About Clinical Watsu, water therapies in general, and my version in particular

Classic Watsu was developed by Harold Dull in the early 1980s, in California. The word is comprised of two words: Water Shiatsu. The original developement had indeed come from thinking Zen Shiatso. A lot thought regarding breath, aligning the practitioner's breath to that of the client, entering a meditative state using the tranquility water brings with it. Physical work on the client was done according to meridian lines, and pressing points significant in chinese medicine. Moving the clients body in the water is also based on Chi elements, and there is a series of movements that comprise a traditional Watsu therapy, similar to a Kata in Karate or Judo.

In the 1990s, physiotherapists began to enter the world of Watsu, and today some of the requirements for becoming a Watsu expert are knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Clinical Watsu mainly turns to Western medicine, asks what hurts the patient, and tries to motivate the patient with movements from the Watsu arsenal of movements, in order to help the patient resolve their distress. Clinical Watsu is more flexible in its thinking, and invites the therapist to invent new movements and new ways, in order to adapt the treatment to the specific patient in his hands. Clinical Watsu emphasizes precise holding of the head and neck , which should be done in a way that always protects the patient's neck. I studied my Watsu courses with Hagar Guttman and Peggy Schoedinger

I am a certified Watsu Practitioner, and registered with WABA.

In the late 1990s, Mario Jahara developed Jahara, and based his method on Watsu and Alexander approach. Jahara is based on movement that is always towards the head of the client, on a set of built-in steps, and on five principals of practitionar embodyment. Jahara incorporates active excersizes based on the set of built-in steps that aim to extend the spine, improve balance, and improve coordination.

I studied with Tova Rozen, Mario's accolate, who developed Clinical Jahara. Clinical Jahara includes active excersizes tailored to the clients needs, and to the issue they bring to the pool. Moving the clients body in the water is also adapted to the specific client, and physical work on specific points is added using anatomical knowledge, while the practitionar leg-work stays same as the built-in steps of Jahara.

I am a certified clinical Jahara practitioner.

In water therapy, I combine what I learned in the various water courses, with additional contact methods on land (shiatsu, integrative massage, postural integration), and add mind-body psychotherapy that I studied

The actual treatment may be more similar to hydrotherapy, with more active elements, strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises, balance exercises. It may be more similar to clinical Watsu therapy, where the patient is mostly passive, and the therapist moves his joints, helping him reach a meditative state. It may be more similar to psychotherapy, where the talk and the relationship between the patient and the therapist are the focus. It may be more similar to shiatsu or CBT, where the difficulties the patient is facing are discussed together, and concrete and effective tools are given to deal with physical and emotional distress.

The treatment is flexible and inclusive. It varies from week to week, from patient to patient, and depends very much on the preferences of the person in front of me.