History

In 1980, the psychologist Peter Schröter was inspired to study the psychological effects of warm water at a course in Gentle Dance with John Graham through passive movement exercises at the surface of the water. It seemed to him a predestined medium for strengthening basic trust. During his playful exploration of the possibilities in the water, he began to experiment with a nose clip. This made it possible for the person being treated to be moved not only at, but also under the surface of the water. From then on, he also conducted sessions in body-oriented psychotherapy in the water.

From 1987 on Schröter developed together with Arjana C. Brunschwiler WATA (a word created from water and dancing in German), an underwater therapy form (Schröter & Brunschwiler, 1996). They developed movements, grips and positions to move people freely in three dimensions underwater and to use this scope for therapeutic work. WATA has been taught since 1993.

Because physical and psychological exceptionalities (such as activation of the diving reflex or regression) were frequently observed during the use of WATA, WATA has since been and continues to be used particularly in the treatment of psychological trauma that occurred around the pre-, peri-, and postnatal periods.