Scuba Therapy?

[ASUPaula]

I'm new to the world of scuba diving, and am also a psychotherapist. I'm convinced scuba diving would be great therapy for any number of issues. My heart goes out to adolescents, especially girls, perhaps owing to my own parenting of my daughters, 15 and 17, who are adopted from foster care. Does anyone have experience with "scuba therapy"? I'm also interested in any ideas anyone has about the prospect.

 

[Snowbear]

Does anyone have experience with "scuba therapy"?

Yep - I personally use scuba as a form of "therapy." I find it a very spiritual experience. Good for the mind and the soul...

 

[jbd]

Brings me a lot of peace and serenity---enough so, that I have wondered why scuba diving is often considered a high adventure, high excitement, adrenaline rush kind of activity :06:

 

[El Orans]

No phone, no fax, no SMS, no email. Of course it's therapy...

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Diving does present a great way for people to relax and recharge as it is very much a situation where people live in the moment and are unlikely to continue worrying about past and present concerns.

For an adolecent, diving also has the potential to be an area of competence for an individual who may otherwise feel they are not good at anything. That was certainly the case for me. Diving has also been very good for my teenager, but I have not considered it for use with clients.

I would want to be very careful in selection of candidates for scuba therapy given the need for at least some stability and the abscence of suicidal tendencies. Having formerly been a child protection social worker, I know many foster kids who would have benefitted, but scuba training of kids in temporary custody of the state would potentially complicate the ongoing adjudication and dispositional heargings and scuba training for kids in post termination or long term foster care would require the approval of the state. I can see the risk management folks getting their underwear in a bunch over that issue.

I think the best application of scuba theraphy would be as part of a prevention program directed at at-risk youth where parental consent could be obtained. That would be a fun proram to develop.

 

[Aeolus]

If you could find a way to get the insurance companies to pay for it, you would have more clients than you could possibly deal with.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Yes , SCUBA is therapy!For me both psycho and physio. I have some physical disabilities which give me problems navigating on dry land. However , with some help I still am able to make boat dives. When I'm in a self pity mode a good dive or two will totally change my attitude and make it easier to handle my disabilites. At the same times it gives my muscles the workout they need without over stressing them.
KEEP ON DIVING!

 

[Saudi-Diver]

When I used to live in the UK I sometimes helped a friend of mine who took kids with drug dependancy problems climbing. It was superb they were taken away from there enviroment and all there preconcived views on life were taken from them and they were given trust ie belayed people and when they climbed there life was 100% in someone elses hands. Scuba would be excellent as it teaches buddy skills and team awareness. Just the problem of litigation if it goes wrong?

 

[Mako Mark]

When I used to live in the UK I sometimes helped a friend of mine who took kids with drug dependancy problems climbing. It was superb ?

I have seen this with german kids in Thailand hanging out with a dive shop for three months to show them that there is another type of life for them other than drugs and the street scene. Seemed to work great as a last chance.

My biggest concern regarding the initial post is when people use scuba as Auto Therapy to overcome phobias. I have had two cases (that stand out) where had I been looking the other direction at the time the student would have ended up killing themselves in the process of confronting their phobia, by panicking.

One had a fear of water from a childhood incident, the other had a family member drown a year or so earlier. Neither told me about it, and neither showed any abnormal stress during confined water.

personally, a good days diving is great therapy for me. It soaks the stress right out of me.

 

[Gary D.]

Yes , SCUBA is therapy!For me both psycho and physio. I have some physical disabilities which give me problems navigating on dry land. However , with some help I still am able to make boat dives. When I'm in a self pity mode a good dive or two will totally change my attitude and make it easier to handle my disabilites. At the same times it gives my muscles the workout they need without over stressing them.
KEEP ON DIVING!

We use it as well.

www.mswobbles.com

Gary D.