Marine trauma psychotherapy - returning you to the water
As a scuba professional with over 35 years of experience in both diving and sailing, I merge this with Clinical Psychotherapy to treat all trauma related to water.
You have come to the right place.
At 2nd Opinion Psychotherapy, I offer a unique and highly specialised approach to treating marine trauma. As a Master Scuba Diver and Instructor with personal experience overcoming trauma, I bring a deep understanding and expertise in this specialised area of psychophysiological distress.
Injuries that compromise our confidence and relationship with water, have a deep impact on our lives, water being essential to good health and living well.
A psychological injury relating to water, is a spiritual injury.
Understanding marine trauma
Marine trauma can result from various water-related accidents/injuries, including:
Scuba diving incidents
Boating or sailing incidents or emergencies
Near-drowning experiences
Vicarious trauma from witnessing tragedies involving water
Barotrauma
Weather incidents involving water
Swimming and learning to swim incidents
Childhood experiences involving water
These experiences can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, or a debilitating fear of water that impacts daily life and cherished activities.
Water is not a resource.
It is a source.
- Veda Austin
My specialised approach to marine trauma therapy
"Water is Amazing. Beautiful. Essential. Powerful. Intelligent."
Marine trauma psychotherapy defined is the treatment of traumatic experiences and shock involving water. This specific niche in therapy is curated by my extensive involvement in water sports, and an understanding of the high risks involved, particularly in open sea, or confined water areas like caves or lakes.
I am a Clinical Psychotherapist specialising in trauma treatment. My background also includes professional scuba diving instruction and I've studied recreational diving extensively, enjoying many marine environments, ranging from open ocean to coastlines and jetties, with temperatures between 10C to 27C. I have led groups on yacht charter to deep destinations in the Similan Islands, and taught hundreds of students in the beach shallows. As an active diver today and psychotherapist, I can assist you to recover your confidence and love of the water by alleviating post-traumatic stress.
You are made of water
When you understand your co-existence with water, it makes vital sense to address any psychological injury you have sustained.
Human blood has a chemical composition startlingly similar to seawater. An infant will reflexively breaststroke when placed underwater and can comfortably hold his breath for about forty seconds, longer than many adults. We lose this ability only when we learn how to walk."
James Nestor, 'Deep'
"After a diving accident last year in May, getting anywhere close to the water was feeling like a heavy challenge. Living on an island and loving the ocean, it just wasn’t an option. I was lucky to have met Anne in the very same place the accident occurred a few weeks prior to it, and I immediately reached out to her. We began trauma therapy straight away, and by June, I was back not only in the water, but also on a dive. Thanks to her help, my trauma free self was able to get back to what holds us the most here-the ocean."
Irmeline BG, North Stradbroke Island (2024)
Why choose specialised marine trauma psychotherapy?
Marine trauma is unique and generally overlooked as being the same as all trauma.
In many ways it is, but it is also unique to water.
Marine trauma impacts your connection to a vital element of life. Being afraid or uncertain of a vital element creates an under-current of anxiety as well as the fears that are more obvious on the surface. My specialised approach offers:
- Genuine understanding, through extensively lived experience living on and in water means significant latitude of appreciation for your situation.
- Modifications to trauma therapy.
- A process of recovery specifically oriented to returning you to being able to enjoy water once more.
That overwhelming emotion you get when seeing the ocean is your body having a homecoming moment. It's your internal ocean recognising its source."
Anynymous
Returning you to the water, confident and secure
Contact me today for a complimentary 30 minute consultation. Let's work together to transform your water-related distress into confidence, excitement and deeper understanding.
