I recently completed an aquatic therapy course and I have to say it was one of the most valuable courses I have taken in my career as a physical therapist. The course was extremely well-designed, with a perfect balance of theory and practical application. The instructor including Johan, Urs, Anne and co-lecturers were knowledgeable, engaging, and supportive throughout the entire course.

I appreciated the hands-on approach of the course, as it allowed me to apply the concepts I learned in real-world scenarios. The pool sessions were particularly valuable, as I was able to work with patients and see the immediate benefits of aquatic therapy firsthand.

The course covered a wide range of topics, including the benefits of aquatic therapy, safety considerations, and various techniques and exercises for different patient populations. I feel much more confident and equipped to incorporate aquatic therapy into my practice, and I am excited to see the positive impact it will have on my patients.

Overall, I would highly recommend this aquatic therapy course to any physical therapist looking to expand their skillset and provide their patients with effective and innovative treatment options.

It was such a privilege to be able to attend the Bad Ragaz module of the Advanced Studies in Aquatic Therapy in Landeyeux, Switzerland. Although the hospital is in the middle of the countryside with the nearest village a 20-minute walk away, the facility was state of the art! The pool had an adjustable depth floor, parallel bars, an efficient hoist, sauna, jacuzzi and beautiful showers and change rooms. Lunch and snacks were provided by the hospital canteen, consisting of three-course meals including local fare of braised rabbit with warm grapes and deer casserole!

It was fantastic to be able to interact with other aquatic therapists from around the world, united with a common interest in water and this made for interesting discussion.
The pre-course reading allowed for adequate preparation prior to the course and included a very interesting case study. The course itself was extremely beneficial and practical and it was wonderful learning firsthand from the “gurus” especially when it comes to the technicalities of handling. Application to clinical practice was apparent and we had several patients who volunteered for us to try out our new-found skills. The language barrier posed an additional challenge although we had several French-speaking physiotherapists in the group.
The knowledge of the presenters was excellent and the course comprehensive in learning the Bad Ragaz techniques and patterns.

Highly recommended to any physiotherapist involved in the wonderful world of Aquatics!

Het was een fantastische cursus: Zeer compleet met veel hands-on technieken in water. Als onderzoeker en fysiotherapeut heb ik veel kennis opgedaan. De cursus daagde uit tot denken en mogelijkheden van onderzoek en behandelingen in water. De kennis van Johan Lambeck , Urs Gamper en Anne Bommer en verscheidende gastdocenten was super. Tevens was het een voorrecht om met collega-cursisten uit meerdere landen met diverse culturen te werken en kennis te delen over hun ervaringen in de aqua-therapie. De cursusplaats Valens in Zwitserland met een prachtige kliniek was verbluffend mooi en prachtig gelegen in de bergen. De gehele organisatie van de cursus was prima. Als je interesse hebt in aqua-therapie is deze cursus een echte aanrader.Bedankt ook voor alle mooie ervaringen en vele leuke gesprekken.

It was a fantastic course: Very complete with many hands-on techniques in water. As a researcher and physiotherapist I have gained a lot of knowledge. The course challenged to think and possibilities of research and treatments in water. The knowledge of Johan Lambeck, Urs Gamper and Anne Bommer and various guest teachers was great. It was also a privilege to work with fellow students from different countries with different cultures and to share knowledge about their experiences in aqua therapy. The Valens course location in Switzerland with a beautiful clinic was stunningly beautiful and beautifully situated in the mountains. The entire organization of the course was great. If you are interested in aqua therapy, this course is highly recommended. Thanks also for all the great experiences and many nice conversations.

The Advanced course of Aquatic therapy in Valens is the most professional evidence based course I ever attend with the most wonderful and amazing teachers, Johan & Urs and all over the team.
The unique way of learning skills in all techniques is really helpful and professional and I am lucky to be under their supervision and have all their guidance and consultation.
I would like to recommend all my colleagues who have interest in getting equipped with the aquatic therapy skills and clinical knowledge to attend this course.

"Il corso avanzato di Aquatherapy tenutosi a Valens è stato di alto profilo. Oltre ad aver fornito utili strumenti per il lavoro quotidiano in acqua con i pazienti,  permette di diffondere la pratica riabilitativa in acqua in modo scientifico, in quanto sostenuta da numerose evidenze, che continuamente vengono prodotte nelle diverse patologie. Costante e proficuo è il richiamo al ragionamento clinico ed alla definizione del programma riabilitativo migliore per quel dato quadro clinico. Anche la combinazione di moduli di pratiche complementari all’intervento terapeutico, come la Clinical Ai Chi e l’AquaT-relax, ha arricchito il bagaglio di conoscenze e fornito ottimi spunti per un’accurata e precisa programmazione dell’intervento riabilitativo.

L'organizzazione del corso è stata ineccepibile, in un posto magnifico e confortevole come la Kliniken Valens.  Molti e sinceri  ringraziamenti a Johan e Urs per la loro passione e professionalità. C’è forte il desiderio di continuare il percorso professionale, formandosi e confrontandosi, per una qualificazione avanzata della pratica riabilitativa in acqua."

This is a dream come true! I’ve been keen to take part in the course for years. It is the most structured, well-organized, and clinically practical program in aquatic therapy.
We’ve built up thorough concepts of aquatic therapy in theory and practice. The intensive course focused on physiological mechanisms, systematic analysis, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based application. Pool sessions provided the extensive opportunities to ensure our execution of techniques were adequate and corresponding with proper reasoning results. In the final day, we needed to integrate all approaches and practice with the patients, which brought the course to a perfect closure. Johan, Urs, Anne and co-lecturers took us to a whole new perspective of aquatic therapy with latest scientific evidence, incredible support, hands-on guidance, and years of experience!
This course is the golden opportunity for those who would like to get an insight into aquatic therapy. Participants will be immersed in updated knowledge, various pool practicum, andabundant group work with worldwide members!

My aims for attending the course were to improve my knowledge and handling skills in aquatic physiotherapy, for which this course, I can say far exceeded those aims. I have attended many courses over the years but I haven’t been on such an intensive steep learning curve for a very long while. The module was fantastic with so much practical work in the pool supplemented with latest evidence based guidance and clinical relevance.
The highlight for me was to treat patients for 3 days. with the incredible support and guidance by Johan and Urs were invaluable.
I highly recommended this course to all, just be prepared to be worked really hard and to leave the mountains with your brain ready to explode with knowledge and mental and physical fatigue! This course is not for the faint hearted but worth every penny spent!

This course is highly recommended for health professional ( MD, PT, OT.... ) who want to immerse themselves in aquatic therapy for the following reasons: content and teaching methodology, being eminently practical (with patients) and taught by leading experts at the highest level and experience. Excellent  organization takes advantage  of unbeatable facilities; truly international, participants this year were from 4 continents and 11 countries.
we would like to thank all  lecturers their disposal and generosity that we personify on course directors: Johan Lambeck and Urs Gamper.

The Aquatic Therapy Course at the Kliniken Valens is embedded in evidence based practice and the teachers Johan and Urs know their stuff in every detail. The opportunity to treat patients and being introduced to loads of options in aquatic rehabilitation was invaluable. The course was well organized and meeting people from all over the world in a stunning surroundings in Valens. That was great. First Class!!

The best course ever! The whole course provided useful information to me both as a physical therapist and a researcher. Different techniques with strong scientific background ensured evidence for daily practice and further research. Also, it was a privilege meeting colleagues from all around the world, sharing ideas and discussing how aquatic therapy/therapists work in the other parts of the world. And the great nature of Valens played an important role for relaxing after long educative hours  I strongly recommend for all physical therapists who are interested in aquatic therapy to attend this marvelous course and have a chance to enhance their approaches to the patients. Thanks for all the efforts of Johan Lambeck and Urs Gamper about improving aquatherapy and sharing their unique experience with us.

This is the only Aquatic Therapy course that I came across offering 10 European Credit Transfers (ECTs) which I was able use as part of of my Masters degree in Advanced HealthCare Practice, University of Limerick, Ireland.

The course offers ample opportunity to mix both practical clinical experience with an evidence based theory and practice approach. As part of the course, I was able to consolidate my learning through my participation in both the group based learning scenarios and individual assessments. Once I returned home to my work in the Pediatric community setting, I was set the task of carrying out case studies with two patients in the aquatic therapy pool environment. This was an excellent opportunity for me to put my new clinical practice knowledge and advanced handling skills into practice with real life clients.

I saw first hand the benefits of my treatment approach and the feedback I received from both Urs Gamper and Johan Lambeck was invaluable. Both Johan and Urs offered me outstanding support and feedback throughout the course, which continued whilst I was completing my case studies. I would recommend this Post graduate module to all therapist working within the Aquatic Therapy environment as the tutors on the course had a wealth of knowledge to share with all participants.
There is no other course quiet like it!!

A High Quality Aquatic Therapy Course: after many years planning to take this course, for me was a dream that came true. Thirteen days of hard work and a lot of enjoying. The strength points of the course were teacher’s experience and the attention given to solve our doubts and the practice of clinical reasoning with real patients.The focus on showing the scientific evidence of procedures will surely contribute to the evidenced based practice in physiotherapy and the improvement of aquatic therapy.

An incredible learning experience! Such a wonderful variety of techniques and principles learnt to apply to clinical settings.Equally as fantastic was meeting such special people from all over the world.Thank you, Johan and Urs, for imparting your valuable knowledge plus years and years of experience with us. It was a real privilige participating in your course

The amount and quality of resources made available was excellent. The concise summation of critical points, especially of the most recent and relevant research in each area of aquatic therapy covered in the course, was impressive. It is clear that Johan and Urs keep up-to-the-minute with respect to evidence-based practice, prioritizing this as the basis for aquatic intervention. The problem-solving approach to practical sessions honed clinical reasoning skills in a clinically-relevant way and the opportunity to treat patients on more than one occasion complemented the development of those skills nicely. The state-of-the-art facilities, stunning setting, hospitality, croissants, chocolate and warm towels contributed to a memorable learning experience.

5Ps (PROBLEM, POOL, POSSIBLE, PLASTICITY, PRESENT)It was a great POSSIBILITY to take the aquatic package course in Valens 2013 for me because I have experienced PROBLEM solving in POOL.
That is what a therapist should know PLASTICITY related to the systemic knowledge and various therapeutic approaches, which I have learned through this course.
I would say that the course was like the way to teach fishing, not just to toss fish.  It was a special PRESENT for me.
I give thanks to Johan and Urs for offering me outstanding lectures, and colleagues in Clinic Valens for organizing the course without any flaw.

The course was grounded in physiology, clinical reasoning, and relevant research including seminal papers and the most recent publications. The pace and balance of the pool and classroom sessions were excellent. Johan and Urs translate their knowledge very well in a supportive, adult learning environment. Pool sessions were extensive ensuring that we were correct and comfortable executing the techniques. Klinik Valens was an exciting environment of higher learning and aquatic skills exchange.

The 14 days of the course were full of evidence – base theoretical knowledge and well organized practical part with detailed approach in the techniques. It was a great opportunity to meet aquatic therapists from all over the world and exchange our experience and knowledge on hydrotherapy. The course was the initial to change the therapeutic approach in my patients and to be more open minded. I am looking forward to meeting again in Valens next year.

I am very satisfied to have been a participant in this high level and very intensive postgraduaded course in Valens 2010 and 2011. A great amount of evidence knowledge  that could be described as  the “state of art” in aquatic therapy was offered both in practice and in the theoretical course parts.

I am very satisfied that I attended the Aquatic Therapy course in Valens, which has improved my knowledge to a hight degree. The entire course was very good organized. The emphasis was practical work in the water with very good visual and practical instructions.
The theoretical lectures are based on scientific researches. The aquired knowledge and information from the course will influence on improvement of my further therapeutic work in water. I hope that in the future the knowledge will widen also more throughout our country

A great course! The best was to have a holistic way of looking at aquatic therapy and to be able to position the different concepts. Thanx for the knowledge of the lecturers being shared in a scientific way.

I have waited for 4 years before I could take up this course in 2010 and believe me the wait was worth it. An intensive course for the therapists in systematically understanding, analyzing, applying the various concepts; and finding evidence for efficacy; by simple but effective outcome measures on diverse cases were impressive. The hands on, with the patients to apply halliwick concept & the last day to integrate all the five concepts on the patients again is the strongest point of the entire course. With well organized modules, wonderful pools to work and Great Teachers who taught, it was knowledge with pleasure at Klinik Valens, Switzerland.”

The Aquatic Therapy course at Klinik Valens has a strong focus on evidence based practice.  The course also includes a large amount of practical teaching to improve handling skills and increase the options in aquatic rehabilitation.  The opportunity to treat patients and develop clinical reasoning skills is also very beneficial.  The references and audiovisual materials for the course are excellent.