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creating a group field in which there is an amplification of support for changes to occur. In this environment, everyone learns and experiences something new. 5. Added Value of Nature In your regular land-bound treatment rooms, you're used to tracking changes through your hands, dialogue, and outside noises. However, in water, you have the addition of the group environment, dolphins, and the natural environment. The weather in the Bahamas can change dramatically from blue skies and sunshine to thunder and lightning with a downpour of rain. With the change in weather, the waves can alter in amplitude and direction, all inf luencing a treatment session. As my colleague Staci succinctly said, "The water and environment around me are therapists themselves." From my experience, when we practice CST in the ocean, pool, and dolphin facility, we can explore our interconnectedness. We become aware of the fish, we hear the crackling sounds from the shrimp, we see the birds f lying overhead, we feel the rhythmical swaying of the sea grass. A bonus to being a therapist in these programs can be developing a love for being in the water. Staci was terrified of the ocean and any sea life that lived in it before she took her first class. Being supported by her colleagues in the water, the distraction of seeing the dolphins having fun, and the repetition of being in the water lowered her fear. She told me recently that she is now so comfortable in water she goes paddleboarding on a lake near her home. 6. Play In these programs, there are clients who have significant health issues, and as therapists, this can feel weighty and serious. The dolphins are a wonderful antidote, as they bring an element of play. In my class, everyone would smile as soon as the dolphins emerged from the water. During sessions, laughter is a key element—especially with children. The III instructors have been involved in these programs for over 20 years, and the dolphins clearly recognize them. Whenever the dolphins swam up to them, they seemed to say, "Come, let's go and play." 7. Changing Your Perspective In my bioaquatic class, I benefited from sharing our experiences during the daily circle time facilitated by the instructors. The mere act of listening to the variety of experiences over the four days opened each participant to new viewpoints. Just about everyone came away with an expansion of their perspective and increased understanding of "neutral." Ideally, as therapists, we can hold a neutrality where our views and thoughts create the least amount of inf luence on our client's process. WHAT WE TAKE HOME WITH US Every therapist I have spoken with who completed a bioaquatic class with DACST has found that they returned to their clinical practice with greater skills and now see enhanced results with their clients. My colleague Suzanne says her thought process is now different during her "landlocked" sessions. She thinks, "What would a dolphin do with this? Where might they touch? What vibrations or noises would they use?" She finds that this creates a useful shift for her clients. By the end of the bioaquatic class, I recognized that I had not only learned a lot clinically, but I had also changed through the healing work the dolphins and my colleagues facilitated. Over the years, I have gone on to take and repeat bioaquatic classes and participate as a therapist in the four- day DACST programs. I know the classes and programs are worth it. Every time I return home from time with the dolphins, my clients say, "That was the most powerful session I have had with you!" Kate Mackinnon is a healing arts practitioner diplomate certifi ed in craniosacral therapy and brings decades of experience in mainstream and complementary medicine. She authored From My Hands and Heart: Achieving Health and Balance with CranioSacral Therapy with a foreword from Wayne Dyer and co-authored Elements of a Successful Therapeutic Business. Find out more at www.kmackinnon.com. To fi nd out more about the classes and programs, go to IntegrativeIntentions.com. A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 65 I found in these sessions that the dolphins became the primary therapist, and the therapist became the support. LISTEN TO THE ABMP PODCAST "DOLPHIN-ASSISTED CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY WITH KATE MACKINNON"