About Karissa Patberg

Happy Swimmer & Owner; karissa@beswimhappy.com

What’s great is my passion aligns with my profession. So, my days are filled with doing what I really love; making magic happen in the water! Keep in mind that my focus is always person centered. My favorite days are when I see a student, and their family or caregivers, are truly satisfied with the progress they have made, and their quality of life has improved. A Positive Approaches philosophy is a must for me.

swimhappy grew naturally out of a need within the community. Expect to receive inclusive, creative, quality, culturally sensitive services. swimhappy serves Philadelphia, and the Greater Philadelphia Region, including parts of Southern New Jersey.

Swimming has been a life long passion of mine. My first experiences working within the intellectual disability field were in the pool in 2000, teaching those with special needs. You can still find me doing the same thing now, many years later. From babies, to grandparents, and everyone in between, becoming a safe swimmer is possible. Swimming truly is for everyBODY!

In 2006, I earned a B.A. is in Psychological and Social Sciences from Penn State. From there, I continued my education at Temple University, earning my M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology in 2010. Prior to teaching swim full time, I was a behavior therapist for more than 7 years.

Besides formal education, I believe it’s important to find inspiration everyday life. For me, that includes being a single mom by choice, sipping a great cup of coffee, hitting the yoga mat, tending to my urban garden, cooking a favorite plant based dish, creating art, and dreaming up my next adventure. What inspires you?

Hope to see you at the pool!