John Altman contributes to a project by Zelfzorg aan zee

Zelfzorg aan Zee (Self-Care by the Sea) Is a unique organization that combines physical therapy, mental guidance and the healing effect of water to promote recovery and wellbeing. The program focuses on people with brain injury, burnout or long-covid and offers a personal treatment trajectory that pays attention to improving brain and body functions, self-confidence and social skills.

With an interdisciplinary team of (para)medical specialists, surf instructors and experts by experience, Zelfzorg aan Zee supports participants step by step in their rehabilitation process. The goal is not only recovery, but also guiding participants towards a meaningful return to society, such as work, volunteering or achieving personal goals, always with the participant at the center of the program.

From John Altman we are currently supporting Hanyeh, a young woman who is learning to live again after an accident. Regular rehabilitation gave her the foundation to function again, but when that trajectory was formally completed and she received her 'graduation', as it was called at the center, she did not feel ready for real, daily life. During her rehabilitation at Zelfzorg aan Zee she learned to rediscover herself, both physically and mentally. What started with basic skills grew into something much bigger: confidence in her body, in her mind and in her future.

She had learned all kinds of tricks to keep herself going, but noticed that she was still searching for her place in the world and how to trust herself again. Her uncertainty about who she was and what she was still capable of remained great. Through a fellow student with long covid she heard about Zelfzorg aan Zee, a program that goes beyond regular rehabilitation. There she learned to rediscover herself, both physically and mentally.

At the beginning of the program Hanyeh struggled with uncertainty. She was searching for who she was and what she was still capable of. 'I was looking for my new position on earth,' she says. After previous rehabilitation it felt as if she had to start over, not only physically, but especially mentally. Her brain worked differently, things that once came naturally had to be relearned.

A major breakthrough came when she flew alone to Tenerife for the rehabilitation program. The fact that she had made this journey independently moved her deeply. She describes how she already had tears on the plane: 'I just traveled on my own.' It gave her a feeling of freedom, comparable to the moment she was able to go to the supermarket independently for the first time. That feeling of amazement, about herself, about what her body and mind were still capable of, became a driving force in her recovery.

Surf therapy played an important role in her process of finding her way back to ordinary daily life. The sea offered not only movement, but also peace. Surfing helped her to build confidence in her body, but also to rediscover her intuition. 'I have learned that the ocean is your best friend,' she says. She even noticed that her face and energy started to radiate again, something that her own mother was the first to notice during a video call.

The group she was in was also important. She found recognition in other participants, both those who had just started and those who were further along in the program. The exchange of experiences gave strength, confidence and hope. Moments of deep conversation, sometimes for hours on a bench in Tenerife, helped her greatly.
Today Hanyeh is focused on completing her architecture studies. Step by step she is building a new rhythm with new goals. 'I look forward to further shaping my new position,' she says. Every step brings her closer to the future she envisions for herself."