Swim Immersion Therapy
Swim Immersion Therapy teaches you to conquer the water like other life challenges, as well as to embrace the physical and mental momentum that swimming creates. The therapy pairs traditional counseling techniques with learning or improving an empowering physical skill. It is ideal for individuals who have had water-related traumas, or could boost their confidence by increasing their abilities in the water. It is also great for individuals who enjoy using physical activity to improve their mental health.
"Working with Rebecca Brand has been a memorable experience. The skills attained through our swim lessons are applicable to several facets of my life and will continue to be useful in the future. Rebecca Brand has a developed and an experienced style of coaching; she was supportive and patient during each session and had an organized step-wise approach to swimming. She was an effective communicator providing positive, constructive feedback and helped me develop an appreciation for the long-term benefits of swimming.
I sought Rebecca Brand’s professional experience from a desire to learn how to swim. My husband and I live an active lifestyle that includes water activities such as sailing. My inability to swim became an apparent danger and it was something that needed to be corrected. Personally, I did not like to try new things as I had a fear of failing and low self-confidence, so learning how to swim wasn’t exactly my top priority. Working with Rebecca Brand helped me to overcome these self-defeating issues.
Rebecca Brand constructed a step-wise approach to swimming that helped me attain small goals, boosting my self-confidence and my accomplishments started to become apparent. She provided clear directions and gave me positive feedback during and at the end of each session. I was working a fulltime, high-stress job and Rebecca was able to arrange her schedule to meet my needs. The swimming lessons became something I looked forward to and helped me to better manage my schedule and stress. It was exciting to try something new and when I achieved my 50-meter goal, I felt unstoppable.
The many lessons that were learned in the water will continue to be utilized throughout my life. I now look forward to trying something new. Following an organized plan that breaks down my goals into a step wise approach allows me to make small accomplishments and lends itself to feedback about what is and isn’t working. Learning how to swim has afforded me more body awareness and I can maintain my focus on an activity for longer periods of time. I have a new coping mechanism to stress; being in the water and connected to nature provides a calming effect I hadn’t experienced before.
The long-term benefits from this experience have been a worth-while endeavor. Besides the physical benefits of swimming, there are multiple mental health benefits that can be attained in the water. I highly recommend Rebecca Brand for her knowledge and experience. Her professionalism is evident in her approach with each client and she creates unique experiences that are memorable."
Tiffany Ruder, Pharmacist
The following is a testimonial; this statement has two factors that could have influenced the therapeutic process. The first being the subject is a friend of mine (both during and after the process). Second, at the time I was still teaching and didn’t even start the counseling program until the following year. I did not view our conversations as therapy and to say my therapeutic skills were underdeveloped is an understatement. I was listening to my friend’s fears and goals, and trying to help her feel more comfortable learning a new skill I knew how to teach. After completing the counseling program, I reflected on this experience and a few other times I had taught adult swim lessons. On reflection, I felt I could use the water and my experience to improve people’s confidence or to process water-related traumas.