New VA Research: Sailing as Therapy

Dr. William Marchand, a psychiatrist at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and also an avid sailor, has been testing a recreational program that encourages participation by offering an enjoyable experience, while imparting a therapeutic benefit.  He calls it mindfulness-based therapeutic sailing (MBTS) and it is a wonderful clinical validation of what we have experienced and witnessed at WBFV.  

Since 2015 WBFV has gotten veterans, future veterans and their families on the water to provide physical, mental and emotional therapy injuries brought about by operational service.  Learning to sail and saving wooden boats are outlets for coping with PTSD, and traumatic injuries.  Here,  teamwork, community and camaraderie is rediscovered through our educational programs in sailing, racing, voyaging, restoring and preserving. 

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