About Water Planet: Our Experts
The Water Planet team is proficient in marine ecology, seamanship, psychology, physical therapy, acupuncture/acupressure, moxa therapy, sensory toning therapeutic techniques like massage, watsu and wata, graphic arts and music. Their social and linguistic skills, developed in contact with a broad spectrum of cultures and ethnic groups is certainly an asset in favor of your experience.
The facilitators of "Water Planet" do not pretend to have the knowledge and the qualifications needed to solve the ecological and existential problems we are facing, but by their combined experience and skills they will help you with your approach to understanding your bond to nature and its meaning.
Denis Richard
Denis was born in 1950 in Switzerland where he spent the first 20 years of his life. He studied Literature and Languages,
then left his country on a continuous field trip for the study of various foreign cultures and ethnic groups. His travels
took him first to Asia, then to Africa where he lived for four years in the bush with the tribe of the Bajunis, who taught
him indigenous coral reef ecology. An avid sailor, he embarked on a Trans-Indian Ocean sailing expedition and worked as
boat Captain and salvage diver in the Maldives. He ended his trip in India where he stayed at an Ashram to investigate an
interest in eastern spirituality and religion.
After starting a Hotel-Dive operation in Jamaica in 1983, he came
to the United States to continue his education. He became a naturalized citizen. After 3 years of commercial fishing in Alaska,
Denis understood the need for a different approach to the management of our planet's resources. After an attempt to start an
awareness project related to dolphins casualty in the tuna fisheries in Central America, he worked for four years as executive
director and then as president of a wild dolphin project in Panama City Beach, Florida between 1995 and 1999.
setting up and implementing education and awareness programs in the schools of Bay and Walton County.
Since 1999 he
is President of Water Planet. Inc. Together with his wife Nathalie, his staff, he has developed programs
of self-improvement for adults and children.
Nathalie Richard
Nathalie was born and raised in Kinshasa, Republic of the Congo. She completed her higher education in Belgium where
she obtained a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Louvain. Her Masters thesis is on "Therapy
with Dolphins," a critical analyses of several research works on mentally disabled children.
Natahlie is also a
certified physical education teacher. She is a graduate student of "La Source - School for the Applications of Aquatic
Welfare Techniques." She is continuing her education to become a "Water Babies" instructor.
Natahlie
first swam with dolphins in 1992. Her experience shaped her whole career orientation. She did a 3-month internship in Panama
City Beach, where she met her husband Denis Richard.
She is developing special dolphin-encounter programs involving
sensory toning techniques for children and for the disabled. She is also starting an infant-swimming program. She publishes
educational books for children and does most of the topside photography for Water Planet during the encounter and educational programs.
DeAnna Bay
DeAnna was very excited to join the Water Planet staff in May of 2011 Therapeutic Programs and Internship Coordinator! DeAnna has always had a deep appreciation for
the oceans and later become especially intrigued in dolphins. Being from Syracuse, NY, having an appreciation for the
ocean and dolphins was a fairly distinct quality. DeAnna pursued her undergraduate degree from Wagner College in Psychology
and Spanish and really enjoyed her time in New York City. However, she did not give up her dream of working with dolphins
and applied to be an Intern for Water Planet in 2008. While as an intern, DeAnna realized that being able to work with
people and dolphins in a therapeutic setting was exactly the work she had always dreamed of doing. It really combined
her unique skill set and interests, which led her to seek out the intern coordinator position. Currently, she is working
on her Master's degree at Springfield College in Therapeutic Recreation and Child-life. She hopes to become a Child-life
Specialist when her Master's degree is completed. DeAnna is also an avid swimmer, lifeguard and SCUBA certified, and is
really looking forward to being able to work the Water Planet team again.
Genevieve David
Genevieve was born in Montreal, Canada in 1978. At age 9, while watching a movie about the bond of
friendship between a young woman and a dolphin, she realizes that her life has to revolve around the
ocean and dolphins. However, the opportunities are scarce in her parts of the world to get closer to
her dream. After an attempt at literature and biology, she decides to complete a Baccalaureate in Child
and Youth Care Work (Psychoeducation) at the University of Montreal and specializes in the behavior
of children with PDD (Pervasive Development Disorders). It is during her third year of University
that she re-discovers the dream she had as a little girl. She finds Water Planet after several months
of looking for a facility offering encounters with dolphins in a manner that is compatible with her deep love and respect
for animals. Genevieve signs up to a one-month session of the 2004 Water Planet Internship Program.
This opportunity allows her to set the foundations of her Masters degree thesis and to design a research
protocol. In the summer of 2005, she returns to Water Planet to conduct her research project:
"The impact of the Water Planet Harmony Program on the adaptative behaviors of children with pervasive
developmental disorders". In 2006 Genevieve functions as Internship and Research Coordinator for Water
Planet. Together with the Water Planet management, she sets up and implements the new interns training
program and continues her research data collection. Genevieve successfully completed her Masters Degree
in June of 2007. She is presently working in a psychiatric hospital for children where she helps youths
with PDD. Because of a lack of conclusive research on the impact of the interaction between children
with PDD and dolphins, Genevieve has developed her own research focusing since 2004 on the children,
who participate in Water Planet's Harmony Program.
Suzanne Ganzak Carnill
The love of water and wildlife has shaped Sue's life. She was born in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up appreciating the natural wonders of the Great Lakes.
Sue also has an easy rapport with people and a desire to help those in need. Her physicality and her service impulse led her to the police academy. She was hired as one the first women on the Detroit Police Force. Her badge was prematurely retired when an economic downturn caused a reduction in staffing.
Sue decided to use her skills to work in television production. She worked for WDIV television, the Detroit NBC Affiliate. After ten years, Sue went to work as the program coordinator at the Catholic Television Network of Detroit. Throughout her television career, Sue had a reputation for having a keen camera eye, her sense of humor and most importantly, throwing herself into a project and getting things done.
Sue's life took a drastic turn when her beloved husband, Greg, was hit by a jet ski and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She left her job and devoted her life to his care, and to learning about the injury and its treatment. She moved with Greg to Panama City Beach, Florida.
Concern for her husband directed Sue to investigate non-traditional medicine alternatives, like nutritional supplements and therapies. Sue earned her massage license and became nationally certified in massage in 2001. She attended Soothing Arts Massage School in Destin, Florida. In 2002, she began attending classes at the Upledger Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where she focused on CranioSacral Therapy and Somato Emotional Release.
Suzanne began working at Water Planet USA in the Harmony Program in 2008. She was asked to join the staff in 2009 and enthusiastically accepted the invitation.
Hideyuki Sato
Hide was born in Japan in 1962. He obtained a degree in economics at Josai University.
At age 20 he started training in Chinese martial arts. He entered the Schools of Oriental
Medical Science and Physical Therapy to study the human body mechanisms.
Hide is now
licensed in physical therapy, acupuncture. Moxa therapy and massage therapy. He is also
a WATSU practitioner.
In 1997, as he was working in a Hospital, Hide took a trip to Bahamas
to swim with wild dolphins. He was so impressed by the experience that he started looking for
a way to combine the powerful emotional impact of dolphin encounters with bodywork for more
effective therapeutic results.
in 1999 he quit his job at the hospital and started his own
clinic in Tokyo.
In the summer of 2000, Hide came to Florida to participate in a WATSU
training/wild dolphin encounter seminar offered by Shantam Lenz
He was then introduced to Water Planet's Serenity Program,
which was exactly the dynamic he had been looking for. Since then, Hide flies from Tokyo every summer
to participate in the Serenity Program. His deep knowledge of oriental medicine is a great asset to our program.
Steve Frame
Born 1969 West Virginia.
After working many years in the fast pace corporate world and deciding it was not for him, Steve and his wife opened the Basic Essence Learning and Healing Center on Panama City Beach. Where he studied Energetic Healing techniques and trained to be a Reiki Master (Japanese healing art). It came to Steve to combine his music with the healing techniques to create a music therapy that would facilitate people in their own healing.
During his Music Therapy session Steve takes the group on a "journey" through guided imagery. While on the journey each person in the group meets their very own power animal. We travel to anywhere the mind can imagine and participate in a drum circle, laughing meditation, directing a vocal sound choir, a sharing time about and acting out of our power animal, meditation with flute music and the "Happy Feet" song.
With music being the universal way that we can communicate, it eliminates all barriers. By combining the music and techniques, it sparks the mind's creative side, and enables you to verbally and physically express yourself in whatever way it needs to come out.
Pam Davidson
The Serenity Program combines the staff & resources of Unique Therapy Services (formerly Excellence in Therapy)
and Water Planet
UTS (formerly Excellence in Therapy) is a privately owned pediatric therapy practice providing Occupational, Physical,
and Speech Therapy services. Pam has over 25 years experience as a therapist working with children who have special needs. Services are
provided in the child's home, at our clinic, and in an aquatic setting.
Relying on her strong background
in neurological & sensory training, Pam, who is NDT trained & certified, has endeavored to approach the therapeutic needs of children by
incorporating special training / techniques such as Myofascial, cranio sacral, aquatics, and sensory integration into her practice. Her
life long love of the water led her to develop the most unique aquatic therapy program that is serving over 100 children through their
programs in the metro Atlanta, Georgia area. UTS has several licensed therapists on staff who, along with Pam, make our program successful
through our unique, holistic therapeutic approach. Incorporating land & water based therapies with our excellent staff yields success in
our children and changes their functional abilities.
Pam was introduced to the special experience of swimming with dolphins and their therapeutic ways in 1995. Since that time she has pursued dolphin encounters in many locations, such as Mexico City, Cancun, Hawaii, Mississippi and Florida.
In 1998, Pam along with her husband and business partner Tim, were introduced to swimming with wild dolphins by Denis Richard of Water Planet. Pam & Tim believed immediately that adding dolphin encounters to UTS' repertoire would be a wonderful & therapeutic experience for the children, in a most unique way. The Serenity Program was born
