Meet Lisa Davidsson, the Surf Psychologist behind one of our most transformative Rise Up retreats.

She bridges the gap between mind and wave and helps surfers unpack their fear, soften inner critics and find real confidence in the ocean. Lisa’s work is honest, supportive and sometimes delightfully uncomfortable (in all the right ways, of course).

Spend a week with her and you’ll surf, reflect, laugh and probably discover a few things about yourself you didn’t expect.

We love Lisa, so we sat down to ask her more about the magic she brings to the lineup and beyond.

Enjoy our recent chat with the Surf Psychologist!

Hey, Lisa. Thanks for chatting with us. For people who’ve never heard the term surf psychology, how do you describe what you do in a simple, clear way?

Surf psychology sits at the crossroads of your inner world and your surfing.

It helps you understand how your struggles in the water connect to things like emotional processing, confidence, and self-esteem. Everything starts with your relationship to yourself and how you handle fear, failure, group dynamics, performance and stress.

My experience helps me see past the surface stuff and into the patterns that shape both life and surfing. From there, I know what to offer and how to offer it so people can grow, heal and move forward.

Female surfer resting on her board and staring into the camera

Can you take us back to the moment you realized psychology and surfing belonged together in your life?

Funny question because it feels like they were always meant to live side by side!

Though I didn’t start surfing until I was 31 and didn’t start studying psychology until 2003, so clearly that feeling isn’t backed by facts.

The moment I knew I wanted to build a career out of blending the two was when I looked around the lineup one day and noticed how many people were working with surf coaches, not because they wanted to progress, but because they thought getting better would magically remove fear.

It won’t.

At least not fully. Skill helps confidence, but it is not the whole story.

You often talk about the inner critic that shows up in the water. Why does it hit new surfers so hard and how do you help people work through it?

Most people are accustomed to learning in a straight line. Put in effort, get a result.

Surfing is the opposite.

It happens in a constantly changing environment with an element that has way more power than we can ever control. That level of surrender triggers a lot of people, which is why many avoid surrender altogether.

Female surfer riding a wave with her hand dragging in the water

They double down on effort because that usually works. When it doesn’t, they get frustrated then ashamed or powerless.

The inner critic jumps in and says the classic line, which is usually some version of “I’m not good enough”.

You’ve supported so many surfers through fear and mental blocks. What is one breakthrough that still inspires you when you think about it?

The ones that move me most are the people who struggle with pressure to perform.

When they finally let go of caring about outcomes and lean into joy, they start seeing the progress they were chasing all along.

When someone joins your Rise Up retreat, what kind of change or shift do you hope they walk away with?

A deeper and kinder relationship with themselves. One that includes every part of them. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Female surfer throwing her hands in the air in celebration

Surfing can stir up old stories and patterns. How do you help people loosen the grip of those stories so they can surf more freely?

If I could fully answer that here, you wouldn’t need the kind of training or experience I have to do this work.

In general, though, our patterns started as helpful behaviors. They served a need at one point. So we explore what that need was and how we can meet it now in a way that doesn’t disrupt life.

It starts with compassion for the version of us who created those patterns in the first place.

What role does body awareness play in the way you teach and why does it matter so much for surfers?

I wouldn’t say it plays a direct role in the way you might think. What I can say is that our emotions live in our body.

Many people try to escape uncomfortable emotions by disconnecting from the body, which only creates overthinking, anxiousness, and tension. And from there surfing gets really hard.

Tension and overthinking kill your capacity for flow.

Wave breaking in Nicaragua at an empty beach

Rise Up has such a welcoming and supportive vibe. What excites you most about bringing your work into that environment?

Real growth needs trust. Trust comes from people feeling seen and heard.

Rise Up creates that through thoughtful service in an environment where every detail is considered. I know that sets the stage for impactful work, which is incredibly exciting.

How has your own surf journey shaped the way you show up for the people you work with?

Surfing teaches a lot, but humility and resilience sit at the core.

To truly help people, I need to meet them with curiosity and see their world as they see it.

That takes humility.

You can’t be curious if you think you already know it all. And this work is not easy. It asks hard questions.

It sits with heavy emotions. It supports people through hard moments. At the same time, I have my own life and my own struggles, so I hold myself accountable the same way I do everyone else. I walk the walk.

That’s where resilience comes in.

Two female surfers sitting in the water waiting for a wave

For someone reading this who is curious but nervous, what would you want to say to reassure them?

If you are nervous, great. You should be. It means this matters to you.

Don’t waste energy trying not to be nervous. It changes nothing. Nervousness feels a lot like excitement. Start calling it that and you’ll notice a shift.