Zero Balancing Health Association

What Zero Balancing Health Association does

Zero Balancing Health Association (ZBHA) is a U.S.-based nonprofit membership and training organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that serves as the certifying body for the Zero Balancing (ZB) body-mind therapy modality. Founded as a modality in 1973 by Dr. Fritz Frederick Smith (MD, DO, plus acupuncture certification) and formalized as an association by 2008, ZBHA operates a structured curriculum spanning foundational courses (Zero Balancing I and II), advanced specialty courses (Freely Movable Joints, Alchemy of Touch, Form & Fulcrums II), and clinical applications such as Bridges to Wholeness for cancer-patient practitioners. Its core technology is the proprietary 'fulcrum' technique — specific manual contact points that release deep tension by working at the interface between physical structure (bones, joints) and body energy — typically delivered in a standardized 30–45 minute seated-evaluation-plus-supine-session protocol.

ZBHA generates revenue through four primary streams: recurring membership dues ($150/year for Active Members), one-time course tuition ($375–$795 per course with early-bird and repeat discounts), retail product sales (including the 'Life in the Bones' biography, DVDs, and Oakworks custom narrow ZB tables), and event/retreat registrations (annual Community Benefit, ZB by the Sea in Mexico, First Sunday Virtual ZB). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (President Megan Lavery; directors Jennifer Allen, Cynthia Allred, Michele Doucette, Eric Eichelberger, Sheila Lukasiewich) under Executive Director Stevie Johns. Its go-to-market is event- and community-driven: classes are delivered by ~17 certified faculty members across the U.S. and select international venues, a Mentor Advancement Program converts certified practitioners into the next teaching tier, and an online practitioner directory feeds client demand back to credentialed members.

The customer base spans licensed massage therapists and bodyworkers (primary), physical therapists (via PROCERT 21 CCUs), registered nurses and nurse practitioners (via AHNA approval), and general consumers seeking wellness sessions. Distribution relies on a Naylor-powered membership portal for course registration and product sales, partner venues for residential programming, and a multi-channel marketing mix (Interface monthly newsletter, blog, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo On Demand, podcast appearances). The organization has no parent company, no equity funding, and operates as an independent nonprofit with affiliated research arm Zero Balancing Touch Foundation (ZBTF).

Name

Zero Balancing Health Association

Legal name

Zero Balancing Health Association

Website

https://zerobalancing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zero Balancing Health Association is a U.S.-based nonprofit membership and training organization that certifies practitioners in Zero Balancing, a proprietary body-mind therapy using 'fulcrum' touch to release deep tension at the structure-energy interface. It serves licensed bodyworkers, physical therapists, and nurses across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for Active Members ($150/year), providing access to member resources, directory listing, and member benefits.
2. Course Registration Fees: Revenue from training courses including ZB I, ZB II, Freely Moveable Joints, and advanced courses. Standard pricing $795, with early bird and repeat discounts available.
3. Product Sales: Sale of Zero Balancing books (including 'Life in the Bones' biography), DVDs, and specialty narrow tables through the ZBHA Store.
4. Virtual Session Fees: Monthly First Sunday Virtual ZB sessions offered at tiered pricing ($10, $25, or free) to expand access to remote clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Zero Balancing Health Association is a membership and training organization that delivers standardized Zero Balancing bodywork courses (foundational ZB I and ZB II, plus advanced specializations), certification pathways, and continuing education to bodywork practitioners. It supports the practitioner community through a mentor advancement program, annual community events, a public-facing practitioner directory, and sales of related books, DVDs, and specialty massage tables.

Product overview

Zero Balancing Health Association (ZBHA) is a membership and training organization serving the Zero Balancing community of North America. The organization offers a structured curriculum of Zero Balancing courses including foundational courses (Zero Balancing I and II), advanced courses (Freely Movable Joints, Alchemy of Touch, Form & Fulcrums, Geometry of Healing), and specialty programs. ZBHA provides certification pathways, a Mentor Advancement Program (MAP) for continuing education, and hosts annual events including the Zero Balancing Community Benefit and ZB by the Sea residential retreat. The organization publishes the monthly Interface newsletter, offers a practitioner directory for member discovery, and provides educational materials including videos and publications. Membership options include Active Member, Retired Member, Non-Member (students), and Certification Candidate categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zero Balancing I The foundational course of the Core Zero Balancing curriculum that introduces the technique, theory, touch skills, and history of Zero Balancing bodywork. Students learn basic treatment protocols, theory and principles of ZB, how to distinguish body energy and body structure through touch, and how to perform whole-body sessions. Offered at $795 standard with repeat and early bird pricing; 25 CEUs available.
• Zero Balancing II The second half of the Core Zero Balancing program that refines fulcrum skills from ZB I while teaching new fulcrums to complete the Zero Balancing Core Protocol. Expands understanding of how and why Zero Balancing is effective. Prerequisite: ZB I. Standard $795 with early bird, super saver, and repeat pricing.
• Freely Movable Joints An advanced-level Zero Balancing course expanding focus from foundation and semi-foundation joints to freely moveable joints of the body. Teaches evaluation and balancing skills for joints including shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, knees, ankles, and temporomandibular joint. Standard $795; prerequisite ZB II; 25 CEUs available.
• Alchemy of Touch A foundational class expanding on Core Zero Balancing principles and delving into working with amplified fields of vibration within the body. Teaches how to create fulcrums that work with amplified fields and provides direct experience of healing states.
• Form & Fulcrums II Course developed and taught by Michael Oruch that accesses and works with rhythm in relationship to Zero Balancing. Covers moving fulcrums, finding client rhythm, and addressing held tensions through movement. Standard $375, early bird and super saver tiers available; prerequisites ZB I and ZB II.
• Mentor Advancement Program (MAP) A 9-month program of enrichment, learning and personal growth for Certified Zero Balancers wanting to deepen their ZB skills. Covers one-on-one coaching, touch feedback, advanced framing, peer mentoring, and practice building, producing Certified Mentors.
• First Sunday Virtual ZB Monthly virtual Zero Balancing session hosted by Michael Oruch, offering remote ZB sessions, pyramid meditation, and guided ZB sessions for participants. Features pay-what-you-can pricing at $10, $25, or free scholarship.
• Zero Balancing Community Benefit Annual in-person community gathering featuring presentations by multiple ZB teachers, experiential sessions, pyramid meditation, and opportunities for skill development and networking among Zero Balancing practitioners. 2026 residential 3-day retreat at $450 shared or $550 single room including lodging, meals, and programming.
• ZB by the Sea Annual residential ZB program in Mexico offering a multidimensional experience of deepening understanding of Zero Balancing while creating a container for personal growth, rejuvenation, and change. Includes rituals, sweat lodge, and community activities at Mar de Jade.
• ZB Custom Tables (Oakworks) Narrow width massage tables specifically designed for Zero Balancing, including the portable Manipulation Table (27 inches, aluminum frame, 25 lbs, $593) and Aurora model (24 inches, wood frame, 23 lbs, $490).
• Life in the Bones (Biography) Hardbound biography ($42.95) of Dr. Fritz Frederick Smith, founder of Zero Balancing, written by David Lauterstein, documenting the life story and development of Zero Balancing body-mind therapy.
• Vimeo On Demand Videos Educational videos about Zero Balancing available for rent or download on Vimeo On Demand, allowing practitioners to brush up on ZB skills on demand.
• Practitioner Directory Online directory allowing users to search for certified Zero Balancing practitioners, Certified Mentors, and faculty members by location, category, and other criteria.
• ZBHA Webinar Introductory ZB webinar entitled 'Put Energy into Your Practice with Zero Balancing' offered by Jim McCormick in conjunction with The Benjamin Institute. Provides 1 CE hour for $19.
• Omega Institute Residential ZB I Residential Zero Balancing I course held at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. Includes tuition ($695), all meals, and access to amenities; awards 25 CEUs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Healthcare professionals earn CEUs: 25 CEUs per core course, 21 CCUs for PTs, approved CEUs for RNs/NPs through AHNA
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable, minor and core.

• Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2020IONS 16th International Conference sponsored by Zero Balancing Touch Foundation (ZBTF). Five ZB faculty members (Mary Murphy, Judith Sullivan, David Laden, Tom Gentile, Michele Doucette) provided 130 sessions over 3 days, touching 20% of conference attendees. Goal was to introduce consciousness-based science community to ZB.
• The Benjamin InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerZB Faculty member Jim McCormick partners with The Benjamin Institute to offer introductory ZB webinar 'Put Energy into Your Practice with Zero Balancing' for $19, providing 1 CE hour.
• OakworksminorOthersOakworks creates custom narrow tables specifically designed for Zero Balancing. Two models available: Portable Manipulation Table (aluminum, 27', 25lbs, $593) and Aurora (wood, 24', 23lbs, $490).
• Naylor Association Management SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationZBHA uses Naylor AMS software for membership management, event registration, store, and member portal functionality on zerobalancing.com.
• Zero Balancing Touch Foundation (ZBTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZBTF is the research and grant-making arm of the ZB community. Sponsored initial data collection study on Zero Balancing at Lauterstein-Conway School, working with researchers Stuart Reynolds and James Strickland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Upledger Institute International: Operates a membership and training organization for CranioSacral Therapy, an adjacent manual body-mind modality with its own curriculum, certification pathway, and CEU-eligible courses. Upledger is the closest functional analog: association-run training, multi-tier curriculum, and practitioner-directory distribution model.
• International Alliance of Healthcare Educators (IAHE): Umbrella body curating and marketing multiple manual-therapy training programs (craniosacral, lymphatic, myofascial) with a shared practitioner network. Analogous model—curates proprietary technique training for practitioners via member schools.
• National Holistic Institute (NHI): Accredited massage therapy school network offering holistic bodywork curricula, CEUs, and career pathways. Comparable as a bodywork training provider serving entry-level and continuing students.
• Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP): Large membership association serving licensed massage therapists and bodyworkers with insurance, CEUs, publications, and practitioner directory. Comparable as a bodywork-focused membership association that monetizes via dues, CEU content, and member services.
• Rolf Institute of Structural Integration: Membership/training organization for another proprietary structural manual therapy (Rolfing) with a defined curriculum, faculty-trained instructors, and continuing-education offerings. Directly comparable on proprietary-methodology, certification, and CEU positioning.
• International Association of Structural Integrators (IASI): Membership association for structural integration practitioners with directory, certification standards, and continuing education. Comparable as a small professional society governing a niche structural bodywork modality.
• Barnes International College of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy: Provides structured manual-therapy training and certification across multiple myofascial trigger-point modalities. Comparable as a specialty technique training organization targeting massage therapists, PTs, and chiropractors.

Regional players

• Healing Hands Institute: Massage and holistic health training school serving the U.S. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic with multi-modality curricula. Comparable as a regional bodywork training provider with residential workshops.

Broad incumbents

• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA): Largest U.S. massage therapy professional association with broad CEU library, publications, and conference. Adjacent incumbent—an order of magnitude larger but serves a similar bodywork-practitioner audience with overlapping CEU and directory offerings.

Others

• National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB): Certifying body that issues the standard massage and bodywork credential used for state licensure and CEU approval. Not a competitor—rather the broader governance layer that legitimizes ZBHA's continuing-education approvals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZBNorthAmerica
• Instagraminstagram.com/zbnorthamerica
• Xx.com/ZeroBalancing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zero-balancing-health-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zero Balancing Health Association