Founded by Kelsey Ellis, Waves of Grief, Audrey Ellis Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in loving memory of Audrey Ellis- a devoted nurse, ocean lover, and joyful healer. Inspired by her legacy we create nature-based spaces that support individuals and communities in navigating grief with compassion, ritual, and connection.
Since 2020, Waves of Grief has supported thousands of people across the globe through monthly Second Sunday gatherings, immersive retreats, and community-based grief circles.
Our programs are grounded in somatic and eco-therapy modalities and constructivist loss theories, offering a holistic, fluid and embodied approach to grief care. Nature provides a powerful, non-traditional setting to tend to both personal and collective grief. By gathering at the ocean’s edge, we invite people to connect with themselves, with others, and with the ocean in meaningful, restorative ways. We believe that grief and loss is the most universal human experience, and is something that needs to be held in community. Our hope is for individuals to feel less alone in their grief, to foster a sense of community, to inspire play joy and connection through the ocean while creating new meaningful experiences in integrated grief.
We offer a natural space to honor loss, share stories, and move through grief in the waves together. We hope that those who participate in Waves of Grief™ begin to develop their own sustainable therapeutic processes in nature, supported by the community we cultivate through every program.
We are remembering and reimagining what grief care can look like: rooted in the earth, carried by the ocean, and held in the strength of community!
Our Roots
Waves of Grief became one of the world’s very first ocean community-based support organizations to reduce loneliness and isolation in grief during COVID-19’s early, most traumatic days. Led by Kelsey Ellis and Dana Marie Ahmed (Nielsen) of Wild Women Therapy our program was featured in National Geographic’s documentary “Impact”, where Kelsey told her personal story of the loss of her twin sister, and healing amongst the waves. Impact is currently featured on the National Geographic channel and Disney + in 142 countries and 78 languages. In 2022 Waves of Grief became their own entity to expand inclusion and access to this model of care, while honoring their roots at Groundswell Community Project and SD Pain & Trauma Institute. Since 2020 Waves of Grief programs have grown calling in heart work and meaning after loss.
Waves of Grief was sought after by the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and presented at International Surf Therapy 2022 Conference. Now with 12 sites and partners around the world, in community we continue to offer accessible ocean therapy programs to support individuals and communities moving through grief and loss. Together we continue to find meaning in order to keep leaning into the world after loss, to keep moving waves of grief through the psyches of our bodies, and to integrate it.
About Audrey
The Waves of Grief, Audrey Ellis Foundation was created in honor of the life and spirit of Audrey Ellis- a devoted nurse, ocean lover, and deeply compassionate human being who believed in the power of presence, movement, and connection.
Audrey passed away unexpectedly in 2020 from complications of COVID-19. Her life was a testament to wholehearted living, grounded in nature, guided by care, and filled with service, and joy. Audrey found so much joy through connecting with others. She danced, hiked, swam, traveled, and embraced others with warmth and genuine presence. Whether providing nursing care in Uganda, diving deep into the ocean, or offering one of her famous bear hugs, Audrey lived with deep intention and connection.
The work of Waves of Grief carries forward her legacy. We seek to embody the values she lived: love people, dedication to holistic care, and a belief that healing is possible when people come together in honesty, in ritual, and in community.
Audrey’s light continues to guide this work, and her love is felt in circle. Our mission is to support communities experiencing grief and honor Audrey's heart through offerings that provide healing, community, and hope.
Thank you for being part of Audrey’s enduring legacy.
Our Commitment to Belonging and Inclusion
We are committed to creating spaces that honor and celebrate the diverse experiences of grief and healing. We recognize that each person carries unique identities, stories, and ways of navigating loss. Our programs are grounded in the belief that healing is both personal and collective and enriched by the varied perspectives and traditions that participants bring.
We welcome and affirm individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Our work embraces intersectionality, acknowledging the layered complexities of identity and grief. We strive to cultivate environments where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported as they explore their own path toward connection, meaning, and growth.
In alignment with our values, we are committed to listening, learning, and evolving. We actively work to identify and dismantle barriers to access, ensuring that our practices remain inclusive, equitable, and reflective of the communities we serve.
Together, we honor the ocean, the land, and all beings- co-creating a shared blue space where healing, belonging, and connection are truly possible for all.