Inspiring Conversations with PJ Brown of One Sea Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to PJ Brown

Hi PJ, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey toward founding One Sea Wellness began with a deep-rooted passion for education, healing, and the water. I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, where my dad, an avid water skier, had me behind the boat by the age of three. From the start, I was a summer and water baby, drawn to the rhythm and freedom of being on the water.
My connection to the ocean deepened when I moved to Costa Rica to work as an elementary English teacher at La Paz Community School. There, I discovered surfing and began leading SUP yoga, fostering a relationship with the ocean that would eventually shape my life’s work. Later, as a Waldorf Spanish language teacher at NUA Sparrow Charter School in San Diego, I was introduced to surf therapy through the Groundswell Community Project, where I volunteered to facilitate programs for women healing from trauma, anxiety, and depression. This experience was profoundly healing—not just for the women I supported but also for myself, as I found community and resilience after leaving a physically abusive marriage. This rewrote my view of surfing as a process of being and a lifestyle rather than something that we do.
Seeking new challenges, I moved to Colorado, where I became a whitewater SUP guide, learning to navigate rivers and balance my summers between paddleboarding guiding and rock climbing, both of which became powerful tools for my personal healing. Yearning for deeper experience with the waves, I traveled to New Zealand, where I ran surf lessons and camps, further refining my skills and connection to the water. Returning to the U.S., I started a massage therapy practice specializing in Thai massage, integrating bodywork into my understanding of healing.
During the pandemic, I felt compelled to give back and help those who, like me, had felt isolated and stuck in violence homes. Committed to offering the support I once lacked, I became the Bilingual Program Advocate for Project Hope of the Gunnison Valley, where I provided crisis intervention, individual counseling, and support group facilitation for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Drawing from my experience with Groundswell, I incorporated somatic arts, self-love practices, and embodiment exercises into my group therapy sessions, reinforcing the healing power of movement and connection.
This work solidified my commitment to trauma-informed care and clinical practice, leading me to pursue a master’s in Clinical Mental Health at Adams State University, specializing in EMDR, maternal mental health, nature-based therapy, and trauma recovery for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Throughout my journey, the water—whether in the form of oceans, lakes, or rivers—has remained a constant source of healing, grounding, and transformation.

Inspired by my personal healing and the impact of Groundswell Surf Therapy, I trained with the Groundswell Institute. Groundswell in insprired by the research on the Blue Mind theory, developed by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, that highlights the profound therapeutic benefits of water, demonstrating how being near, in, on, or under water induces a meditative state, reduces stress, and enhances overall well-being. Water’s rhythmic and predictable nature has a calming effect on the nervous system, helping regulate emotions, lower cortisol levels, and promote mindfulness. The sensory immersion of water, its coolness, buoyancy, and movement activates the parasympathetic nervous system, fostering relaxation and emotional resilience. For trauma survivors, particularly those recovering from IPV and PTSD, water offers a sense of weightlessness and freedom, allowing for a release of stored tension and embodied trauma. Whether through the power of ocean waves, the steadiness of a flowing river, or the stillness of a mountain lake, water has been my personal and professional cornerstone, reinforcing the belief that healing is deeply connected to nature and movement.
Inspired by Groundswell and this research, I founded One Sea Wellness, space that integrates mental health counseling, surf and nature-based therapy, bodywork, and community healing. Through One Sea Wellness, I now lead surf therapy retreats in Costa Rica, facilitate six-week river surf therapy programs for self-identified women, and run maternal support groups, all with a focus on empowerment, self-love, and resilience. I am expanding to create integrative wilderness and surf therapy programs partnering with the GoGirls inititave and GCSAPP, Gunnison Valley’s program for substance abuse prevention. My long-term vision is to expand mental health services, integrating wilderness and surf therapy for adolescents, ensuring that nature-based healing remains accessible to those who need it most.

One Sea Wellness was born from the belief that all water is connected, just as all people are connected through our shared experiences, healing, and resilience. While we may see separate rivers, lakes, and oceans, they are all part of one continuous water cycle, flowing into each other, shaping landscapes, and ultimately joining into the vast One Sea that unites the world. This connection extends beyond geography; it is reflected in our very bodies and beings. Our bodies are made up of over 60% water, mirroring the composition of the earth itself. Just as the rivers has runoff seasons, currents, and waves/rapids that shift, and the ocean holds tides that move with the gravitational pull of the moon, our bodies experience cycles, emotions, and energies that ebb and flow. Water is a source of life, movement, and transformation, teaching us to adapt, surrender, and find strength in fluidity. In the same way that no two waves are ever identical, no two people’s healing journeys are the same, yet, just like the ocean, we are all part of something greater. One Sea Wellness represents this interconnectedness, between individuals, between nature and self, and between past and present. It is a reminder that we are not separate, but part of a greater collective, just as all waves, no matter how small or mighty, are part of the same vast and powerful sea.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to building One Sea Wellness has not been without its challenges. One of the biggest obstacles has been the lack of research on stand-up paddleboard (SUP) therapy, making it difficult to gain credibility in the clinical world. Many therapists were hesitant to collaborate, dismissing the modality as unproven or unstructured, despite its clear therapeutic benefits for trauma survivors, IPV survivors, and those struggling with anxiety and depression. This resistance was frustrating, as I knew firsthand how water, movement, and nature-based therapy could facilitate profound healing. Instead of giving up, I leaned into building my own expertise—specializing in trauma-informed care, earning certifications, and conducting my own research to support the field.
Another major challenge has been finding the right facilitators—people with both the clinical experience and river certifications necessary to co-lead programs. The intersections of whitewater safety, mental health, and trauma-informed care require a rare skill set, and finding the right support has been an ongoing process. Whitewater guiding is often male-dominated, making it even more difficult to find women or allies with the expertise and willingness to prioritize accessibility and emotional safety over traditional adventure sports culture.
Perhaps the most disheartening roadblock has been the resistance from local Gunnison surfers, who have acted as gatekeepers of our home wave. Instead of embracing the vision of making the river a space for healing, empowerment, and connection, they viewed my work as a threat, fearing that bringing more people to the wave would lead to overcrowding. The way they treated me and some of my clients was appalling, exposing deep wounds tied to colonialism and patriarchy. Their entitlement over the space reflected an attitude of exclusion, ownership, and control, rather than gratitude, respect, and shared connection with the water. It was painful to witness, especially as I have built my work on the foundation of love, accessibility, and fostering a trusting relationship with water.
The irony was not lost on me, while these individuals tried to claim ownership over a natural force that belongs to no one, I was teaching women to honor and respect the land and water by recognizing its ancestral lineage. I incorporate teachings about how the headwaters of the Gunnison River sustained the Ute people, how these waters connect all of mankind, and how they ultimately lead into One Sea, reminding us that water is a shared, sacred resource. To be up against a mindset so rooted in scarcity, individualism, and exclusion challenged me deeply, forcing me to stay true to my purpose even when faced with hostility. Despite these struggles, I remain committed to breaking down barriers, promoting inclusivity, and creating a healing relationship between people and water. The obstacles I’ve faced have only reinforced the importance of this work, pushing me to advocate even harder for accessibility, education, empowerment, and healing in blue spaces.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
One Sea Wellness offers a transformative experience that goes far beyond traditional outdoor or therapeutic services. It’s not just about the experience or learning to surf or practicing stand-up paddleboarding for the sake of physical achievement. Instead, it invites you to develop a profound relationship with yourself and the water, a connection rooted in authenticity, vulnerability, and deep healing.
In many conventional programs, the focus is on external accomplishments: mastering a skill, standing up on a wave, pushing past fears, or gaining external validation through achievement. At One Sea Wellness, however, the emphasis is on being rather than merely doing. Here, the water becomes a gentle teacher, inviting you to surrender to its rhythms and trust its flow. Through somatic practices, breathwork, trauma-informed movement, and guided reflection, you learn to listen to both your inner voice and the language of the water. Clients don’t just step into the ocean, a river, or a lake to “do,” they step in to feel, connect, and remember their own inner fluidity, resilience, and strength. This relationship with water becomes a lifelong resource that extends beyond the sessions themselves, teaching people how to find calm, adaptability, and emotional regulation whenever they need it whether they’re in the water or not.
Equally important is the sense of community that One Sea Wellness fosters. Healing, after all, is not a solitary journey. In group sessions and community events, participants come together to share their experiences, challenges, and breakthroughs. This collective environment creates a powerful energy where each person’s healing journey supports and uplifts others. The shared experience of moving with water becomes a metaphor for our interconnectedness: just as individual waves form the vast, unified ocean, each person’s journey contributes to a larger, supportive community. By building trust and embracing mutual vulnerability, the group dynamic amplifies the therapeutic benefits, leading to a profound collective healing that resonates both within and beyond the water.
In essence, One Sea Wellness is about cultivating a holistic relationship, with your inner self, with the water, and with the community around you. This integrated approach ensures that the healing you experience is deep, sustainable, and shared, creating a ripple effect that touches all aspects of your life.
This sacred connection between self and nature is what makes programs with One Sea Wellness an opportunity to return home to yourself through the wisdom of water.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned on this journey is to trust my own inner creative wisdom and continue following my North Star, even when the path feels uncertain or when others doubt my vision. Time and again, I’ve been reminded that the deepest healing and the most meaningful work come from a place of authenticity, intuition, and alignment with my core values, not from seeking external validation or conforming to traditional expectations. Another profound lesson has been learning to surrender, to trust in the process, in the wisdom of the water, and in the idea that healing doesn’t come from force, but from allowing things to unfold naturally. Like surfing, life isn’t about controlling every wave but learning how to move with them. This journey has taught me that when I let go of the need to prove myself or fight against resistance, I actually find more clarity, strength, and flow.

Pricing:

• 6 week River Surf Sister Sessions: sliding scale $300-$380
• River Surf/SUP Therapy Clinic: $120 individual/$80 per person in a group
• sliding scales for non-profits and schools wanting to collaborate
• Women’s River Surf Therapy weekend Retreat- $300

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oneseawellness.com
• Instagram: @oneseawellness
• Facebook: One Sea Wellness

Image Credits
Mariel Wiley