The primary purpose of this study is to share what has been found to work well in professional practice based on a series of exploratory scholarly studies as well as information gathered informally from students and through specialized aquatic workshops, conferences and seminars. Research has shown that there is an existing population of at-risk swimmers, and, therefore, it is inevitable that many aquatic professionals will encounter individuals in need of a specialized approach to learning. The concept of systematic desensitization holds great promise and, when refined, can be introduced to educators to augment existing swimming instruction and eventually contribute to the extinction of preventable drowning.