PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN EXPERIENCED AQUATIC RELATIONAL EXPERIENTIAL THERAPY

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of parents whose children, ages 13 years and under, experienced Aquatic Relational Experiential Therapy. The data were analyzed through Moustakas’s modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method. Four guiding questions were used in semi-structured interviews with the 10 participants whose children had experienced Aquatic Relational Experiential Therapy. The essence of the participants’ experiences in this study identified various ways ARET impacted and shaped their lives during and after the experience. The results provided evidence for the use of ARET with children to facilitate increased confidence and personal/social-emotional skills toward achieving a positive sense of self. Outcomes were discussed in five themes and four sub-themes. These themes and sub-themes contained depictions of each participant’s unique experiences with ARET, which were specifically reflected in other areas of their lives and created opportunities for their child(ren) which increased the quality of daily living for the family. There is a need for more research into the use of aquatic environments as innovative therapeutic approaches. Specifically, further inquiry into the impact of ARET, as an aquatic therapy, on the personal and social gains of children is needed. With this being the first study on ARET, replication studies should be conducted to validate these findings. Thus, providing additional support for the use of ARET as a counseling modality.