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How
To Find A Qualified Massage Therapist
Author:
AMTA (The American Massage
Therapy Association)
It's essential that you trust the person
who will be touching
you. You should feel confident and comfortable with your massage
therapist.
The place to start is with credentials. Regarding state
regulation, 33 states and the District of Columbia now regulate
massage therapists. If you are in one of these states you will
want to find out if your prospective massage therapist is
licensed, though in some states it is referred to as state
certification or registration. Some local governments may also
have some form of regulation.
The primary national credential is the designation Nationally
Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, which is
designated by the initials NCTMB. Professional certification
differs from governmental regulation because it is private
(i.e., non-governmental) and not compulsory. The designation
NCTMB is awarded by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), which is a non-profit
corporation. The Board is elected by the people who are
nationally certified.
People earn the designation NCTMB by meeting certain
requirements, generally involving education and experience, to
take an exam. If they pass it, they become nationally certified
for 4 years.
They must then complete certain requirements to re-certify every
4 years. What is especially significant for the consumer is the
national certification program has been accredited by the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), located in
Washington, D.C. This means the national certification program
has been thoroughly evaluated by an outside agency according to
very rigorous standards. AMTA is proud to have been a primary
contributor to the creation of the national certification
program.
Another criteria is education. The minimum number of hours of
training AMTA recommends looking for is 500 hours, which is the
standard followed by most of the states regulating massage
therapists, though the required number of hours is increasing in
some places. AMTA recommends you look for a graduate of a
training program that has been accredited by the Commission on
Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) or an agency with
equivalent standards. Why? To become accredited by COMTA a
training program must offer a curriculum that meets certain
requirements, submit an extensive self-evaluation, undergo a
site visit inspection by a team of experts, and be evaluated by
an independent accreditation board. This means a training
program accredited by COMTA has qualified faculty to teach,
proper equipment and classrooms, required teaching subjects, and
other features needed to adequately train students in massage
therapy. In turn, you the consumer can have some assurance about
a massage therapist's training if your prospective massage
therapist graduated from an accredited training program.
Another factor to consider is whether a prospective massage
therapist belongs to a credible professional association, such
as AMTA. Of course, this being AMTA's Website, we're partial to
AMTA .... and for reasons that are also good for consumers and
the public. To belong to AMTA, a massage therapist must either
pass the national certification exam, graduate from a training
program accredited or approved by COMTA, or have a current AMTA
accepted state, provincial, or city license. AMTA has practice
standards that promote the highest standards in the profession.
AMTA members must also follow a strict Code of Ethics, to which
AMTA members are held accountable. Violations are subject to
grievance procedures. AMTA is a non-profit organization whose
leaders are democratically elected by its members, so its
dedication to high standards and advancing the profession
remains strong.
Next, you might want to ask about your prospective massage
therapist's approach to massage therapy. While some massage
therapists may only use one or two types of massage, most
massage therapists employ a variety of techniques in their
practice. What you want to find out is if what the massage
therapist offers is compatible with what you need. You can find
out more about the various types of massage by looking at the
glossary of definitions. The more specific your needs, the more
important the massage therapist's approach and specific skills
may be. You could also ask about how many years experience the
massage therapist has. By the way, some massage therapists with
many years experience may have started out in an era when there
weren't as many training programs around and many of the
profession's standards were not yet in place. You can, if you
wish, take their experience into account when considering their
credentials.
Finally, you may find just the "right" massage therapist for you
the first time you try. However, you may also need to try
several massage therapists to find the "right fit" for you,
because, besides credentials, there is also a personal element
to massage. Personality fit is important too, so is trust. You
should feel confident and comfortable with your massage
therapist. Communication is an important element in massage
therapy. Don't be afraid to discuss any apprehensions or
concerns.
We have a way to make finding a massage therapist a little
easier .... AMTA's Find A Massage Therapist® national locator
service! By using the this service, you can receive the names of
several qualified massage therapists near you. If you or someone
you know needs to find a massage therapist, AMTA's Find A
Massage Therapist® national locator service is available on this website
(the AMTA website) to assist you.
Questions to Ask When Looking for a Massage Therapist
- Are you currently licensed as a massage therapist in this
state? (If you are in one of the 33 states or the District of
Columbia which regulates massage therapy) - Are you a graduate
of a training program accredited or approved by the Commission
on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), OR - Are you certified
by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage &
Bodywork? - Where did you receive your massage therapy training?
How many hours of training did you complete? - Do you have
advanced training in any specific massage techniques? - Are you
a member of AMTA?
About the author:
The American Massage
Therapy Association is a resource center for massage therapists and
massagetherapy
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