Healing Waves was founded in 2017 by three friends, surfers and care workers.Our mission is to harness the ocean's transformative powers to deliver ocean therapy to both children and adults living with conditions, disabilities and mental health struggles.We work to reduce barriers through research, understanding, approach and specialist equipment to ensure the ocean can be accessed and enjoyed by all, whilst advocating for equality and inclusion.Although Surf Therapy is the core offering of Healing Waves, we also run Paddle Board, FlowRider and pool based sensory play for our Athletes. These sessions allow us to run year round and ultimately compliments the surf elements of our service.By maintaining a high ratio of volunteers to Athletes, HW has built a culture that allows each and every individual the chance to bond with fellow Athletes and volunteers, offering positive role models and meaningful relationships. We provide each individual accessing our service the opportunity to have their own unique, positive, uplifting and empowering experiences. And hope that in doing this each will leave feeling more relaxed and confident in their own abilities transferring this into their everyday lives.From our experiences, being in, under, on, or around the water leaves you calmer with a more focused mind-set, it can give your mind a break from the usual busyness and over stimulation of life and we truly believe it can do the same for any of the guys and girls who wish to come and give our service a try.Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist, believes that we all have a "blue mind" — as he puts it, "a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment" — that's triggered when we're in or near water.