A new surf therapy initiative for women has launched at Mount Maunganui, offering participants the chance to find balance, resilience and connection through the power of the ocean, therapeutic writing circles and one-to-one counselling.

The nine-week, preventive Surf Therapy pilot programme, known as Salt Sisters, began on October 5 and runs every Monday through to December 1. The sessions blend surfing with reflective wellbeing practices designed to nurture confidence, community, and emotional resilience.

“Before we even promoted it, 10 women had already signed up,” said Surf Therapy team member Bryan Winters.

“We were filled up a month before launch. It’s such a wonderfully diverse group – from their 20s through to their 50s.”

Each session, lasting three to four hours, combines guided surf therapy and instruction by Annericke Leonard and Kirstin Pascoe, with themed discussions linking lessons from the sea to life on land.

“Each week is built around a theme that uses surfing as a kinaesthetic metaphor for life,” Leonard said.

“For example, ‘Reading the Waves – Tuning Into Your Inner Compass’ invites women to practise noticing which waves to take in the ocean while also strengthening their ability to trust and follow their intuition in daily life.”

A new surf therapy pilot programme for women is being run at Mount Maunganui by Annericke Leonard and Kristin Pascoe. Photo / David Hall.

Delivered free to qualifying participants, the pilot forms part of a wider preventive surf therapy programme run through www.surftherapy.org.nz.

It builds on the success of Live for More, a Tauranga-based surf therapy initiative for young men aged 17-25.

“There are three aspects to surf therapy – restorative, preventive and explorative,” Winters said. “I’ve been involved with Live for More for 12 years now, and there’s something about learning from the ocean and the restorative nature of the sea. It teaches patience and acceptance – you can’t control the waves, and it’s pointless getting angry at it.”

Surf therapy for women reflects Leonard’s and Pascoe’s focus on blending therapy with a nature-based approach. Leonard has a masters in psychology specialising in surf therapy, and Pascoe has worked as a support worker for individuals with disabilities.

“Also, as a qualified surf instructor, I believe this instils confidence in our abilities in the surf,” Pascoe said. “Salt Sisters is about more than surfing – it’s about building strength, courage, and sisterhood.”

“Preventive therapy is particularly valuable for women facing burnout, feeling lost and disconnected, and lacking social support, or feeling anxious or depressed,” Leonard said.

The team, which also includes Matt Comer, is gathering data before and after the pilot to measure its impact and plans to create a short film capturing both in-water and on-shore moments.