"The Water Whisperer is well worth it. Our son is 2 1/2 years old and he is swimming for toys at the bottom of the pool, jumping off a diving board and pulling himself out of the water. To see him go from crying, to rushing into the water, is a joy. He cannot stop talking about the fun he is having with Chris, his awesome instructor. We went into this merely wanting him to be safe around water, but he has gained a love of swimming in just two weeks. The enthusiasm of the instructors is highly motivating, we could not be more pleased. Thank you Water Whisperer" — Theresa Cunningham

"I am completely blown away by this school! My 4 1/2 year old, and 2 /12 year old are totally swimming!!! After the first few days of crying, my daughter is now a fish! She RUNS to swim class and talks about how much she loves class and her teachers. Every day she asks me when she gets to go to swim class. Now, I am the mother on the sidelines assuring other parents that if the hang in, they will see their child swim, just as we witnessed with our kids. My son is doing well too, diving for toys, and jumping off the diving board...HE'S ONLY TWO AND A HALF! He didn't cry too much, as he was quite the water baby...but my daughter is the one who made the about face! Seriously, parents, if you are afraid of your child crying at the start, please just hang in there! The teachers know what they are doing, and your child WILL learn to swim! Not only that, but they will build self esteem when they see that they can do it! My daughter feels so good about herself, and I am so proud of her!!! Lastly, I need to say something about the teachers, and Emily the owner. All of the teachers at the school are kind, caring, patient, and encouraging. My kids ADORE the teachers and so do I. On my first day, my daughter was really crying hard...Emily came outside and talked to me about how normal this was, and to believe in my child's capabilities. This really helped me, and lo and behold, on day four my daughter was swimming. This school is a blessing, and I am so grateful we can head out on our trip to Hawaii without fear of my children being near water. We are definitely signing up for maintenance classes!!" — Aliki Grafft

"Dear Emily, THis is Mae Mae's mom. Mae Mae has taken 7 lessons so far and is really enjoying them. She can't wait to come every day. Chris is amazing. This has been a very pleasant experience. I don't even need to tell Mae Mae to come to swimming after school no matter how tired she is. She'd be telling me herself--"let's go to my swim lessons." Thank you so much, Emily" — Li Fan Gad

"Hi Emily, It's going really well! Jonah and Nico are both loving it and making great progress. They went to Lenny K before but they had both plateaued. Jonah is now jumping off of the diving board and swimming back to the edge of the pool to get out. And other than making him water safe, we wanted him to be confident and enjoy being in the water and now he does! Nico has always loved the water and now it's really starting to click for him. And the catchy tunes have us singing all day long! We're so happy!" — Mia Marano

"Dear Emily, I wish we had thought to take some video before and after video of Foster. That would have been great advertising for you. I mean he screamed bloody murder those first 4 days and by the 5th lesson was a different kid. The kid I thought he'd be from the beginning! Thank you so much for everything. Your staff is so kind. My kids were racing to the gate on their last lesson. They couldn't get in the pool fast enough. we were thinking we would like to take weekend lessons in the month of may since our friends' pools won't be warm til June. Is that something that could be arranged or are you already booked? Thanks again for everything! Kate" — Kate Higgins

"Cate was afraid to go under the water and didnt know how to swim. We put her in the 10 day program at Water Whisperer.....and watch her go!!! This only day 5 of the series! They are amazing...we are continuing with their weekly maintenance program as well!! LOVE U GUYS!!!" — Kimberly Saunders Friedberg

"Emily,  It's went great. The kids enjoyed the lessons.  Coach Chris was great with the kids! Right away he made them feel very comfortable. Swim technique and safety was reviewed during each session. Coach Chris was very appropriate with assessing each kid level of skill and adjusting to it accordingly. Alex and Cami had a great time. Cami always enjoyed the water. Prior to learning, there were times she tried to jump in the pool without a vest. We knew it was time to make the lessons a priority. We are so happy. She gained more confidence after her lessons. Thank you!" — Irene Austria-Ramos

"The class is going extremely well. Daniel came up for air on his own and kept going. I am so pleased with his progress!!! He is so eager to return to his class everyday. In the first day he overcame his anxiety in the water as a result of the nurturing environment provided by his instructor. Now seven days later he is jumping from the diving board and swimming to the side, proud and confident. He likes arriving 40 minutes before class. Looking forward to maint. classes! Thanks so much, Emily" — Mireya Ignacio

"We love our experience at The Water Whisperer. Brenda, our teacher, is extremely caring, committed, and a great swim instructor. Our two-year old daughter really trusts her, and we love the techniques used by The Water Whisperer staff - they really work!! Thanks" — Jason Colbert

"Hi Emily, Thank you very much! Everything is going great and we couldn't be any happier. Chris has done a great job and has always been so nice to us. We have been very lucky to continue having Chris. I have to admit I was afraid at first, but as i see my son excited everytime we go there I'm glad I made the decision to take him there. I will definitely recommend more people to go there. I also wanted to know how much the maintenance lessons are after our swim lessons end? Thank you, Joanna Lemus" — Joanna Lemus

"We are thrilled with our experience at the Water Whisperer! The teachers are so friendly and fun, and know how to challenge the kids in a non-intimidating way. My older child, who loves water, learned to swim by the end of her first lesson and my younger child, who hates to get her face wet, was jumping off the diving board by the third lesson! They exceeded our expectations! I highly recommend the Water Whisperer, they are the best!!" — Angela Chan

"Out daughter Vivienne LOVED the Water Whisperer.. It was the perfect place for her to learn to swim, she tends to have a mind of her own and really needed the special attention that was given to her by the teachers. They pushed her to go beyond what she thought she could do in a firm yet loving way. By the end of the 3rd class she wanted to go back, was diving underwater to get the toys and was so proud of herself. In the several days that she has attended class her confidence has skyrocketed not only in swim class, but overall. She is thriving. I couldn’t recommend Ms. Emily and her teachers at Water Whisperer enough!!" — Jean and Todd Sievers

"We have been taking amazing swimming lessons at The Water Whisperer in Sherman Oaks. The first several days Cole was resistant to get in the water and to go under. By our fourth day (20 minute lessons) Cole was jumping off the diving board and swimming across the pool! Now he is so excited to go swim and proud of his accomplishments in the pool. If there is one class you want to do with your child this is the one! It is such a positive experience and will lead to a safe fun filled summer at the pool. If you have any questions go to www.thewaterwhisperer.com or call me!" — Courtney Goble

"I don't normally do things like this, but I just wanted to take the time to tell you about a wondeful swim school that I have been taking my son to this summer. Over the course of the past two summers I had taken him to two different swim schools, without resulting in a child that could swim. It seems like the third place was the charm..I finally found a place that didn't make him cry or cringe at the thought of having to enter the water. That place is the Water Whisperer, which is located in Sherman Oaks. Yes, I drove over the canyon each and every day for 10 straight days (45 minutes there, and 45 minutes back), but it was worth every minute. From day one, my son entered the water with a smile, and enjoyed his experience as he sang and splashed his way towards swimming INDEPENDENTLY in only ten lessons!!! Next summer, if you are looking for a swim place that will really get your child excited about the water, I highly encourage you to take them to The Water Whisperer" — Anonymous

"I just completed the 10 day water whisperer program with my 16 month old and he's now officially in love with water. No fear, kicks and paddles, opens his eyes and can grab objects under water and loves being underwater. I'm simply amazed!!" — Kelli P.

"I am so imperssed with the Water Whisperer 10 day swimming program. I enrolled my 3 year old and 5 year old neither of whom new how to swim and in the first 2 classes they learned how to hold their breath and not swallow water. By the 4th lesson they were diving to the bottom of the pool to pick up toys by the 6th lesson my 5 year old was diving off the diving board into the deep of the pool and swimming to the front and picking up his head to take periodic breaths. This swim school superseeded any of my expectations, the kids love going and i would definately reccomend it to anyone who has a pool at home and even if not." — Margo, Emily and Eric

"I hope you will consider the water whisperer when thinking about where to bring your children for their first swimming lessons. the teachers have been terrific, and the experience overall has been wonderful for everyone. if you're concerned about finding 10 days in a row for a 20 minute class, don't worry! the scheduler was amazing and collaborated with us to create a class calendar that worked perfectly." — Audra

"I wanted to let you all know about our wonderful experience at The Water Whisperer here in Sherman Oaks. My 2 yo daughter took lessons a couple months ago and we plan to go back to do some maintenance classes next month. The pool is heated and clean. The teachers are great with kids and we are still singing all the songs. In addition, she's completely comfortable in the water, swimming under water and pulling herself out of the pool. And having just experienced a different facility's swim lessons, I can honestly say the WW's philosophy and methods are the better approach to getting your child to swim. I'm so sorry I wasted my money. Lessons are over the course of 10 days with privates being 20 minutes each." — Anonymous

"Last summer we took our daughter for swim lessons at the Water Whisperer in Sherman Oaks. We were pleased with the program and thought it was a good introduction to the water for her. I credit the program with helping her love to be in a pool. We decided to take her back this year now that she is older and capable of learning the skills to swim. I am amazed at how well she did. The first day she cried and said she didn't want to do it. Within 2 minutes, the teacher had her calm and doing everything he asked. Over the next ten days, she learned to swim from one point to another, climb out of the pool, crab walk down the side, dive to the bottom to grab toys, float on her back, jump off the side and off the diving board. This past weekend, we took her to visit grandparents. We spent a lot of time in the pool. Multiple people came up to us and expressed amazement that she was swimming so well at only 3 years old. I even overheard a couple of older kids (6-8 years old) talking about how they could not swim but this "little baby" could. We are planning to keep going with lessons to solidify and improve her skills. I highly recommend this program." — Cheryl

"If you have kids who are either just learning to swim or can kind of cope in the water but could use a refresher course, this is a great school to know about. For years we've been going to the Water Whisperer and it's been fantastic. This year has been particularly wonderful as we now have kids who can swim a variety of strokes and are confident and happy in the water. They breast stroke, freestyle and are learning the back stroke. Best of all, they have been well-drilled in how to get themselves safely out of the pool if they ever fall in. I can't tell you how grateful I am that we found this place. The teachers are lovely, supportive and enthusiastic -- my kids develop new crushes on their new "swim teacher best friends" every year we go! So, if you are looking for really effective and very reasonably priced swim lessons for either beginners or just to work on strokes and technique, please check them out." — Los Angeles Mom

"I just wanted to share my experience with The Water Whisperer with you. My son is 4 and I was a little apprehensive to take him to swimming lessons even though he loves the water but now being on our 9th lesson he is actually swimming on his own and I am blown away. If you haven't thought about swimming lessons or are trying to figure out a place to go, please take a look at The Water Whisperer website at www.thewaterwhisperer.com. The program is 10 consecutive days (excluding weekends) and there are all times available. The classes are run in Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills so if you are on either end of the valley it is pretty convenient. It really is a great program." — briav77

"We are a HUGE fan of the Water Whisperer! With one 2.5 and one 3.5 year old we need to make sure we are safe and aware in the water! My daughter and my son benefited from the amazing staff and the self confidence they learned last year in the 10 day program and now they are back for seconds. They remember the key points they just need a little more help! they really are one of the best around and they are helpful to first time parents who need to feel that their kids best interests are taken into consideration! Really this is the best swim program in LA and worth the travel .. but just so you know they have a few locations so it is easy for anyone located in Los Angeles and the Valley" — Natalie

"My son is almost finishing his swimming lessons at the Water Whisperer. He had an accident about 1 year ago where he fell in the pool. He wanted nothing to do with the pool after this accident. We heard about the Water Whisperer and enrolled him. It was the best thing ever!!!! I know LOVES the water and asks me to go swimming now instead of me asking him to. Emily and her staff are awesome. Please, please sign up your kids, you will not regret it." — Anonymous

"The company is called The Water Whisperer and is true to the name! On the 1st day my son was a bit hesitant & a little whiney about getting into the water and being with a complete stranger but by day 4 he was asking to jump off the diving board and by day 10 he was jumping off and swimming like a little fish to the edge! It’s amazing how the staff just seems to understand each individual child and molds their personality to calm and make the child feel at ease! The location is easy, the pool is clean and the best part is they say what they do- and they do what they say! In and out in 20 min. sessions, always on time & now my son actually keeps asking to go back to swim class! Check out their link –the scheduling girl is great and they have 2 locations- Studio City & Woodland Hills! If you have any questions, just ask my son because he hasn’t stopped talking about his Teacher Marissa since he met her on day 1." — Anonymous

"My 2 year old was scared of the water. Within the first 10 minutes underwater and holding his breathe. He cried 10 lessons straight but was smiling after every lesson. Now he asks to go to lessons everyday! He has become so confident inside the water and out! Thank you so much!" — Anonymous

"I am still amazed what one can accomplish in 10 days! My son, Joshy, first went to WW when he turned 2, and was a fish by the time the class was over. Not only did the awesome instructors live up to their guarantee, my son had a BLAST and can't wait to start again in a week. He is safe, confident and thrilled to be in the water. A mom's dream!" — Kacyjoy

"This is a great place to take your child to learn how to swim.The pool is very clean :) and the team is very dedicated." — Anonymous

"I just wanted to let you know about an awesome swim program I recently did with Lily and Sophia. We did a ten-day program with the water whisperer (www.thewaterwhisperer.com) in Sherman Oaks. You go every day for ten days (not on the weekend) and by the end both Lily and Sophia were swimming and LOVING it! they cried for the first 3 or 4 days- and I thought, "just my luck, my kids will be the only kids this will not work for!" but not only did they stop crying to get into the pool- they started crying when it was time to get out of the pool! Of course, my number one goal was to get them comfortable and safe in the water, but the lessons did so much more than that. The whole experience taught them that they are capable of things they once feared, and things they never thought they would be able to do (ie jump off the diving board into the deep end, dive down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve toys!) they came out of the lessons with an awesome sense of confidence and pride over what they had accomplished and can now do. The instructors are great with kids and the curriculum is spot-on (catchy songs, a lot of repetition- everything the kids need). I actually loved the fact that the lessons were 10 consecutive days bc you build up so much momentum from one day to the next and the girls got so used to the routine- they made progress quickly and by the second week they didn't hesitate to get to the pool- they were looking forward to it. If you're interested in learning more about the program check out their website." — Anonymous

"My 3.5 yo (Jake) and 17 mo. old (Jaxson) began taking lessons at the Water Whisperer 7 days ago. By the fourth day, they had Jake swimming across the pool and jumping off of the diving board. I was shocked. I didn't know Jake was capable of so much. Jaxson's success has been just as exciting! By day 6 he was diving to the second stair of the pool to pick up toys. I can't wait to see what they will both be doing by day 10!I can't say enough about the Water Whisperer program. First, it is exciting to know that the pool is not chlorinated which is better for children and allows them to open their eyes underwater without the use of goggles. Second, the fact that the pool is always bathwater warm due to the use of solar panels for heating, not only keeps the water inviting for little ones and parents alike, it also allows me to send my kids on cold days without the guilt of wasting energy or gas to keep the pool heated. The program itself is repetitive so that kids know what to expect and become increasingly more comfortable with the evolution of their lessons. This permits the children to take their practice to the next step on a daily basis without fear of the unknown. Last, I can't say enough about the teachers. From Emily, the owner, to the staff she employs; the teachers at the Water Whisperer are knowledgeable and personable. My children love them and look forward to going to the pool on a daily basis. I highly recommend the Water Whisperer swim classes! I would recommend them to anyone with children. They have been a huge success for our family and I know we will continue to come to the Water Whisperer for our swimming needs." — Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic

"Hi Everyone, I just wanted to let you all know, if you are in need of swimming lessons/water safety classes for your kids, we currently have Sarah enrolled with The Water Whisperer www.thewaterwhisperer.com. It is a ten day intensive course (20 min/day). Sarah was swimming across the pool by the start of day two!! I was blown away. We have had her in lessons at other swim schools before, but she never learned to swim. Emily, and her staff are amazing. They are caring, loving, and get the job done. I have even seen babies starting to swim with them. I thought with summer just around the corner, I would pass this very useful information on." — Anonymous

"I have wanted to sign up my daughter up for swim classes at The Water Whisperer last year, and now that we have completed the class, my only regret is that it took me so long. This kind of teaching was not only something that helped my daughter to love swimming, and do it well, but also changed her positively on so many other levels. She has learned that at times in life we have to do things we don't want to and might be happily surprised, she learned to brave, she learned how to be more independent, and most importantly she has more confidence in herself. I highly recommend this program." — Shea Andreone

"Our 4-year old twins had taken lessons for AGES at another swim school and, while they learned not to be afraid of the water at all, they weren't even close to swimming. Within 5 days at The Water Whisperer our son was paddling on his own across the pool and 2 days later his sister was doing the same! The teachers were encouraging, patient and made the lessons fun. We went 10 days in a row (20 minutes for each lesson) and every day my children were excited to be there! I was really impressed by the program they've developed." — Gina O.

"This school amazed me what they did with my daughter! She is swimming underwater at 16 months! They provide a safe and friendly atmosphere and they know what they are doing!! I loved it and will continue with her and all my children. Fantastic place!!" — Shanelle Gray

"This summer we enrolled Landon in swim lessons with the Water Whisperer. This was not something Landon, or I was looking forward to. He was one of those kids who did not like swimming. He was very nervous, didn't like water in his face (not even in the bath!), and he was not happy about getting in the pool. We showed up for lessons and the first day or two, there was a lot of tears. He was upset, he didn't want to swim. By the third day, Landon was feeling more confident. By the fifth day, he was thrilled. He was happy. He was joyful. He was swimming! This has seriously been the highlight of my summer. To have a kid who was not happy about swimming become a person who loves the water, is worth it's weight in gold to me. The water whisperer has great instructors who are kind but firm, loving but disciplined. I am telling you I have been blown away by Landon's progress. I am so proud of him! Thanks Water Whisperer!!" — Liz

"Our daughter had an absolute blast taking swim lessons with The Water Whisperer this summer. She really loves swimming now and gained such a sense of accomplishment after just 10 consecutive days of lessons. Emily, who owns the school, has been wonderful to work with as well! Sure there were a couple challenging days for our daughter, but I am so glad we stuck with it and continue to practice. It's been amazing to watch her progress from uncertainty through fear to confidence and pure enjoyment of swimming. We highly recommend The Water Whisperer for swim lessons and we adore Emily! Thank you....Thank you!!" — Jodi

"After spending a small fortune last summer to have private lessons on the weekends for my daughters without seeing any real progress, I knew I had to try a different approach. The Water Whisperer was highly recommended by a friend who assured me that the structured daily program would do the trick - and it did! After two weeks, my 4 year old who was afraid to leave the steps of the pool was jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side! She is swimming under water to retrieve toys! She now asks to go swimming every day. My 2 year old is now able to swim underwater as she is passed between two adults. She loves it too and wakes up every morning asking to go swimming. Thank you Emily for turning my girls into little mermaids!" — Libby Harrison

"Talia is just over 2 1/2 years old. We couldn't have been more pleased with our experience at The Water Whisperer! She went into these lessons loving the water and wanting to swim independently. Not only did the instructors help strengthen these qualities, but, they also taught her life-saving skills in a fun way! In her very first lesson, shelearned to walk her hands along the side of the pool. After her 3rd lesson, she was retrieving toys from the bottom of the pool and learning how to push herself back up to the top of the water. By the middle of the session, she had learned to independently climb up and out of the water by the side wall. And, by the end of the 10 days, she was pretty much swimming independently for short distances and learning how to float on her back. It was amazing to see the improvements each day. This program is a definite must if you want your kids to enjoy and be safe in the water!!" — Sari

"Our 5 year old son has had an amazing swim lesson experience at The Water Whisperer this year. He's had 10 lessons and is fully swimming and enjoying it more than we ever could have imagined. He is extremely proud of himself and his accomplishments. Our son can truly swim the width of the pool, float, retrieve toys from the bottom of the pool, jump off the diving board and more. I highly recommend The Water Whisperer for the following reasons: • Highly skilled, warm, strong instructors who instill confidence through lots of positive feedback • Creative teaching approach that truly works! And works fast!! • Happy, relaxed pool environment" — Michelle

"Worth every penny! Emily (and her awesome team) are amazing! Their technique is amazing. This is our second summer doing lessons with her and once again are thrilled. Our son can jump in the water, swim across the pool and get out with no assistance. I would highly recommend her program to anyone. My son even sings her catchy songs around the house!" — Joanna B.

"Our son Jaden Bottarini was held under water last summer when he was 2 1/2 , by a 6 year old. Needless to say he was terrified of swimming after that experience! Jaden just completed 10 sessions with Emily at the Water whisperer sherman oaks facility. The first 5 sessions he was still very scared and he cried, but he still followed instructions and his fear was followed by hugs and kisses from Emily, and her telling him how brave he was.... As a family we kept going to the classes and we were all VERY positive about supporting the program! WOW did it pay off!! We had such a break through!!! By lesson 8 Jaden was smiling and completely swimming on his own!! I had tears in my eyes to see him smile and have fun in the water again! All the instructors there are very supportive and we are so grateful that Jaden can not only swim, he can jump off the side of the pool, he can get out on his own, he can dive down to the bottom of the pool and get the animal friends, and best of all, he is smiling the whole time!!! This swim school was wonderful for our family and we are so thankful! We are planning to continue with maintenance classes for Jaden and starting our 11 month old baby with classes as well! We would highly recommend this class to ALL our friends..... We have 2 other friends that completed the program and their kids swim fantastically as well! Thank you Emily, Katey, and Mallory for such a wonderful, loving environment for our kids to learn such an important life skill! Sincerely," — Michelle, Chris, Jaden & Hudson Bottarini

"We cannot believe how our children have excelled in swimming after only 1 month. My 3 yearold is swimming across the whole pool and my 7 year old is learning various strokes and thinks he's Michael Phelps. Impressive instruction and fantastic program. thank you!" — Tony & Tiffany

"The Water Whisperer offers a no-nonsense approach to swimming lessons for swimmers of all ages and abilities. My son enjoyed his lessons so much the first summer that we're back a second time (and for the second time this season, too). The instructors are welltrained and didn't force him to do anything he didn't want to do but instead encouraged him and used gentle praise. This is a great place for reluctant swimmers to get the support and skills they need to make swimming safe and fun." — Library Momma

"Emily and Jon and their staff have been amazing swim teachers for my 22-month-old son Jaden. First day he cried a bit, but he loved the songs and the repetition. Day 2 he was excited to get back in the pool and see Emily and Jon. By the third lesson he was going underwater and by lesson 6 he was practically swimming! They are so patient, loving andgreat with kids. They make the lessons fun and positive. We completed the 10 lesson session and Jaden is diving to the bottom of the pool to retrieve objects. It's amazing. We were sad to say goodbye on our last day, but I would recommend this swim school to anyone with young children who need to be water safe" — Blythe

"The Water Whisperer is a group of incredibly patient and encouraging swim instructors who place a premium on children learning water safety along with swimming skills in a very nurturing and fun environment. My three year old twins learned very important water skills in our two week session and love singing the songs that were incorporated into every lesson. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants their children to learn to swim." — Melissa

"When our son was 2 years old, he took swimming lessons for the first time and cried every day. I sat there cringing as I heard his cries intermittently when he came up for air. Then the teacher gently pushed his head down in the water, silence, then the cries. This went on for 5 days in a row. My son was definitley not swimming by the end of the week as promised. When my son was 3, we decided to try swim lessons with Emily. It was a totally different experience. This time the only time he cried was when he had to miss 1 lesson because he was sick. After 10 days, not only was he was completely swimming on his own, he was getting out of the pool, jumping in, swimming to Emily ACROSS the pool and repeating this 10 times with a smile on his face. After consistent encouragement from Emily, he was swimming to the bottom of the pool, picking up toys, and coming up for air and loving every minute. Thank you to Emily who has given our son the gift of water safety" — Julie Tesser

"We had a fantastic experiece with The Water Whisperer. Our son not only overcame his fear but conquered it and actually had fun in the water. It was amazing to see his confidence and pride grow as the days passed. He went from screaming the entire lesson on day 1, to saying "I'm a good swimmer" on day 5, then saying "I can do it" confidently on day 8, then happily retrieving toys from the bottom of the pool on day 9. It was amazing! Well worth the investment and commitment." — Joaquin's Mama

"We were so pleased with the water whisperer experience. My kids learned to swim very quickly. I also signed my nanny up for swim lessons - she did not know how to swim and was afraid of the water. They had her swimming on the first day. They also taught her how to jump in and save someone." — Happy with WW

"Emily, We are so excited about how well Bailey and Peyton are doing with their swimming. I can’t believe that we wasted so much time at the YMCA and were getting no results. You said you would get Bailey swimming in 2-3 lessons and you ended up doing it in 1. Peyton is still singing the paddle song and practices her kicks every night in the bathtub. Thank you. If we hadn’t gotten the kids to you our Hawaii vacation would have been a bust! THANK YOU!!" — Rachel Greenberg

"We are so thrilled with what Emily and her staff has done with our seven year-old daughter. Dorothy is on the autism spectrum and she has always been extremely anxious about swimming. In previous years, we tried other swim teachers, but they never made much progress because they would stop pushing Dorothy to go to the next level whenever she started to tantrum. Emily never backed off. Dorothy would not put her head under the water before, and now, 10 days later, swimming to the bottom of the pool to collect toy animals is her favorite part of the lesson. She is so proud of herself, and we are convinced that her experience at The Water Whisperer makes her more responsive for the rest of the day. If the The Water Whisperer can teach our daughter to swim, The Water Whisperer can teach anyone!" — Anonymous

"Shout Out For Emily Cohen "The Water Whisperer"!!!!! I was determined to have my 5 year old swimming by the time we leave for Spring Break vacation in a couple of weeks. I had heard fabulous things about Emily who teaches in Sherman Oaks. My son had a little experience from last summer but was really afraid to leave the steps or the side of the poolwithout a floatie...even when I told him he was going to start lessons, he was definitely not excited...terrified would be the word. Emily is an amazing teacher. She has techniques I've never seen before and honest to God, my kid was swimming on his own his very first lesson. He had some trepidation first getting into the pool, but once he was in, that's all she wrote. He had his third lesson this afternoon and he's already learned to lift his head to breathe, he jumps in and swims to Emily and today he even crawled along the bottom of the pool and picked up toys before coming back up. He can't WAIT to go back for his next lesson tomorrow. Only three lessons in and my kids swims!!! By the tenth lesson I bet he'll be jumping in the deep end and doing the breast stroke!!! I'm so thrilled that I may have my older daughter (ten) do some advanced lessons with her since she learned on her own when she was three but never had any formal stroke training. She books up...so if you're interested contact her immediately so you can get your space in time for summer.www.thewaterwhisperer.com" — W. Spale

"The Water Whisperer has been great for our 2yr old daughter. Before we started classes, Tilly, a true water baby, would dunk her head by herself and loved getting passed across the jacuzzi. After 2 weeks of private lessons, Tilly is now swimming across the width of the pool (with one hand helping her to catch a breath), grabbing toys at the bottom of the pool, doing the crab walk along the sides all by herself and jumping into the water (or rather, belly flopping into the water- she loves it. On the first day Emily tossed toys to the bottom of the pool and I said "she's not going to get those is she?" and Emily said, "oh yes she is" and at the count of 3, she dunked Tilly down head first and Tilly did indeed pick up the toys. On the 4th and 5th day, she cried cried cried when she had to do this but by the end of the 5th lesson it all clicked and she wanted "more more more". Emily challenges her students but is also nurturing and entertaining. She has a specific routine that worked really well for Tilly and she incorporates a number of original songs into the mix to help sooth fears and distract kids that may be resisting. It is now part of our ritual to sing in the pool. We look forward to continuing the routines throughout the year so that she can eventually be water safe." — Joanna Katz

"Emily is great and had my toddler swimming after only a couple lessons. Her pool is completely shaded, perfectly warm and clean." — Anonymous

"My 2 year old boy took lessons with The Water Whisperer and fell in love with the water. It was so much fun- singing, playing while learning to swim. By the end he was was so happy and confident in the water. After two rounds of private lessons he was swimming underwater the width of the pool. I didn't believe it could be so easy but at Emily's school it was. He is still just 2 and swims and dives with confidence. He is water safe and begs me for more swimming lessons all the time. I think thanks to The Water Whisperer I have a Michael Phelps in the making! Thank you for making it such a happy and amazing experience for both my baby and me." — Lisa Ward

"This summer, my three year old took private swim lessons at The Water Whisperer swim school. We have a pool at home, so it was very important to me that my son learn how to swim. He wouldn't even get his face wet in the bathtub before these lessons. He cried for the first four lessons and begged me not to take him to the lesson each day. Emily told me this was normal and it would pass. This was comforting to me and helped me relax. Now my son begs me to take him back to Emily's for more lessons, and we swim at home every day. Emily is very positive and gives great encouragement to the children and to the parents." — Crystal Terry

"Hi Emily, Thank you so much for your wisdom and guidance with Wylder. He is continuing to be a little fish! We also feel compelled to give a testimonial for your methods after our experience with him so it can help parents of other RELUCTANT water babies. We entered our 18 month old son in lessons at the Water Whisperer. Wylder is always around a pool and we wanted to get him water safe as quick as possible. Wylder screamed. That is pretty much what I remember of the first 10 days. He liked the toys outside of the pool and the slide. We would get him close to the pool and he would start screaming. He screamed from the moment he got in the water to the end of class. He showed very little improvement in the first week. We were concerned that continuing might traumatize him, instilling a fear of water that we thought would be difficult to overcome. It was so hard as a parent to feel at that moment that you are doing the best thing as your child is crying and trying to climb on top of your head to get out of the water. We were also concerned that he was disrupting other babies, creating fear and resistance. All the other babies in various lessons seemed to be enjoying the experience or at least many areas and songs during the program. Wylder just screamed and we felt so bad people had to listen to it. After contacting Emily with our concerns and seeking her expert guidance, we finished the class and continued with private lessons. Thanks to her patience and words of encouragement, Wylder is now actually swimming! A few days into the next round of lessons, it finally "clicked" as she promised it would. Our first no- tears lesson was so shocking but then they continued! He started to run to his lessons as soon as he got out of the car. He no longer has any fear of the water and swims frequently with his cousins who are much older 6 & 10. We were recently on vacation and were swimming in the hotel pool and you should have seen the shock on faces of people as they watched a toddler walk to the edge of the pool jump in go all the way under water and swim to us with a HUGE smile on his face! We are so grateful that we went through all the tears and did not give up! We are huge supporters of the Water Whisperer's swimming program and if you happen to have a screamer before you have a swimmer trust Emily when she says they will get through it and they WILL LOVE IT!!! See you next summer!" — Cara Singleton & Jas Shelton

"Dear Emily, Thank you so much for a wonderfully fantastic swim class! Raia and I loved it and we continue to sing your songs everyday while practicing our 1-2-3 hmmmm. You truly have a gift for teaching and I am so happy we had the opportunity to experience your lessons. It was an inexplicable thrill to watch my little 8 month old swim to me underwater. Thank you! On a side note, I have a little confession. For many years, I taught and coached swimming, but knew that when it came to teaching my own baby, I needed to bring in an objective professional. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to follow someone else's method, but your amazing songs and activities made learning the important skills incredibly fun. So much fun! But never compromising safety. From the first safe water entry, I knew we had signed up for the right class. With much gratitude," — Kara and Rai

"I'm writing to recommend the Water Whisperer, a series of parent-child swim classes, that provided my daughter Siena with an inspiring and age appropriate introduction to the water. I first took my daughter to the Water Whisperer when she was just 18 months old right before a family vacation in Hawaii. We were going to be swimming with her three young cousins, who were already confident in the water. I wanted Siena to have experience in the water before we left for Hawaii. I I signed us up for a 10-class session and was amazed at how much we both learned in such a short time. When we arrived in Oahu a few weeks later, Siena was going under the water with my assistance and learning to kick along side her cousins. In addition, we had an inventory of songs and skills to help her continue learning. It made the entire vacation with her cousins more fun. The Water Whisperer's method of teaching made her comfortable in the pool and gave her the confidence to move around the hotel's baby pool without fear or trepidation. I loved their approach to safe & fun swimming and the fact that I could help Siena become more independent in the water. Now that spring has arrived, we have signed up to continue our lessons. Siena is so excited to get right back in the pool" — Kathleen LaGambin

"My four year old son used to be terrified of swimming. He would freak out if water splashed on his face and hated the idea of going under water. I heard about The Water Whisperer in Sherman Oaks and it turned out to be a great fit. It's a 10 day program, each day consists of a 20 minute private lesson. The one on one attention really helped my son feel comfortable trying new things. From day one, he was going under water, without screaming and crying. They also taught him about pool safety. Now he can swim underwater, jump off a diving board and enjoy himself while swimming safely. I'm so happy we signed him up." — ekomarino