INTERNATIONAL SURF THERAPY ORGANIZATION INC

The International Surf Therapy Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting surf therapy practitioners, clinicians, scientists, and influencers working together to advance understanding in the surf therapy sector through research. We are the leading information hub for the sector and help facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration for the practitioner community.

Our member organizations run surf therapy programs across the following priority areas; mental & physical disabilities in marginalized communities, underserved populations such as the LGBTQ & BIPOC communities, Veterans, first responders, Syrian and Ukrainian refugees, men and women recently released from prison, at-risk youth living in extreme poverty, individuals with Autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, blind, and so much more.

We work with over 135-surf therapy programs on 6-continents advocating a community-engaged approach to elevate the collective voice. We leverage the power of partnerships and the ocean to advocate for surf therapy to be used globally to improve mental health. ISTO has developed a shared practitioner toolkit for surf therapy programs worldwide, including staff training guides, curriculum manuals, and evaluation tools. We coordinate using this tool and help programs integrate ISTO learnings into their programs. This remote support is proving vital in developing evidence-based surf therapy globally. ISTO hosts monthly working group meetups, quarterly webinars, newsletters, and annual conferences to share our impact and mainstream surf therapy.

We want to keep coordinating and backbone the sector to increasingly align. This is key, as we're creating a community that shares instead of competes.