SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — June is PTSD Awareness Month, and in San Diego, it's an issue that hits close to home for many veterans who are finding healing through an unconventional therapy approach.
Healing Wave Aquatics is using a 97-degree pool to provide trauma-informed aquatic therapy for service members dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The therapy combines massage, stretching, twisting, and moving the body side to side using acupressure to elicit relaxation, safety and trust. It's a blend of verbal and nonverbal therapeutic techniques focused on changing the physiology of the patient to alter how they think and feel.
"We are told just to push it down and move forward, and it's really hard for a lot of veterans to talk about it and to do talk therapy," said Justin Earp, who served in the Marine Corps and the Air Force Reserve. "With Healing Waves, what we're doing here allows you to get to a place where you can get comfortable with yourself and get to a point where you come to terms with the PTSD and the demons that you have with you."
Unlike traditional mental health therapy, where patients discuss past experiences with a therapist, this approach focuses on utilizing tools to help veterans feel safe in their bodies in the present moment.
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