Maui Surfer Girls offering Surf Therapy in May

Maui Surfer Girls is helping individuals overcome fear, anxiety and negative self talk with two different surf therapy programs this May.

The first program is Private Surf Therapy, which will be offered as a two hour session, to anyone age 12 and up, on selected days in May. This program will be led by Natalie Small, LMFT, founder of Groundswell Surf Therapy, based out of Southern California.

The second program is a free four-session Group Surf Therapy program for moms living on Maui. It will be held on Tuesday mornings in May. The program is funded by Surfing Moms with support from Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi.

Private Surf Therapy 

Maui Surfer Girls is partnering with Natalie Small, LMFT, to offer private Surf Therapy sessions in May.

Natalie Small is the creator and founder of the Groundswell Surf Therapy model. Her program is designed to deepen the participant’s relationship to self, others and the sea through surfing. Sessions include time on land as well as in the sea integrating in somatic, art, and eco-therapy tools. Natalie weaves together her clinical training as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with expertise in Experiential Expressive Arts Therapy and Somatic Therapy alongside her lifelong passion for surfing.

“Whether you want to overcome fears, build your confidence, or work on reading the waves within you and around you, Surf Therapy is a powerful opportunity to build and deepen your surf practice to support your physical, mental, and emotional health,” said Small.

The two hour sessions, offered on selected days in May, at 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m., are open to ages 12 and up, and $300 plus tax per session. Hawaiʻi residents get 20% off.

All surf levels welcome (participants must be able to swim). Registration and availability is available here: https://www.mauisurfergirls.com/surf-lessons/. Participants can also send a message through the website for the current Kamaʻāina promo code.  

Surfing Moms – Heʻe Nalu Group Surf Therapy

Maui Surfer Girls and Groundswell Surf Therapy will be working with non-profit Surfing Moms to host a four-week long Group Surf Therapy session on Tuesdays in May. 

Surfing Moms, a non-profit organization that started on Oahu and is now spreading around the country, is offering free membership for all postpartum residents of Maui in 2024. Membership allows for free participation in the He’e Nalu programs which includes surf lessons, surf therapy, and surf-swaps, in which participants alternate child-care and surf sessions. He’e Nalu programming is sponsored by funding partners Kaiser Permanente and Mana O Maui.  

This program is open to first time, beginner, or intermediate longboarding moms. The program will be led by Natalie Small, Dustin Tester, founder of Maui Surfer Girls, and Kiki Martins, professional surf instructor. Tester and Martins are also both Groundswell trained instructors. 

The program is limited to eight participants and will take place on Tuesdays, May 7, 14, 21 & 28 from 8 a.m. to noon. Surfing and therapy locations will be based on weather, but will be between Māʻalaea and Lahaina.

The cost is free upon completion of all four sessions. A $100 hold fee will be returned on the final week. Potential members can sign up at https://surfingmoms.org/hee-nalu-program and will receive additional program information upon joining. The deadline to sign up for the May Surf Therapy is April 30.