Archive for the 'massage certification' Category

Massage School Test Anxiety

Published
by
Tiffany
on April 25, 2010
in massage certification
. 0 Comments

by Tiffany Cox, LMT

Frazzled nerves, knotted stomach, sweaty hands, frantic mind are all symptoms of:

a) stage fright
b) food poisoning
c) test anxiety
d) all of the above

If you chose c), test anxiety, then I can help you! (If you chose  b) you should probably see a doctor!)

We all know tests can cause levels of anxiety ranging from a restless sleep the night before an exam to a complete and utter breakdown of all rational thought and functioning. I’m here to let you know you don’t have to be part of the latter category if you learn one simple tactic.

Imagine strolling into the State or National Board Exam Room, prepared, calm, alert, and even smiling!

Are you thinking, “No Way!”?

Well, I say, “Yes Way!” And I can tell you how to do it.

If you’ve been following my blog, you might not be surprised when I tell you it’s all about (are you ready for it?)…..intuition.

“Huh?” you ask. “Then why the heck did I just go to school for a year and pay them $8,000 to teach me what I already know??”

Don’t worry, all those skills, facts, and study tools provided in massage school are exactly what you need to feel comfortable enough to trust your gut in the first place.

The State and National Boards for Massage Therapy Licensure are similar to the medical boards for physical and occupational therapists, nurses, and even doctors. Most of the exams are entirely multiple choice, but within those choices is the gauge by which your professional value will be determined.

“Multiple choice tests are so easy!” you scoff. “No sweat.”

I partially agree with that statement, with one exception ~ the multiple choice in these tests are all correct answers, and you have to choose the best one.

Doesn’t sound so easy anymore, does it?

I know you’re probably thinking I’m doing a lousy job of alleviating your distress, but just hang on because I’m getting there.

Knowing there is no wrong answer will be the key to your success, and your nerves, stomach & sweaty hands will fall in line when they realize things are under control.

The motivation for this testing technique is that it is the most effective measure of a person’s true capabilities, because it instigates the most accurate engineered real-life responses. You make these kinds of choices every single day without a thought.

For example, you brought some leftover vegetable lasagna, some mixed nuts, and a raspberry yogurt for lunch but you only have time to eat two items and you have to remain alert and fueled for another four hours. That’s easy ~ you eat the nuts and yogurt for the protein and sugar. Even packing the lunch, you had to make choices in your best interest.

If we sat down to think about how many times a day we employ this technique of “testing ourselves” our brains would ctrl+alt+delete. This method of deduction is our default mode; it’s survival of the fittest, even at our most elemental levels.

Learning to allow that predisposition to permeate all the way to what we perceive to be our most calculated functions, such as test-taking, will eliminate the anxiety performance pressures cause.

For those of you doing somersaults thinking you’re off the hook for studying, I hate to burst your happy-bubble, but you still have to do that part, too.

It all comes down to being able to integrate and balance that mastery with your inner awareness, allowing them to function symbiotically while becoming adept at utilizing that discerning potential.

Once you become a proficient interpreter in this system of deduction, it will integrate itself into your thoughts and actions as an expression of your second-nature. Your awareness of these mental selections will diminish with repetition, replacing it with a self-confidence to rival any of your other mental faculties.

It will transform into a peaceful reassurance within your core, and give you the security and confidence to trust that you will operate to the best of your abilities in whatever you do.

And enacting that revelation will be the true test of your success.

New York Offers Massage Therapists “Licensure by Endorsement”

Published
by
Terry
on March 17, 2010
in massage certification and massage licensing
. 1 Comment

New York has this concept – licensure by endorsement – which applies to massage therapists wishing to practice in New York but hold licenses from another state or jurisdiction. There are requirements for this licensure by endorsement and if you have plans to move to this state, you may want to check out the eligibility criteria.

The Office of the Professions of the New York Department of Education says that to apply for licensure by endorsement, you must:

1.  Have at least two years’ of MT practice in another state
2.  Be at least 21 years old
3.  Submit the completed application for New York state massage license and pay the application fee
4.  Be a high school graduate
5.  Be a green card holder or US citizen
6.  Be of good moral character (as determined by the Department of Education)
7.  Not have taken (or failed) the New York State Massage Therapy examination
8.  Be of good standing as a licensee in the current state of practice
9.  Have completed the CPR exam within three years prior to application for licensure

Unfortunately, there are more requirements to the nine mentioned above, but don’t be discouraged, especially if you already hold a license from another state.  Here are the other requirements:  you must show proof of the 1,000 hour education requirement for New York state and also show proof that you have two years’ professional experience in MT after having obtained your original license.  This experience must include western and/or eastern MT techniques.  One final requirement:  you must have passed a written exam in the state, county or country where you first practiced and that exam must be considered acceptable by the Department of Education.  One exam that it will accept for purposes of determination is the NCETMB.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to these requirements.  It would be worth your while to find out as much as you can about applying for licensure by endorsement.  Critical factors are your number of years’ experience, clock hours you have to your credit, and the exam you took in the state or county where you originally practiced.  We strongly recommend that you contact the Department of Education of New York:

by email:  msthbd@mail.nysed.gov
by phone:  518-474-3817 ext. 150
by fax:  518-486-4846
by mail:  New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
New York State Board for Massage Therapy
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234-1000

The keyword here is “alternatives.”  If you don’t meet the first nine requirements above, the Department of Education mentions other ways you can apply for licensure by endorsement.  Look into it!

Massage Licensing Trends: Confusing or What?

Published
by
Terry
on February 22, 2010
in certification, licensing, massage certification and massage licensing
. 0 Comments

Karen Menehen wrote an excellent chronology on the ever-changing licensing regulations for massage therapists from the period 2005 to the present.  Her article appeared on Massage Magazine’s Trends and Opportunities – 2009.  Because of state versus national requirements, the whole licensing issue can confuse new graduates of massage therapy who are planning to obtain licenses immediately.  Given these recent changes, would it be better to wait until the law is actually enforced and implemented and then see how things unfold, or should massage school graduates just go ahead and obtain whatever licenses and permits are presently required by the state they intend to practice in?

In our last two blogs, the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) was celebrating the passage of Senate Bill 731 but were still trying to figure out what schools would qualify and how much to charge for the licence fee.  Note that SB-731 was approved in 2008, but went into effect only in September this year, so this is one example where patience and waiting it out would be the smarter decision.  The only catch to waiting is that if massage therapy graduates are itching to set up their own business, potential income is lost if they don’t obtain that license right away.

In Karen Menehen’s article/chronology, she mentions that in May last year, the state of Florida voted that all new massage therapists must pass the MBLEx for state licensing purposes and that they should drop the NCETMB.  Most massage therapists are probably more familiar with NCETMB because this was one exam that up until April 2005 was used by most states  (in addition to their state-administered exam).  NCETMB stands for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

In May 2005, however, representatives from seven states and from the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)  met and decided that the aim should be to introduce a unified licensing body for the sake of uniformity.  From that meeting, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) was born.  Two years later, the FSMTB announced the MBLEx requirement.  Oregon and Arkansas Boards of Massage Therapy decided to use only the MBLEx, dropping NCETMB as a requirement; the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy voted that it would also use the MBLEx but as an alternative to the NCETMB but did not drop NCETMB altogether.

In May 2008, Florida voted to adopt the MBLEx and consequently dropped the NCETMB requirement.  This was challenged by officials who were behind the NCETMB and they went as far as asking Pennsylvania to vote no to the MBLEx but their efforts failed.  North Carolina hopped into MBLEx bandwagon as well.

Early this year – January to be exact – the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) said it would use the MBLEx over any other state licensing exam.  Also at about this time, a compromise was reached between the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Board of Massage Therapy and the NCBTMB:  both the MBLEx and the NCETMB would be used for state licensing.  This has not stopped the NCETMB however from doing all possible grunt work to maintain the NCETMB requirement for state licensing.  According to Kathy Menehen, so far 29 states have joined the FSMTB (the creator of the MBLEx), and 18 of them have adopted the MBLEx along with the NCETMB; two states have opted for the MBLEx exclusively. As for the other states and the District of Columbia, she said they offer either a license, certificate or registration to professionals in massage and bodywork disciplines.

Graduating from Massage School in California? New Legislation (Part 2)

Published
by
Terry
on February 21, 2010
in certification, licensing, massage certification and massage licensing
. 1 Comment

When we concluded part 1 of our blog on this same topic, we said it might be worthwhile to watch out for further developments as Senate Bill 731 (SB-731) unfolds.  It confers the right to a private, non-profit association like the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) to issue certificates for massage therapists.  In SB-731, CAMTC is referred to as the Massage Therapy Organization or MTO.

So what’s the difference between a state-issued certificate and a CAMTC-issued certificate?  The answer given by CAMTC is that under state certification, a body or agency which is part of the California government will issue certificates; under the new SB-731, a non-governmental and non-profit organization like CAMTC issues certificates, and those certificates will be deemed valid by the government of California.

Other highlights of SB-731:

1.  The fee for obtaining this CAMTC certificate has not yet been determined.

2.  The CAMTC certificate, once obtained, will have to be renewed every two years.

3.  Individuals or organizations who serve on the CAMTC are:  two representatives from any association that has at least 1,000 California members for the last three years.  So far, only the  American Massage Therapy Association, California Chapter, (AMTA-CA) and the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP) meet the criteria; they have already appointed their representatives.  The CAMTC is also thinking of adding representatives from “the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Community College Chancellor’s office and any incorporated association of private postsecondary schools that collectively have graduated at least 1,000 massage students in each of the last 3 years. Currently, there are representatives of the CA Association of Private-postsecondary Schools (CAPPS), the Career College Association (CCA), and the CA Massage School Association (CAMSA).”

4.  On whether it is necessary to obtain the National Certification Exam to be eligible for CAMTC certification, no decision has been made as to what tests are required for eligibility although the aim of SB-731 and the CAMTC is to be as “inclusive as possible”.  No tests are required for the practitioner category.

5.    The CAMTC will issue certificates for two groups:  massage practitioner (minimum of 250 hours training/education at an approved school required) and massage therapist (minimum of 500 hours of training/education at an approved school required).  There are, of course, other requirements one of which is fingerprinting.  When asked why fingerprinting is required, the CAMTC said that SB-731 would not have been approved if this wasn’t stipulated as a requirement.  The argument is that other professions, like teaching, require applicants to be fingerprinted.  The good news?  It is done only once.

An interesting issue:  what California massage schools will the CAMTC approve for certification purposes?  The government body that approves schools no longer exists because of the sunset clause.  So as far as we’re aware, there are no approved schools yet.  This is just one of many issues that the CAMTC is working on.

For those of you who want to read SB-731 in its entirety (approved in September 2008 by the Governor of California and went into effect September 2009), go to:  http://www.camtc.org/Docs/SB731.pdf.

Graduating from Massage School in California? New Legislation (Part 1)

Published
by
Terry
on February 20, 2010
in certification, licensing, massage business, massage certification and massage licensing
. 2 Comments

Calling all massage therapists and would-be massage therapists in California!  Have you heard of SB-731?  It’s a new law that created the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) and has everything to do with massage licensing and certification matters.  Its principal mission is to issue certification on a state-wide, voluntary basis.

We’ll provide the highlights of SB-731 in this blog and in the next blog (part 2):

1.  It is not mandatory to apply for a certification from the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) if you already hold a license as a massage therapist in California. But if you think you’ll be a long-term California resident, you may want to consider applying for one.  The way it works is that the local license that graduates apply for allows them to work only in the county they live in.  So if they moved to another county in California, they’d have to apply for a new license valid for that county.  The CAMTC wanted to eliminate this cumbersome process and pushed for legislation that would bestow a CAMTC-issued certificate upon graduates of California massage schools to practice anywhere in California.

2.  Application for a CAMTC-issued certificate is voluntary.  Based on the FAQ on their web site, they would start receiving applications in July-August this year, although certificates will not be issued before September 1, 2009.  When applicants will receive certificates is still not certain as CAMTC is holding a series of meetings and finalizing the process.  Remember that SB-731 is a new law.

3.   Certificate and city permit:  if you choose not to apply for a CAMTC certificate, you would be still subject to local ordinances.  Applying for one and getting approved means you need NOT apply for a local permit.  But you need to distinguish between a permit and a business license.  You won’t need a permit to practice if CAMTC-certified, but you would still need to comply with the county’s rules and regulations that apply to local businesses – that is, adhering to zoning, safety and health requirements and holding a valid license to operate your business.  Think of it as two separate entities:  you as a massage therapist and your business as a separate entity.  With a CAMTC-issued certificate, you won’t need to apply for a permit to practice as a massage therapist but your business would still be subject to local laws.  Of course this business license requirement does not apply if you work for an employer.

4.  The law also seeks to change the way titles are given.  Effective September 1, 2009, you won’t be able to call yourself – at least in the legal sense – a “Certified Massage Therapist” or “Certified Massage Practitioner.”  Only those who hold CAMTC certificates can legally hold these titles.  The CAMTC’s position on this matter is quite clear:  “Up to now, the term Certified Massage Therapist/Practitioner has actually had no legal meaning state-wide.  It might have meant that someone was issued a certificate by their school, or it might have meant that they were certified by their city or county.  Now the title will be recognized state-wide as referring to someone who has certified through the CAMTC.”

We’ll discuss more of the highlights of SB-731 and the ongoing efforts of CAMTC in our next blog post.  This development is worth watching as it may start a trend in other states as far as certification and licensing are concerned.  It could potentially lead to state governments transferring this authority to private, non-profit organizations like the CAMTC.

Don’t Drop Out of Massage School Because of Economic Crunch

Published
by
Terry
on February 3, 2010
in financial aid, massage certification, massage school and massage school locations
. 0 Comments

These are grim times.  We hear grim tales of layoffs and their economic and psychological consequences on individuals and families.  The only upside we can think of is that perhaps it is during times of stress and hardship that massage therapy is viewed as a promising savior for all ills, imagined or not.  Investors love to talk about gold as being inflation-proof and no doubt business schools are busy preaching what they know best.  Massage therapy on the other hand can be described as a physical and emotional reliever during recessionary, inflationary and depression-like conditions.

Students like you are one of the hardest hit when these conditions seem to persist and can put an end to your education goals.  Dropping out of massage school should be a last resort and must be avoided at all costs.  In a previous blog we talked about scholarships and grants and other financial assistance programs like student loans.  They may be more limited these days as the U.Ss government tries to dig itself out of the hole, but if there’s a will there’s a way, so the saying goes.  You also have the option of doing your degree on a part time basis.  In fact, switching from being a full time student to a part time student is a much better alternative than dropping out.

Being a graduate student in a massage therapy program puts you in good stead.  Some schools may offer what is called the Employment Gap Scholarship program.  It targets individuals who have lost their jobs and who are in a graduate massage therapy program.  It will pay up to $2,000.00 of your tuition fees, but amounts may vary from school to school.   We’re sure other schools offer this type of assistance but may call it another name.  If you’ve just been displaced from work, ask the school you’re enrolled in if they have anything similar.

Apollo College in Albuquerque, New Mexico is one massage school that offers it.  You must have lost your job in the last 12 months and you need to demonstrate serious financial aid.  You’ll have to fill in the FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  To qualify for it, you must maintain a GPA average of 3.0 and also submit proof of unemployment.  The application date for 2009 is now past (September 30, 2009), but be first in line for next year.

Apollo College has a massage therapy program in all its five locations:  Albuquerque, Boise (Idaho), Mesa, Phoenix and Tucson (Arizona) and Spokane (Washington).  Based on what we read, there are presently five employment gap scholarships per location.

Don’t drop out just yet.  Look into this!

California Massage School Offers Massage Training in Five Locations

Published
by
Terry
on December 2, 2009
in financial aid, massage certification, massage school and massage school locations
. 0 Comments

The problem in looking for a school that offers massage therapy courses is that if it’s a large school with a few campuses spread out in the region, not all of its campuses offer massage therapy as a program.  Or you learn that the campus which offers it is too far from where you live.  If you live in Santa Barbara, California, count yourself lucky.  We did some research and came upon the Santa Barbara Business College in California.  It has five locations and all five locations offer massage therapy classes!

The Santa Barbara Business (SBB) College is featured in our massage schools guide so we won’t repeat what has already been said, but you may be interested to know that it offers six programs, one of which is Wellness.  Massage Therapy and Fitness Training fall under the school’s Wellness Program.  SBB has five locations – Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Bakersfield, Palm Desert and Ventura.  Each of these campuses offers massage therapy training that prepares you for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work (NCTMB).  Each location is equipped with professional spa-like wellness studios.  The Palm Desert location recently constructed a building specifically for its Wellness Program.

One of the SBB’s articles online is “you do the studying, SBB will work with Uncle Sam to help pay your tuition.”  This is a plus feature because student applicants often worry about their financial capability to fund the entire course.  At SBB, this is directly addressed.  It says that in the state of California, the post-9/11 GI Bill will provide $250.00 for every credit hour you sign up for.  Not only that, the Bill provides more than $2,000 in tuition fees for each school term.  SBB also says that this entitlement can be transferred to your spouse and dependents.

And then there’s the Yellow Ribbon Program which SBB participates in.  This program will cover what can’t be covered in the 9/11 GI Bill.  The Yellow Ribbon Program – through the Department of Veterans Affairs – will pay up to 50% of what the Post 9/11 GI Bill does not cover.  Another piece of good news:  SBB may waive the other 50%, but certain conditions may apply.  This should serve as a strong incentive – or important criteria – for you when looking for a massage school in California.

When we visited their web site, the impression we got was “maybe it is possible to obtain a massage therapy education with little or no funds.”  At least, the SBB makes it clear that there are sufficiently generous arrangements to entice an aspiring massage therapist.  If you live in Santa Barbara and you want to get a massage therapy education, SBB is certainly worth looking into.

Massage Schools: What’s the Curriculum Like?

Published
by
Terry
on October 24, 2009
in continuing education, health issues, massage certification and massage school
. 0 Comments

If you browse the curricula or course programs of some massage schools, you will find that course offerings are identical.  One reason is that massage schools prepare graduates for  certification and accreditation, so certain courses are obligatory.  For example, a review of a handful of massage schools show that students need to complete credits in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, massage therapies and in other subjects.  Majority of massage schools also offer courses in business ethics, administration and client assessment methods.  If you  look at the electives, courses in aromatherapy and flower essences in some massage schools are available to students desiring to earn extra credits.  For purposes of certification and accreditation, students enrolling in massage schools will not be able to “skip” a course like physiology or anatomy because these fall under the required courses category.

Some massage schools make the effort to introduce new courses that are of interest to students looking to learn modalities off “the beaten path.”  If you’re looking for a massage school, it might be worth your while to really take the time to examine their curricula, and see if there might be a course or two that you can take as “add-ons.”  For example, the massage school in Lombard, Illinois – National University of Health Sciences – has a course called Palpation.  The school describes Palpation as the “study and application of the major superficial muscles and body landmarks.”  This is a hands-on course.  If you are one of those students who dream of opening their own massage therapy business, taking an extra course like Palpation might be a very useful tool for your practice.  This massage school in Lombard also offers a course called Massage Therapy for Special Populations and students learn how to apply what they learn in more specialized fields covering geriatric, cancer, pregnant women and infant populations.

The massage school in Manhattan, New York – The Swedish Institute - offers a course called Five Element Shiatsu.  This is a course that aims to integrate the study of Qi (energy) through the body.  A student enrolled in The Swedish Institute taking the Five Element Shiatsu course can expect to learn about another Eastern method called Tuina, and will be introduced to the approach of combining Eastern and Western modalities to further their professional development as massage therapists.

Massage Therapy is a dynamic field where new approaches and exciting concepts and methods are introduced, reason why your education never ends with your diploma.  Millions of massage therapists who love what they do make continuing education part of their routine.  As a student, you may want to take advantage of your time in school to be on the lookout for new and uncommon courses that fall outside the realm of standard curricula!

Location is a Factor When Choosing Massage School

Published
by
Terry
on July 9, 2009
in massage business, massage certification, massage licensing, massage school and massage school locations
. 0 Comments

By Courtney Skivka

So you want to be a massage therapist? Good for you! You are quite seriously on your way to an exciting and rewarding career. Now you just need to decide upon a massage school. When choosing a school, there a number of different factors that you will want to take into consideration. While counselors at your potential massage schools should be able to help you find the program that is best for you, it is important to take location into account.

As you may or may not know, the regulations for massage therapists are not the same throughout the country. States decide upon their own licensing standards. Some states even divide massage therapy licenses by cities within the state. Why is this relevant to you, a potential student of massage therapy? Because you need to have some sort of idea as to where you plan to practice massage therapy before you choose a specific school.

For many students, answering the question of location may be quite simple. They may intend to attend school and enter the workforce in the very same city. However for many students, especially those who live in suburban areas, many of the potential massage jobs may be across city, or even state borders. It is important to prepare yourself for this possibility by learning about the different massage regulations in your area. Most significantly, some states require more hours within a massage program than others, as well as variations in testing and certifications.

While these regulations are simply part of the massage therapy industry, it is best to familiarize yourself with the laws so that you can be prepared for life after school. If you are already attending school and find that you need more classroom hours or certifications, do not fear. There are plenty of continuing education options available for massage therapists to fulfill licensing regulations across the country.

Massage School Accreditation Explained

Published
by
Terry
on May 13, 2009
in continuing education, massage certification and massage school accreditation
. 0 Comments

When a prospective massage therapy student is investigating massage schools, invariably they will be advised to determine whether a school under consideration is accredited or not. One question I rarely hear in response to this advice is , “What difference does accreditation make?” It is not that the student doesn’t care to know but, more often than not, the assumption is that accreditation is mandatory if a massage school is to be considered.

Not necessarily.

We explore the accreditation process, the benefits of accreditation, the reasons why a massage school might not pursue accreditation (yes, there are valid reasons) and the considerations a student should make when making a determination about an accredited or non-accredited massage school in a new article about massage school accreditation on our website.

It may not change your mind about the necessity of accreditation but you will definitely be better informed.