Licensing and Massage Therapy, why it is important
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB
Everyone, I’m sure, has some knowledge what professional licensing means to a profession. If not, it means that said person has a minimum standard of understanding that everyone in the profession should have to be able to practice in their profession. Licensing typically means hours upon hours of study, both in school and out of school for said exams. Most licensing happens from state to state, which means that for every state that person wants to do their thing in, they need a license for each state. Things like the American Medical Association and American Dental Association are just that, associations that help bring the respective professionals together.
Most states in the US have licensing requirements for Massage Therapists. Kansas, Minnesota, Vermont and Wyoming right now are the only states not requiring any licensure (ABMP.com/practitioners/state-requirements). Each state has a requirement of minimum education (typically starting at 500 hours), and the taking of an exam called the MBLEx (mblex.com). They also need to upkeep continuing education hours every few years to maintain their license, including education in ethics. Most massage therapists are either Licensed Massage Therapists (LMT) or Registered Massage Therapists (RMT).
Practitioners can also become board certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork, initialled BCTMB (http://www.ncbtmb.org/). Although many therapists now take the MBLEx exams to become licensed in their respective states, the NCBTMB helped bring awareness to the need for standards among massage therapists, and brought in testing to show that a therapist had a certain standard of practice.
There are also several other types of bodywork certifications that I won’t get into here and now, but they are out there. It provides safeguards for both clients and therapists. Do some research. Find a therapist that works for you, because we are all different. Some of us may work better for you than others, and that is good to know. If you have questions of us, please ask. And, if there is something you don’t like, tell us. Communication is always essential, for you are the expert of your own body.
Why is it important to know that your therapist is licensed? Knowing that your therapist knows what they are doing, that they have gone to school and have shown competency is a good thing. Massage can also be used in human trafficking(1). All therapists should be able to produce their licensing certificates. You may also be able to check online with the states licensing board to check licensing.
- website: What is Human Trafficking: Myths and Misconceptions. https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/myths-and-misconceptions