf and explore the beauty that Nicaragua has to offer!

Our hope is that you not only have the most epic surfsister surf trip of your life, but also dive deeper into self love, sea love, and community through an enriched surf therapy experience in the warm water waves of Nicaragua.

The Retreat Experience

This retreat will be focused on surfing and yoga as always, however it will have a larger service component than our normal retreats with daily opportunities to connect to the local community and a focus on self-knowledge and growth.

Retreat Details

Starting at $1500

What’s Included

  • Two way airport shuttle between resort and Managua International Airport (provided you arrive and depart on the designated days/times)
  • 7 nights accommodation in shared cabana (available for 2-4 guests per cabana)
  • 4 deliciously healthy fresh meals per day (early morning cold breakfast, hot brunch, lunch, and dinner, plus dessert)
  • Unlimited coffee, tea, water, juice, and sodas
  • Daily individualized in-water surf coaching/instruction/guiding
  • Daily one on one post- session video coaching with one of our instructors
  • Video footage from surf sessions
  • Surfboard rental
  • Daily yoga classes
  • A group of awesome new Amigas who may become your lifetime surfing friends!

Optional Extras:

  • Alcohol
  • Massages
  • Private cabana upgrade
  • Photos of yourself surfing
  • Adventures (horseback riding, volcano boarding, hiking, etc)
TO book your spot, CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW
PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] FOR ANY QUESTIONS

What is a Surf Therapy Retreat?

Surf Therapy sessions are facilitated by licensed trauma informed therapists and surf coaches that hold intentional safe and brave space to invite your body, mind, and heart to join you in the process and adventure of surfing. Mother Ocean is a powerful therapy room! Be open and ready to see what waves of wisdom she has instore for you!

Surf therapy is for all levels of surfers.

More info about the location can be found here!