Aquatic therapy helps San Diego veterans find relief from post-traumatic stress
by Matthew Craggs
Stories across many cultures tout the healing effects of water, but one San Diego organization is taking the literary literally. Through aquatic therapy, Healing Wave Aquatics is helping veterans with post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms find a sense of peace.
“We focus on helping to solve a mental health crisis in San Diego of people who are dealing with post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideations,” says Elizabeth Berg, executive director of Healing Wave Aquatics.
Founded 13 years ago, Healing Wave Aquatics’ main program is designed for military veterans with PTS symptoms. The eight-week program, offered at no cost for low-to-moderate income clients and at a low cost for all other qualifying clients, focuses on no-talk aquatic therapy, which Berg says differs from aqua therapy.
“A client might have started their first session feeling closed off, looking downward, and not engaging. By the end of the program, I see clients walking out with their head up and looking around, smiling, and with a sense of coming back to self.”
Elizabeth Berg, Executive Director, Healing Wave Aquatics
“Aqua therapy, people think of physical therapy,” Berg says. “The kind of therapy we offer is very different from that … the only tie is that they both take place in a pool of water.”
Therapy sessions are one-on-one, Berg explains. Once in the 96-degree water—matching our natural body temperature to promote a physical sense of calm—the client floats while a practitioner provides a series of gentle twists and stretches designed to help them release trauma held in tense areas of the body. Aquatic therapy practitioners, who have a minimum of 1,000 hours of training and classes in trauma-informed care, help foster a physical sense of calm to create a somatic experience that works towards a mental sense of calm and trust.
“Their heart rate’s down, breathing is down, and the body has a feeling of calm,” says Berg. “That feeling travels through the nervous system to the brain. The brain starts to feel calm, as well, and there’s a cognitive sense of peace over time with the building of trust between the client and practitioner.”
Once in this mental space, some clients may revisit their traumatic memories from a more peaceful perspective, which can help them let go of grief or anger.
While Healing Wave Aquatics main program is designed for veterans, there are also programs for the public, first responders, and caregivers to those with PTS.
Berg sees the positive effects that commitment to the program yields measured in both regular, qualitative assessments and subtle—but important—changes in their clients. She adds that some of the most impactful effects are in how clients operate in day to day activities; clients carry a greater sense of confidence in their daily activities, like going to the grocery store or applying for a job.
“A client might have started their first session feeling closed off, looking downward, and not engaging,” Berg says. “By the end of the program, I see clients walking out with their head up and looking around, smiling, and with a sense of coming back to self.”
For more information on aquatic therapy, go to healingwaveaquatics.org.
