NAUI Worldwide affiliate Neptune Warrior has recently partnered with Emergenetics International to study the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans and scuba diving on the brain’s behavior and thinking preferences.
The partnership will help Neptune Warrior further its research on PTSD and diving. In addition, the partnership provides a baseline analysis on the veteran and helps to understand how preferences change over time with being in the dive program, while assisting in coaching and building a collaborative community.
Emergenetics is a psychometric tool that uses an assessment survey to measure the individual’s thinking and behavioral preferences. The tool was developed based on more than 30 years of brain research and continues to have an international influence in all industries.
NAUI Instructor and Neptune Warrior Founder Rob Anderson is also a certified Emergenetics facilitator and was interested in understanding how the tool could be used in his diving program. He said:
“While there are a lot of organizations that do some incredible things for our vets, I wanted something different. I didn’t want a program that focused on certification and destination trips that might happen only once in a vet’s life; I wanted something that was sustainable not only for us, but for the diver.”
Neptune Warrior is a non-profit organization in Idaho that works with veterans, police, and first responders to treat PTSD through diving. Its team is made up of veterans and public safety volunteers all certified through NAUI at the professional level.
Anderson created the diving program in Boise, Idaho, not well known for being a diving destination. His program centers around a three-pronged approach of diving, PTSD coaching, and community.
The Emergenetics tool is really helpful in getting to truly know the needs of a military veteran, particularly one that could be suffering from PTSD, according to Anderson:
“We can see how the diver relates to the seven attributes and the spectrum they prefer to work in. Analytical, Conceptual, Structural, and Social are the four thinking preferences that we all have in combination to one degree or another. At the same time, we have these behavior attributes that include Expressiveness, Flexibility, and Assertiveness. Understanding how the vet responds, and more importantly, how his or her preferences can be perceived, is critical in transitioning to civilian life.”
For more info about Neptune Warriors, go to neptunewarrior.org. For a full dive schedule, individuals can visit the events calendar of Neptune Warrior on Facebook.
