Skating into Solutions: Isaac Farin Therapy Introduces Longboard Therapy®
Longboarding is skating on a different variation of a skateboard that is primarily used for transporting, cruising, and/or exercising. Longboard Therapy®—developed by licensed family therapist Isaac Farin of Miami, Florida—offers clients therapeutic support by incorporating the best of traditional talk therapy with physical exercise, helping them develop skills to create positive change. According to Farin, the process of learning to longboard parallels the process of addressing life issues. Longboarding requires focus, dynamic balance, a sense of letting go, and the will to embrace challenges in the midst of life’s exhilarating momentum. Farin emphasizes that the recent focus in Western society on neuroplasticity (the human brain’s ability to rewire itself), holistic wellness practices, and the mind-body connection make this new form of therapy particularly relevant. He adds, “There is no better time than now for people of all ages to begin incorporating physical movement, balance, and strength into their therapeutic process. In our high-paced, pressure-filled culture, Longboard Therapy® provides an opportunity to slow down and discover effective and lasting solutions for life’s challenges.”
When clients navigate personal journeys in search of solutions, they develop the same kind of flow, or stoke, that makes a skater great. Mastery of flow includes six factors:
1. Full concentration in the present moment
2. Unity of action and awareness
3. Diminished self-consciousness
4. Personal control
5. Change in one’s awareness of time
6. Satisfaction through the activity itself
Clients in Longboard Therapy® create change in the moment, making significant progress through a series of small, precise changes. Therapy sessions take place in both the traditional office setting and various outdoor environments where clients can learn the fundamentals of longboarding while establishing a mind-body connection, getting centered, and overcoming fears and perceived limitations. Clients of various ages and skill levels have experienced the benefits of this innovative form of therapy, which provides a dynamic, holistic opportunity to encounter solutions. When clients of Longboard Therapy® learn to experience moment-by-moment mastery, the big picture of their lives becomes breathtaking.
Isaac Farin is a licensed family therapist and certified hypnotherapist who practices psychotherapy through innovative developments and interventions that lead his clients to real world successes through the use of Systemic Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Hypnotherapy, and Mindfulness interventions.
The following people in the longboard community have already began recognizing Longboard Therapy® Jonathan Strauss (Founder of IDSA and co-developer of Longboard Therapy®), Don Tashman (Founder of Loaded Boards), Michael Brooke (Editor in Chief of Concrete Wave Magazine), and Andrew Andras (World record holder in 24 hour long distance skating). In addition, Isaac attended the 24 hour Ultra Skate event held by the International Distance Skateboard Association (IDSA) in Homestead, FL , in early 2013.