Speaker 1 

Lizzie and Caoimhe are two third year UWE students on a role emerging contemporary placement with the Wave project at North Devon, Lizzie and Caoimhe are working with two staff from the Wave project, Ian, who is the adaptive lead, and Jazz who is a local coordinator. Sue, that’s me is their long arm OT supervisor and is also a Wave project volunteer. For our introduction, the primary focus is on the waves. The beach provides a platform and transitory setting for all participants of surf therapy. In our discussions, observations and interventions, Lizzie and Caoimhe have explored the value of this space in an in an adjunct to the wave surf therapy, Lizzie will describe who is part of the Wave project community. 

Speaker 2 

So the Wave project, community or family, it’s quite large. It brings together loads of surf instructors, coordinators and volunteers from all around the country in order to provide surf therapy for children between 5 and 18. The Wave project is set on beautiful beaches all around the country, meaning that a lot of the locals and local community are happy to help out in many different ways. This could be in a form of volunteering in sessions or donating money towards helping sessions run or advocating for the charity. So the users are little kids, the service users, they come from different backgrounds. They have different reasons for joining the Wave project. Some of the kids are in foster care, who have had really difficult backgrounds and previous lives, and they’ve joined to help build positive relationships and friendships, sorry friendships with the other kids. So some of the other kids have special educational needs like autism and ADHD and they join to help build up those social skills and emotional skills, they’re also kids with more complex disabilities like cerebral palsy and genetic disorders, who attend our adaptive session. The adaptive sessions use equipment like seated boards or wider boards to make the sessions more accessible for everyone. It’s set on the beach, which is any beach suitable for surfing, which can be quite a difficult environment for some people, depending on how the weather is and it changes all the time. 

Speaker 3 

So I’m going to talk a little bit about the liminal space of the beach and how it is utilised at the Wave project. So the beach is a great example of a liminal space as it is a threshold between land and sea, and the known and the unknown, so the setting is not just a physical space, but also a metaphorical one representing transitions and transformations and the beach can be such an effective liminal space for therapeutic purposes. If we look at the transitional nature of this space, the ebb and flow of the tides symbolised constant change, mirroring the personal journeys of those undergoing therapy. It’s a place where one can leave behind the constraints of everyday life and enter a new space of new possibilities and opportunities. The beach also engages all the senses, so the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand, the smell of the salt water, and the sight of the horizon. This multi sensory experience can enhance mindfulness and present moment awareness, which are key components in therapeutic practises. The vastness of the beach also offers a sense of openness and freedom that can be both calming and inspiring for the service users and the environment can encourage individuals to explore new activities and take risks and step outside their comfort zones. So at the wave project in North Devon, they harness the therapeutic potential of the beach in many different ways. So surf therapy participants engage in surfing and which combines the physical activity with the therapeutic benefits of the natural environment. So the surfing challenges individuals physically and mentally, fostering resilience and confidence. And the beach also provides a neutral ground for group activities, so promoting social interaction and sense of community and these activities can help reduce feelings of isolation and support the development of social skills. And the calming presence of the ocean is ideal for mindfulness exercises and relaxation techniques. So participants are often encouraged to practise breathing exercises and reflective practises on the beach. And the beaches, liminal quality, supports personal reflection and introspection, so participants often find that the beach health can gain new perspectives on their challenges and achievements, facilitating a sense of personal growth. 

Speaker 2 

So we’ve just got a case study now about one of the girls and one-on-one with and surf therapy sessions, she came to the first session with a lot of trauma and she was currently placed in foster care and in the first session she was extremely anxious and very reluctant to leave her mum and. She wasn’t interested in engaging with the other kids or engaging with the other volunteers, but she did like surfing as the weeks have gone on, she’s become a lot more confident in herself and her surfing ability, and she started playing with the other kids and volunteers as well. So it’s really nice to see how just through this intervention, she’s been able to grow as a person and to become more confident in herself. 

Speaker 3 

There are lots of strong correlations between occupational therapy principles and the Wave projects approach both emphasise holistic client centred care, focusing on what matters to the individual, the beach setting enhances this by offering a neutral therapeutic environment that promotes engagement and occupation. As occupational students working with the Wave project, we’ve had the chance to observe the impact of liminal spaces on therapy and participate in innovative therapeutic practises. Our placement with the Wave project has been a journey filled with boat excitement and trepidation, engaging with participants in surf therapy sessions has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing the joy and progress in individuals as they connect with the ocean and themselves is very inspiring. Advocacy has also been a significant part of our role. We’ve advocated for the participants needs and help them voice their experiences and challenges. This advocacy ascends also to promoting the benefits of surf therapy and the importance of the beach as a therapeutic space, while also incorporating the importance of occupational therapy within this setting. From an occupational therapy perspective, this placement has reinforced the value of occupation and therapy. We are using surfing not just as an activity, but as a means to achieve therapeutic goals. So volunteering with the participants and facilitating sessions and also using therapeutic use of self are some of the core aspects of our work and this involves building trust, offering encouragement and sometimes just being a common presence for the service users. And volunteering and facilitating have definitely deepened my appreciation for the holistic nature of occupational therapy. It’s about understanding each participant’s unique journey and supporting them in a way that respects their individuality. The therapeutic use of self is crucial here, it’s about being present, empathetic, and adaptable to the situations. Through this placement, I’ve learned that engagement in meaningful activities like surfing can be transformative and helps participants build resilience, improve their mental health, and develop new skills. The beaches as a liminal space enhances this process by providing a serene yet stimulating environment for the service users. The mood and ethos amongst users, volunteers and staff at the Wave project are incredibly positive and uplifting. There’s a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose and everyone involved is committed to creating a supportive environment where individuals can feel safe and encouraged to push their boundaries. Moving away from the comfort zone is essential theme at the Wave project, and this process can be broken down into four stages. So the first one being feel, the service users initially feel the excitement and apprehension of trying something new, and this emotional response is crucial as it signifies a willingness to step into the unknown, the second one being think, as they engage in their therapy, participants begin to reflect their on their experiences. This cognitive process allows them to understand their fears strengths and areas for growth. The third one being challenge, surfing itself is a physical and mental challenge, overcoming the waves and mastering the skills required pushes participants beyond their perceived limits. The fourth and final one being transformation and growth. The culmination of these experiences lead to personal transformation participants often report increased self-confidence, resilience and a sense of accomplishment. The supportive ethos at the Wave project ensures that this growth is nurtured and celebrated. I feel that the collective experience at the wave project fosters an environment of mutual support and encouragement. Users, volunteers and staff all contribute to the benefit and benefit from this positive dynamic, making it a truly holistic therapeutic setting. 

Speaker 1 

The Wave project offers a sense of belonging, it’s very much a community. It embraces all participants, whether they be volunteers, instructors or users of the service. I as a volunteer feel very much part of that community and it has been a delight to actually involve Caoimhe and Lizzie in the project and to be able to be advocate both for occupational therapy and the Wave project it’s fascinated me how to watch them grow and in their engagement with the environment. And for them, I think the beach has become a place where they have explored their own emotions and their own sense of belonging and value to the community that they are working with. It’s been a really good treatment tool and place of engagement for talking through issues with the kids and also with the adult participants of the Wave projects who may have coming with mental health issues associated with their disability or their engagement with their community. And it’s been a fantastic experience for me and for the team at the Wave project as well, who’ve really cherished and valued the skills and experience that Lizzie and Caoimhe have brought to the team. Part of that has been looking at engagement with the children on the beach and they’ve come up with both a booklet and chart, which enables the children to engage with the environment and to give feedback on their experience of the Wave project and their time with surf therapy and hopefully we’ll be able to explore these and distribute these at a later date with you once they’ve been signed off by the Wave project, because we feel that that be a valuable resource for all their communities and we hope that the value of occupational therapy will now be opened to the Wave project and they will see that. It is something that we can work hand in hand with them on that sense of belonging has been so important and you know, we are grateful for the opportunity that they’ve given us to enable Lizzie and Caoimhe to join the team.