Archive for the 'massage licensing' Category

Continuing Education for Massage Therapists – Why It Is Important

Published
by
Terry
on March 24, 2009
in continuing education, massage certification, massage licensing and massage school
. 1 Comment

By Gary Eaton LMT

One of the first things you learn when you become a licensed massage therapist is that your training never ends.  Or at least it probably won’t end for many years to come.

The reality is that there is so much to learn about our bodies and how massage can positively impact them, and there are so many techniques and different modalities out there, but there just isn’t enough time for anyone to learn it all.

Once I was done with massage school and started working in the profession I realized that, although I received a good education, I didn’t know nearly as much as I would have liked.  I am the type of person that loves to learn, and massage is a profession that I can never know it all.  This continual, lifelong learning was very appealing to me, and was one of the many reasons I chose massage therapy as a career.

For many people, hearing that you are required to get a certain amount of continuing education after getting your license is a negative.  But the reality is that continuing education is not only great for learning new techniques that will help your clients, but it also provides a great way to connect with other therapists as well as energize your practice.

The amount of continuing education required for licensed massage therapists varies by state.  In Oregon, where I practice, it is 25 hours every two years.  In reality, this isn’t very many hours.  And although some continuing education classes can be expensive, if you pick the right ones they will more than pay for themselves.

For many massage therapists, continuing education classes is where they really learn their craft.  After massage school, many therapists are unsure what type of massage they want to practice.  After a year or two in practice they have a better feel for what type of career they want, and it is at this point that they are able to take continuing education classes in a specific modality.

When it comes to choosing a class, a lot will depend on what you can afford and where your interests lay.  If you aren’t near a major city it can be more difficult to find classes.  However, most massage schools offer classes.

If you want to learn a specific technique, like cranio-sacral therapy, lymphatic drainage techniques, or even shiatsu or thai massage, there are classes held all year round all across the country.

The great thing about these continuing education classes is it allows you to grow as a practitioner.  You can take your knowledge and experience, and then add in some new techniques.  You will learn how better to serve your clients and this will result in happier customers, more referrals and a more financially successful practice.

Gary Eaton is a licensed massage therapist and writer living and working in Portland, Oregon. He manages a thriving therapeutic massage practice and is a featured writer for Massage Schools Guide.

New State Law To Improve California’s Massage Therapy Industry

Published
by
Gary
on February 22, 2009
in massage certification and massage licensing
. 0 Comments

By Gary Eaton

One of the biggest struggles for the massage industry is legitimization.  Many people still see massage therapists in the same light as massage parlors and their illicit activities.  National massage organizations such as the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professions, Inc. to name a couple, have spent years bringing respect to the massage profession.

Most states require some form of certification or licensing in order to practice.  This has been brought about by the AMTA and other organizations in order to separate professional bodyworkers from prostitution rings that present themselves as massage clinics.

Currently there are 42 states that have state-wide regulations.  California wasn’t one of them.  Until a new law went into effect on January 1, individual cities regulated California massage therapists.  This meant that in some cities there were no requirements at all.

If you are a prospective massage therapist looking to go to massage school in California or are interested in practicing massage in the state, this is good news.  It is important for professional massage therapists to separate themselves from the more dubious “massage parlor” image.

As more and more states choose to regulate massage therapists, the massage industry will become a more legitimate industry and be accepted as not just a way to relax the body, but as an alternative treatment for injuries, pathologies and disease.

As a massage therapist that practices in the medical industry, it is important to me that people understand the difference between massage of the past (i.e. massage parlors) and the skills and abilities of todays massage therapists.  When states regulate massage they require a certain amount of training (usually a certain number of class-hours from a certified massage school), and they usually require therapists to at least pass a national exam.

These regulations bring conformity to the industry, help to insure safety for the general public, and help bring massage into the 21st century as a legitimate medical treatment option.

California has been hit-and-miss as regulations varied greatly from city to city.  This new state law will bring a positive change to the California massage therapy industry and make it easier for therapists to know what will be required to practice in the state.

Although California’s law is a great first step, it has minimal requirements.  Hopefully in the future they will put more teeth into the law to ensure better trained and more professional requirements for therapists.  These requirements will help move massage into a better light and provide more safety to residents looking to massage as an option for treatment.

A more critical reason for legitimizing massage is acceptance by the medical community.  Massage is slowly creeping into acceptance by many medical professionals.  But in order for massage to reach acceptance nation-wide, it will be important for more standardized training and requirements.  This is coming, but it has been a slow road and probably won’t come about for a few years.

If you are attending massage school and preparing to become a massage therapist, make sure you check out the state (or states) you are interested in practicing in order to understand their requirements.  Some states have much higher standards then others and it is important to find a massage school that will meet those requirements.

If you are looking to become a massage therapist in California, it just got easier to practice statewide thanks to this new law.

Gary Eaton is a licensed massage therapist and writer living and working in Portland, Oregon. He manages a thriving therapeutic massage practice and is a featured writer for Massage Schools Guide.