I will need to elaborate nature of relationship,
informed consent, liability and responsibility,
safety and training, financial transactions, differences from professional / business relationships, adjuncts to other professionals What to expect.
TalkontheWater FAQ
This page offers
information about what TalkontheWater is and is not. Rather than
listing a series of Q&A's, I'll simply write several headings in
bold and try to briefly describe each subject.
KAYAKING I
am not a trained kayak instructor. I expect that you may have
little or no kayak, boating, or swimming experience. That could make
for some very dangerous situations. Therefore we will stay within
safe recreational limits. Unless you have a lot more experience than
I, we will not leave the bay and go out into open ocean. For some
folks with fears about water, we can stay in shallow areas of the
back bay, often two feet deep or less. Regardless of your abilities I
expect that we will both wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device -
basically a recreational life jacket) at all times on the water.
LAUNCHING
If you are unfamilliar with small boats, I will help you get set up
and get in while the kayak is only partially in the water. Then I
will ease you forward into the water, but hold on until you are
comfortable and steady. When you are ready to paddle around the
shallows I will launch my own kayak and join you.
PADDLING
Again, I am not a trained instructor, but adopting some of the basics
of an efficient core-body "dip and twist" pattern can
become a physical practice experience that develops whole body
awareness. There are great lessons to be learned here about
centering, relaxation, and efficient, powerful movement. And, that a
great amount of work can be done with relative ease. Combining this
physical awareness with different ways of talking where a great deal
of mental/emotional work can be done with relative ease is the
starting point for the TalkontheWater process.
TALKING In
contrast to kayaking, I am a trained, licensed counselor and
therapist, but TalkontheWater is not psychological or
religious counseling or consultation. This is an informal coaching
relationship, not a professional counseling service. You decide what
to talk about and I participate in the conversation and suggest ways
and means of guiding the conversation into more productive patterns
and pathways. It is more the notion of providing an opportunity for
personal growth and ethical/spiritual formation rather than treatment
for a psychological problem or illness. Treatment is a licensed
professional practice. TalkontheWater is an informal peer
retalionship between individuals, it is a semi-private conversation
outside of governmental regulation.
LIABILITY
Because TalkontheWater is not a business or service and there is
no provision for liability insurance, you must take full personal
responsibility for any accidents or injuries whether physical or
mental/emotional and agree to hold me harmless. I am not renting you
a kayak or providing a guided outdoors adventure. I am not a doctor
or counselor providing you with medical or mental health services. I
am not agreeing to protecting or transporting confidential
information or accepting responsibilities for record keeping or
mandated reporting. I am not a licensed or ordained minister and
cannot claim to be a holder of privileged or confidential information
in legal process. Bottom line is that I will do my utmost to make
sure our situation is reasonably safe and secure both physically and
mentally and that you assume personal responsibility for all risks
involved.
PAYMENT?
No. This is not a business or professional service, so there is no
charge or fee. Donation? I'm not a registered or licensed non-profit
organization either, I cannot legally accept "donations'. What
if you are seeing a psychologist or other therapist and you are
referred to me for desensitization or relaxation experiences? Well,
TalkontheWater could be seen as adjunct treatment. It is not.
Treatment remains between your therapist and yourself. It would be
homework that you are doing for yourself as part of your work with
your therapist. Presumably that you are fully capable of managing the
experience without professional help. However if your therapist is
willing to do out of office sessions, we can do a small group of
three or more and then the adjunct treatment is conducted by your
licensed therapist service provider. Gifts? Well, maybe. I will
accept gifts if you believe that TalkontheWater is a worthwhile
adventure and you want to help to support and keep it going. Also, in
order to participate you will need a kayak, paddle, and PFD so you
will need to rent them from a club or other business. In the Newport
Bay backbay area there are the Newport Aquatic Center, and Southwind
Kayaks. On the Balboa peninsula there is Paddle Power. I have no
connections or agreements with those organizations.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
