ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars

What ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars does

ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars (legally ATU Educational Services, dba ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars and Aquatic Therapy University) is a privately held continuing education provider founded in 2009 by Andrea Salzman, MS, PT, headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The company trains licensed rehabilitation clinicians — physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, speech-language pathologists, and recreational therapists — in evidence-based aquatic therapy techniques through a portfolio of live seminars, distance-learning webinars, custom onsite facility trainings, and an 84-hour Aquaticist Certificate of Advanced Recognition credential. Curricula are anchored in established clinical methodologies (Halliwick, Bad Ragaz, Ai Chi, Watsu) alongside proprietary frameworks including the 16 Treatment Station Concept for sensory/motor integration and the in-development FAST Skills Framework for water safety. CEUs are preapproved across 36+ state PT, OT, and SLP boards following early preapproval through the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy in 2012.

The business model spans five revenue streams: per-seat live seminars (~$645 for a 2-day geriatric course), individual on-demand webinars and online courses ($45-$195), custom onsite facility training ($7,400-$9,400 flat rate for 2-day staff training), the multi-course Aquaticist credentialing program, and ancillary consulting (pool design at $250/hr, extreme makeover site visits at $1,800-$2,800). Distribution is direct via the company-owned e-commerce storefront (atuseminars.com), partner-hosted live venues across 30+ US states and 9 countries (Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Canada, Netherlands, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica), and joint webinars with channel partners such as Swim Angelfish. The company operates as a lean founder-led organization (11-50 employees, 14 named instructors), has trained thousands of therapists cumulatively since 2009, and leverages founder-owned assets including the Aquatic Resources Network database (19,000 aquatic professionals) and the Aquatic Health Research Database (8,000+ abstracts) as content infrastructure.

Name

ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars

Legal name

ATU Educational Services

Website

https://atuseminars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars is a Tennessee-based continuing education provider, founded in 2009, that trains physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists in evidence-based aquatic therapy through live seminars, online courses, custom facility trainings, and an 84-hour credentialing certificate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Education and Professional Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Physical Therapy & Hydrotherapy (HSADAIAL)

Keywords

• Aquatic therapy education
• Continuing education courses
• Rehabilitation training
• Physical therapy CEUs
• Occupational therapy seminars

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Ridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Live Seminars: In-person continuing education seminars offered across USA and internationally. Courses range from 1-5 days, providing CEUs for PT, OT, and SLP professionals. Pricing varies by course type and location.
2. Distance Learning / Webinars: On-demand recorded webinars and distance learning modules sold individually through the website shop. Webinars range from 1-3 hours with pricing from $45-$115 depending on duration and materials included.
3. Custom Facility Training: Onsite training delivered at healthcare facilities for entire staff teams. Flat-rate pricing based on attendee count ($7400-$9400 for 2-day custom trainings). Includes all travel, honorarium, CEUs, and course manuals.
4. Aquaticist Credentialing: Certificate program requiring minimum 84 contact hours of aquatic therapy continuing education. Credential provides advanced recognition and wallet-friendly alternative to other aquatic therapy certificates.
5. Course Enrollment (Digital): Individual online courses sold through website catalog. Examples: Water Based Interventions at $90, Aquatic Therapy Bootcamp at $195, Aquatic Therapy Essentials at $99. Digital delivery with certificate upon completion.
6. Consulting Services: Aquatic business consulting including design/build consulting at $250/hr, extreme makeover site visits at $2800 (1-day) or $1800 (1/2-day), and comprehensive action reports for practice turnaround.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars delivers continuing education for rehabilitation professionals (PTs, PTAs, OTs, COTAs, SLPs, recreational therapists) through live 1-5 day seminars, on-demand distance learning webinars, custom onsite facility trainings, and an 84-hour Aquaticist Certificate credentialing program. The curriculum covers evidence-based aquatic therapy techniques including Halliwick, Bad Ragaz, Ai Chi, and proprietary sensory and motor integration frameworks.

Product overview

ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars is a continuing education provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of aquatic therapy training programs. The company operates both a course catalog system (atuseminars.com) and a dedicated learning platform (aquatictherapyuniversity.com). Core offerings include live 2-day seminars (Boot Camp, Sensory Integration, Ortho/Neuro, Geriatric, Pediatric tracks), bundled intensives (2-day and 5-day programs), online distance learning/webinars, custom onsite facility training, and the Aquaticist Credentialing Program requiring 84 contact hours across specialty tracks. The company has trained therapists in 30+ states and 9 countries since 2009.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquatic Therapy Boot Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• 84 contact hours required for Aquaticist Certificate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Swim AngelfishminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Joint webinar collaboration with Swim Angelfish co-founder Ailene Tisser, PT. Webinar covers 7 common roadblocks in pediatric aquatic therapy and strategies to overcome them. Swim Angelfish promotes to their audience while ATU provides content and CEU credits. Live webinar on March 19, 2026.
• North Star Aquatic TherapycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Star Aquatic Therapy, founded and run by Kiki Dickinson, MPT, is a key training venue and course development partner. Kiki is one of ATU's longest-standing instructors and has helped develop course manuals for several pediatric courses. Hosts multiple ATU courses in Hudson, WI.
• Aquatic Resources Network (ARN)coreOthersFounded by Andrea Salzman, ARN is the largest multidisciplinary clearinghouse of information on aquatic therapy with 19,000 aquatic professionals in its database. Provides research support and content foundation for ATU courses.
• International Aquatic Therapy Faculty (IATF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Urs Gamper and Johan Lambeck in 2007. IATF is a charity committed to therapy in water and initiates and develops aquatic therapy worldwide. Andrea Salzman and ATU maintain connections through blog posts and industry contributions. ATU blog features IATF tributes and industry news.
• Spectrum AquaticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for 'The Coaches Build & Program A Pool Workshop'. Spectrum Aquatics supports pool design and programming education content promoted through ATU blog.
• Total Aquatic LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for 'The Coaches Build & Program A Pool Workshop' promoted through ATU blog. Co-developer of pool design and programming workshop content.
• Debbie Torrellas, LMTcoreOthersATU instructor who runs the Caribbean ATU campus from Puerto Rico. Leads the ATU Spanish Speaking Special Interest Group (16 members). Provides Spanish-language aquatic therapy training.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Institute of Physical Art: Specialty PT education organization offering manual therapy certification courses via live seminars and distance learning. Comparable as a specialty PT CE provider combining live seminars, distance learning, and tiered credentialing similar to ATU's structure.
• North Star Aquatic Therapy: Founded and run by ATU instructor Kiki Dickinson, MPT. Operates as both a course co-developer and a venue host for ATU seminars in Hudson, WI; directly comparable as a pediatric aquatic therapy training provider serving the same clinician base.
• Great Lakes Seminars: Long-running provider of live, in-person continuing education seminars for physical therapists and occupational therapists. Comparable because it offers multi-day, hands-on CE seminars to the same therapist buyer with similar pricing and event-driven delivery.
• Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute: Specialty PT continuing education provider focused on pelvic floor rehabilitation with live seminars and online courses. Comparable as a niche PT CE specialist with similar event-driven plus online product mix and specialty credentialing program.
• Evidence in Motion: PT education and residency provider offering online CE, certifications, and live courses to PTs and OTs. Comparable because it combines accredited CE, specialty credentialing, and live training for the same clinician segments, with a heavier online emphasis.
• Swim Angelfish: Pediatric aquatic therapy and swim instruction provider co-founded by Ailene Tisser, PT; partnered with ATU on joint webinars. Comparable because it targets pediatric aquatic clinicians with education and certification content overlapping ATU's pediatric specialty track.
• MedBridge Education: Large online continuing education platform for PTs, OTs, and SLPs with an annual subscription model. Comparable because it sells accredited CE courses to the same clinician segments ATU targets, with a broader catalog and stronger enterprise sales motion.
• Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute (ATRI): Professional association offering aquatic therapy certification and continuing education to PTs, OTs, and ATs. Comparable as a dedicated aquatic therapy credentialing and CE body competing for the same therapist audience with similar certification tracks.

Broad incumbents

• PESI: Large, established continuing education company serving mental health, healthcare, and rehabilitation professionals across multiple disciplines with live seminars, online courses, and conferences. Comparable as a major competitor for therapist CE dollars, though PESI operates across many specialties rather than focusing on aquatic therapy.
• Colibri Healthcare (Elite Learning): Large accredited CE provider for nurses, PTs, OTs, and other healthcare professionals with broad course libraries and subscription access. Comparable as a healthcare CE incumbent selling accredited continuing education to overlapping customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/atuniversity
• Xx.com/atuniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquatic-therapy-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ATU Aquatic Therapy Seminars