CHANGE

 

 

 

Ten years ago.

I am working on textbook revisions.  The reason publishers have textbooks on revision schedules are to assure that content remains current.  My revision schedule for Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage and Essential Sciences for Therapeutic Massage is at minimum every 5 years. That means every 3 years I begin a revision cycle.   Truth is that I am always revising textbooks because Mosby’s Massage Therapy Review for licensing exam preparations and Sports and Exercise Massage plus other books are also on revision schedules.  I am always looking for what has changed and what is the same in the world of massage.

This commitment to textbook revisions places me in a unique situation.  I have to stay current with all developments that impact massage therapy education and practice and I have to be a visionary able to project into the next 5 years to assure that content remains viable between revision cycles.   I have been writing textbooks for a long time – since 1995.  Wow 20 years!  And I have been a massage therapy school owner and instructor since 1985. Wow 30 years! I have been a massage therapist since 1979. Wow 36 years!  Let me tell you,  a lot has changed!   And I have had to change too.  I am 61 and expect to be active in the massage world another 30 years.   I will have to continue to embrace change.  My next 30 years is devoted to developing the next generation of massage therapist, teachers and leaders. Over the years of professional practice I have a good track record for being accurate with future events and will share a few of major future events I expect.  But first, a reflection on just the events of the past year. 

It has been quite a year.  Major events include:

·        Release of the Entry Level Analysis Project (Dec 2013 technically but close enough to 2014)

·        Release of the Federation of State Massage Board’s Model Practice Act.

·        National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork moving beyond licensure and putting full support to the advanced credential Board Certification

·        Movement by Commission on Massage Training and Accreditation to provide a programmatic approval outside of institutional accreditation.

It was rough going but all four of these events are necessary for advancement of massage therapy.

Other important events include:

The Joint Commission, the accrediting body for health care released the Clarification of the Pain Management Standard November 5, 2014. The implications are huge for massage becoming part of integrated health care. http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/Clarification_of_the_Pain_Management__Standard.pdf

Effective January 1, 2015, for Ambulatory Care, Critical Access

Hospital, Home Care, Hospital, Nursing Care Centers,

and Office-Based Surgery Practice Programs

Standard PC.01.02.07: The [organization] assesses and

manages the [patient’s] pain.

Revised Rationale for PC.01.02.07 (New for Ambulatory

Care and Office-Based Surgery Practice)

The identification and management of pain is an important

component of [patient]-centered care. [Patients] can expect

that their health care providers will involve them in their assessment

and management of pain. Both pharmacologic and

nonpharmacologic strategies have a role in the management

of pain. The following examples are not exhaustive, but strategies

may include the following:

l Nonpharmacologic strategies: physical modalities (for

example, acupuncture therapy, chiropractic therapy,

osteopathic manipulative treatment, massage therapy, and

physical therapy), relaxation therapy, and cognitive behavioral

therapy

l Pharmacologic strategies: nonopioid, opioid, and adjuvant

analgesics

C EP 4 : The [organization] either treats the [patient’s] pain or

refers the [patient] for treatment. M

New Note for EP 4 (Additional Note for Nursing Care

Centers)

Note: Treatment strategies for pain may include pharmacologic

and nonpharmacologic approaches. Strategies

should reflect a [patient]-centered approach and consider the

patient’s current presentation, the health care providers’ clinical

judgment, and the risks and benefits associated with the

strategies, including potential risk of dependency, addiction,

and abuse

Education

Education was shook up with the collapse of the corporate financial aid based school sector and increased regulation and oversight of private post-secondary education accepting financial aid as well as limits on amount of federal aid available based on projected income upon graduation (gainful employment). This development is going to need to be watched closely.

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/obama-administration-announces-final-rules-protect-students-poor-performing-care

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/10/31/2014-25594/program-integrity-gainful-employment

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2012/gainful-employment-fact-sheet-10302014.pdf

Massage Franchises

The increase in massage therapy and spa focused franchises will continue.  Massage Envy is not the only player.  There are multiple franchise options these days.   Like it or not, the franchise model is successful.  Stomp and spit and get your fascia in a twist, pay rates and yearly income amounts in the franchise structure are reasonable based on a 625 contact hour entry level vocational education and comparable to other health professionals with similar education. Ongoing confusion on income perpetuates because the misunderstanding of what is charged for massage is not what is actually made.  In past blogs I have discussed this topic often.   If a massage therapist works full time and doing 5-6 massage sessions per 8 hour day 5 days per week (which is reasonable) should make between $25000 and $30000 per year and payroll taxes will be deducted from that.  A massage therapist with more education and experience should make more.  This is employment in the real world and massage is a health service. 

Yes this is change from when I first came into the profession or is it?  I charged $20 per hour massage, work all hours of the day and night, did between 20 and 30 massage sessions per week and made about $30,000.  Calculate all the time actually spent and I made about $12 per hour. You would think the economy would be better today but it is not.  The median wage for 2014 in the U.S. per person is $26,695 and median household income is at $50,500( multiple people working).

Today the franchise fee for basic massage ranges from $40-$60.  As an employee you should get ¼ of that fee per massage. You walk in, provide excellent massage, be a great employee and walk out. The business owner takes all the risk, pays the overhead and expects to make a profit.  Overhead is 50% of gross sales. Wages are 25% of gross sales.  It just is and doesn’t matter if you are your own boss and self-employed or an employee where the owner has to pay the overhead and take the risk. And all, heads up.  Pay rates in health care establishments will not be any better.  The business owner needs to make a profit and that should be 25 % of gross sales.  Here is the kick. The owner gets paid last.  Overhead and employees have to be paid first.   

Education has to prepare graduates for success and realistic expectations. I think those that do not achieve success 2 years post-graduation from massage school should not have become a massage therapist in the first place.  Schools need to better inform potential students about income and work expectations and do a much better job screening potential students. This is a service profession. There must be a passion for massage therapy independent of income potential. Not everyone should be a massage therapist.

 Graduates must be able to provide a beneficial therapeutic massage clients are willing to pay $50 (average) for and they have to be able to do 20-30 massage sessions per week. Somebody has to step up and do a for real ergonomics analysis to prevent burnout. Educators at entry level needs to get real and provide a curriculum that does reflects the job market for graduates today and tomorrow.  Massage therapist have opportunity to advance and increase income with continuing education and experience reflected by Board Certification.

Continuing education needs to be practical and actually provide skills instead of fluff.  Too much of the continuing education available does not translate to practical skills in the actual massage practice.

I am excited about the next 5 years. Ongoing research will continue to validate the biologically plausible benefits of massage.  I think by 2020 most of the confusion about massage therapy education and practice will sort itself out.

One of the biggest shifts I think will be employment out pacing self-employment for massage therapists at entry level.  Franchises, spas and healthcare establishments will be the major employers.  I think that major employers for massage will make adjustments to support income and advancement for top performing massage therapists.

Tuitions need to come down to a more realistic level.  Student should pay per classroom hour what is a typical hourly wage for massage practitioners $10-$15. This means entry level tuition at the 625 ELAP recommendations should be between $7000 and $10,000. 

I think massage therapy will sort into a tier system based on licensing at entry level and then Board Certification and Specialty Certification. I do not see massage education routinely becoming an associate’s degree entry point into the job market. I believe entry level education is best provided at a diploma level. I do think more community colleges will begin to provide massage education.

 I hope and believe the small vocational school will become again the major avenue for massage education as corporate schools continue to be under pressure.  I think the financial aid system will be completely revamped and I recommend that massage educators avoid getting into the financial aid trap.  I expect COMTA will provide a programmatic approval process for small schools that do not participate in financial aid.  Truth is COMTA has to do this for it’s own survival.   I do hope that massage educators will be required to achieve specific certification and be encouraged to achieve at least associates degree to bachelor’s degree academic education.   

So change is inevitable.  Fighting to stop change is a waste of time.  Working to guide change for the best outcome is an important commitment. Let’s get over the past, learn from it and move forward.

 

Now !

MISSION POSSIBLE

 

 

I have read numerous posts (including mine) about issues with massage education and school approval.  I have a suggestion. Maybe it could work.

The concern is the quality and continuity of massage education.  This blog is going to focus on entry level education which is the point of entry into the practice of massage therapy. In the U.S. the point of entry is determined by state statute—licensing. The Federation of State Massage Boards has developed a Model Practice Act MPA. https://www.fsmtb.org/ https://www.fsmtb.org/content/?id=171

There has been quite a bit of controversy about the Federation’s agenda, but I am going to put that aside just now.  Yes it is true that the Federation cannot mandate anything.  It is also logical that burdened state government agencies will pay attention to the Model Practice Act because it is there and easy to use. Therefore, in this Blog I am going to respond as if the MPA is how the legislation will play out.

The MPA defines entry level practice for massage therapy.  OK- what does that mean?

The Entry Level Analysis Project-ELAP- elapmassage.org, determined the curriculum content and hours both of which the MPA include.  The hours are 625. You will have to read the curriculum content yourself. It is logical to expect that the MBLEX ( the only state licensing exam not since the agreement with between the Federation and the NCB-yes I know there are a couple states that still have own exam) will reflect the  ELAP content.  So if a curriculum does not cover ELAP curriculum content, in the future students may not be prepared to pass the licensing exam.

While not perfect-I can live with the ELAP recommendations :curriculum and hours.  So in my mission possible process the profession has entry level education defined.

There is also an outcome measure for curriculum effectiveness- Pass rate on the MBLEX.  Now be careful about getting your fascia in a twist. We all know that being able to pass a test does not measure how well a graduate can perform a massage.   Our goals as educators are:

·        Prepare the student to be able to pass the licensing exam

·        Prepare the student for success as a massage therapist

Program approval would evaluate these two points.  The first point is easy- exam pass rates.  I suggest 70% pass rate as measurement.   There will always be students that struggle with exams regardless of education and as educators we can to work to help them get over test taking difficulties. I do not support multiple choice exams as a valid measurement OK. However, that is what we have; the model is deeply ingrained in occupational licensing so it is not a battle worth fighting right now.   The 70% pass rate does not penalize schools for the test taking issue.

 ·        Prepare the student for success as a massage therapist

Evaluating this is much harder and very subjective.  Currently accreditation uses enrollment compared to graduation rates and then job placement rates for graduates.  I am not a fan of this but don’t have a better idea either.  If a person pays for an education then they should be able to at least be average in skill levels and at least be able to obtain an entry level job. They many not keep it or be successful in the long run, but they should be able to at least get a job.  I again suggest 70% placement rate of graduates who declare that the intention for learning massage is to get a paying job or be self-employed and earn money.   There may be a few individuals in massage classes that are not vocationally focused but want to learn how to help family members etc. A school should not be held responsible for these student’s graduation and placement rates. However, a school should be held accountable for the students they enroll, the ability for these students to reasonably complete the education and get a job.  This means NOT enrolling individuals that will not be able to meet these minimal requirements.  I suggest a 70% completion rate.  This means if 10 students enroll then 7 should finish the program and 5 of the graduates should get a job or become self-employed.

 OK—here is the baseline. 

ELAP CURRICULIUM CONTENT

625 CONTACT HOURS

70% GRADUATION RATE

70% PASS RATE ON LICENSING EXAM

70% PLACEMENT RATE FOR GRADUATES

All this points are able to be objectified.    A programmatic approval process would revolve around these points. 

Actually most of this is already imbedded in current state licensing for massage.  However the MPA wants ( taken from the Model Practice Act document)

“In addition to the recognition of the

ELAP recommendations, it is intended

that eventually all those who enter

the profession shall have received an

accredited education. Accreditation

enables State Boards to approve

massage schools through a nationally

established standard of accreditation

and would promote educational

quality and increase portability by

eliminating the need for individual

states to devise their own standards.

………………… MY COMMENTS:  SO STATES WANT TO DEFER PROGRAM CONTENT AND APPROVAL TO SOMEONE ELSE-SUPPOSED EXPERTS IN THE FIELD- THIS IS LOGICAL. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION—IT IS PROGRAMMATIC.

However, during a transitional

period before accreditation is

accepted as a standard of education,

as the profession evolves, it is

recommended that all educational

institutions adopt a curriculum that reflects the ELAP recommendations

and that is acceptable to an

accrediting body recognized by the

U.S. Department of Education.”

…………………….MY COMMENTS. THIS STATEMENT IS SO OFF.  RIGHT NOW ONLY COMTA GIVES A HOOT ABOUT PROGRAM QUALITY.   ERR. MAKES ME MAD.

 

What is accreditation?  Accreditation -a process of formal recognition of a school or institution attesting to the required ability and performance in an area of education, training, or practice.

Here is COMTA’s definition: Accreditation is a voluntary peer review process that identifies and acknowledges educational institutions and programs for achieving and maintaining a level of quality, performance and integrity based on educational and professional standards. - See more at: http://comta.org/accreditation/#sthash.qKSgvsdi.dpuf

 This is from the Accreditation Standards

http://comta.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2014/11/COMTA-Standards-Newly-Adopted-Effective-January-1-2015.pdf

 

A. The programs under consideration for COMTA accreditation have current approval(s) as required by law and regulation in their jurisdictions, including state education agencies, state private postsecondary regulators, or massage or esthetics licensing boards.  P.2

What does that mean? Does it mean that the school facilities are legal? Does it mean that the facilities are safe? Don’t the zoning and building codes do that? Maybe it means that the school is in compliance with state regulation related to licensing of the actual school? If the state does this then accreditation does not have too as well.

What about administration procedures?  I can understand that a STATE would want to defer this obligation to an accreditation organization.  However, validating that the school is functioning administratively does not mean that the finances must be audited, or that school uses a specific filing process, etc.   I point this out because the accreditation process gets bogged down in this kind of stuff. 

MISSION POSSIBLE

I propose that COMTA develop a curriculum approval process that  states can defer to providing an external source of validation to determine that the school meets the recommendations and requirements of the Model Practice Act : ELAP compliant curriculum and 625 hours. Since the MPA does not define teacher criteria it is logical for programmatic approval to include a base line for teacher standards and ongoing teacher development.  I also suggest that educational quality be measured by “so called student success measures” of 70% GRADUATION RATE- 70% PASS RATE ON LICENSING EXAM - 70% PLACEMENT RATE FOR GRADUATES- at least until a better idea can be implemented.  I also suggest that if during the program approval process any issues indicating financial instability, fraud, illegal operations that COMTA report these concerns to the state for investigation.

I believe that the on-site visit process has become a burden both to the school and accrediting body and a more efficient and cost effective process can be use such as an independent neutral local individual whose job it is to provide a virtual tour of the school and synchronize communication between the school personal, students and accreditation personal - something like SKYPE.  It is the on-site visit costs that really increase the fee structure.

I also suggest that sustaining fees for yearly reporting are paid on a per enrolled student basis.  This would help small schools budget for the process.

I also suggest that ALL massage education is programmatically approved.  If a school wants institutional accreditation for financial aid or other reasons, then the massage education should still be programmatically approved.  Right now, only COMTA can do this. Other organizations may become able but not right now. 

To sum up:

·        ALL massage educational programs would be program approved using the criteria I described.

·        This approval process would need to reflect MPA content.

·        The process would be cost effective and my educated guess is that $3000 should be enough.

·        The initial approval would be based on this flat rate that does not mandate a costly on-site visit. 

·        Ongoing yearly monitoring would use a sliding scale based on enrollment. I suggest no more than $100 per student.

·        A school does not have to be institutionally accredited.

·        However, all institutionally accredited schools must also have massage program approval.

·        A school does not have to meet any financial bench marks, or standardized administration policies. However indications of illegal, unethical and fraudulent activity identified by the programmatic approval body (COMTA) will report to the state massage board for investigation.  

·        I suggest a 7 years phase in period to allow sufficient time for schools to adapt and implement to programmatic approval.

MOVING FORWARD.

 

It has been a busy time in the massage community.  Let’s just recap important issues.

1.      Massage therapy leadership organizations appear to be working together.

2.      Content necessary for entry level education determined -ELAP

3.      Hours for entry level education- ELAP

4.      Federation Model Practice Act released-

5.      Federation of State Massage Board and National Certification Board agree that MBLEX only licensing exam.

6.      National Certification Board becomes authentic certification organization with Board Certification documenting education and experience beyond entry level and pathway to college degrees.

 

Commentary

1.             Massage therapy leadership organizations appear to be working together.

This is a real advancement. There had better be diligence in this group to contain the power of the Federation of State Massage Boards.

2.                Content necessary for entry level education determined –ELAP

Not Perfect.  I can live with it.  My advice to the entry level educators—get over thinking entry level education content is something unique.  We should all be teaching same content at entry level.  Quality comes from HOW the information is delivered-NOT WHAT THE INFORMATION IS.

3.                Hours for entry level education- ELAP

Kind of weird but necessary for the Model Practice Act. The major reason for the ELAP was to provide support for the Model Practice Act. I hope you all understand that. 625 hours is reasonable for entry level. You also realize that the hours had to be more than 500 right- otherwise why spend LOTS OF MONEY to develop the ELAP.  I wonder just how much money it cost and where did most of it come from—Maybe the Federation of State Massage Boards- Just wondering.

4.                Federation Model Practice Act released-

Again all—this has been the agenda for years.  And since it has the potential to be the LAW -- well what more needs to be pointed out.  That being said, I am not opposed to the MPA in general.  I just hate it when hidden agendas sneak in. I screamed about conflict of interest during the ELAP development and been warning about the MPA for a long time.  I read on Facebook( reliable source ha) that the Federation received 1300 comment during the public comment period.  WHAT! SHAME ON THE MASSAGE COMMUNITY! There should have been many more comments. And SHAME ON THE FEDERATION for how they just sort of slide the comment period in and then slide in some serious changes that were not it the first draft.  I troll for information and almost missed it. Thank goodness I found it and had FACEBOOK as a platform for letting others know.  This is may be the most broad sweeping development affecting the future. 

5.                Federation of State Massage Board and National Certification Board agree that MBLEX only licensing exam.

This is a good move if there is a major massage community support for Board Certification.  The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork MUST survive.  This is the platform for future of massage excellence—not licensure.

6.                National Certification Board becomes authentic certification organization with Board Certification documenting education and experience beyond entry level and pathway to college degrees.

This is excellent and this organization MUST have the massage community’s support.  They have relinquished the ties with the past and projecting into the future.  There remains a mess to clean up from the past but that was then and this is now.

 

Areas of REAL concern.

 

1.      Federation of State Massage Boards agenda for institutional accreditation for massage entry level education

2.      Institutionally accredited corporate based financial aid funded schools being investigated by Federal Government for fraud.

3.      Lack of programmatic approval for Entry Level education for all state licensed massage therapy schools that does not involve any relationship to the burden of institutional accreditation and business operations oversight.

4.      Lack of focused representation of the small massage only  independent schools.

5.      Potential for unequal power distribution to the Federation of State Massage Boards.

 

 

Commentary

 

 

1.                Federation of State Massage Boards agenda for institutional accreditation for massage entry level education

Institutional Accreditation is broken and will not provide oversight for determined entry level educational content.  WHY would the Federation of State Massage Boards include this cloaked agenda in the Model Practice Act when it is clear that the entire institutional accreditation system is falling apart?

2.                Institutionally accredited corporate based financial aid funded schools being investigated by Federal Government for fraud.

It is evident that the financial aid system and the current accreditation process if flawed.  WHY would massage therapy education attach to this mess?

3.                Lack of programmatic approval for Entry Level education for all state licensed massage therapy schools that does not involve any relationship to the burden of institutional accreditation and business operations oversight.

COMTA-Commission on Massage Training and Accreditation can and should provide a programmatic approval process that assures that at entry level the content described by the ELAP is effectively presented in massage education programs.  PERIOD!

4.                Lack of focused representation of the small massage only independent schools.

The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education has dropped the ball in this arena and needs to regroup and do a much better job is assuring that this very important segment of massage therapy training is represented and protected. SCHOOL OWNERS—ATTENTION! THIS IS OUR OWN FAULT.  The Alliance is an all-volunteer organization and not subsidized by any organization.  In fact, the AMTA and ABMP both have competing segments which undermines the Alliance. A standing committee of massage school owners with representation of the Alliance board needs to be formed. SMALL SCHOOL OWNERS- WE NEED TO GET OFF OUR BUTT AND GET TO THE EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS AND GET ORGANIZED. The 2015 Educational Congress meetings will take place over 8 days July 21-28 with the main portion of the conference with exhibition hall will only be July 23, 24, and 25. The event will be held at The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis, MN located on the University of Minnesota Campus .http://www.afmte.org/afmte-conference/

5.                Potential for unequal power distribution to the Federation of State Massage Boards.

I see this issue being one of the most pressing in the massage community right now.  The current power balance is disturbed and the Federation of State Massage Boards needs to be carefully monitored.  This is problematic since this organization does not answer to the massage community as a whole. The general population cannot become members or have a voice and now that the MBLEX is the designated licensing exam (which I am ok with) have LOTS OF MONEY.  As individuals we all need to be active at our individual state levels. This is the only avenue we have.  I CHALLENGE THE MASSAGE LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE OF POWER. 

 

 

 

CHECKING THINGS OFF MY LIST.

 

 

I have been a massage therapist for a really long time. It has been 35 years now.  I have owned a. massage therapy school for 30 year and do a majority of the teaching these days.  In retrospect I and others who have been in the trenches for years can finally see some progression in the massage therapy quest for unity and a move forward in professional development.  Following are developments that allow me to check some things off my massage therapy wish list.

1.      The umbrella of the Coalition of Massage Therapy Leadership Organizations. There is still cooperative work to be done especially related to duplication of efforts.  The most blaring at this time is AMTA and ABMP persisting in offering school meetings. This really needs to stop and support put behind the Alliance.  I will applaud the ABMP for not offering a school issues forum next year and instead putting support behind the Educational Congress co-sponsored by the Alliance and COMTA

2.      The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education.   This organization is essential for supporting quality massage therapy education.  The organization does need to better serve massage therapy schools.  This educational sector kind of got pushed to the side with the Teacher Standards Project but we have to remember that the Alliance is a volunteer organization. Those that want better representation for massage schools- especially the independent, massage- only schools, need to work better together within the Alliance.

3.      Board Certification for Massage Therapy.  I have always felt that licensing should come prior to Certification and pushed for a Model Practice Act to support licensing years ago.  Well it didn’t happen that way and years of confusion resulted.  Now that the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork is supporting the MBLEX as the one licensing exam and putting all effort behind Board Certification, I am happy.  The Federation of State Massage Boards and the rest of the massage organizations had better support the National Certification Board during this transition.  Board Certification MUST be successful for the massage profession to continue to evolve. 

4.      One licensing exam- MBLEX. No more infighting.  We need to monitor the Federation of State Massage Boards.  This group wields a lot of power.

5.      A Model Practice Act. It is true that I had a fit and rightly so over the mandated accreditation clause but I can live with the final draft that appears to support and movement toward programmatic approval.

6.      A definition of massage. The Model Practice Act, the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge and the Entry Level Analysis Project defined massage and as typical for the profession all the definitions are different but they are really close. I like the Model Practice Act definition the best.

7.      Recommendations for a standardized curriculum. The Entry Level Analysis Project -ELAP- provides a foundation for curriculum development.  It is not perfect but it is close enough. Schools and teachers should be using this document.

8.      A career pathway to a Bachelor’s of Applied Science degree. I have worked on this for over 22 years.  My massage school, Health Enrichment Center had an articulation agreement with Siena Heights University over 20 years ago for transfer credit into their applied science degree. I accredited my massage therapy school with Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges to support the articulation.  I lived the demise of the institutional accreditation process and finally let it go after 15 years. Very sad but--------My dream for a bachelor’s degree was reborn with the agreement between the National Certification Board and Siena Heights University to award college credit based on Board Certification.  YES! 33 credits.

9.      And—I love the Massage Therapy Foundation.

So what is left on my list?

1.      The leadership coalition must support an independent biomechanics and ergonomics analysis for massage practice.  There is no excuse for this not being done.  It must be done outside the massage community.  We as a group are too biased.

2.      COMTA being able to provide a quality yet user-friendly and affordable programmatic approval for massage therapy schools that does not involve institutional accreditation or compliance with standards that burden schools that do not accept federal financial aid.

3.      The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education and the National Certification Board developing together a massage therapy educator specialty certification.

4.      The massage community embracing the process of excellence and massage therapists becoming Board Certified. Let go of the past and seek the future. Once a critical mass of massage therapist are board certified, then I want the National Certification Board ,with support from the massage organizations, specifically the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education to develop and administer specialty certifications.

5.      Massage entry level training and practice remaining in the vocational education sector. This level of education allows individuals to begin a massage career. However, those with entry level education at the 625 contact hours following ELAP standards must realize the limits of what can be taught in this time period and what are realistic  income expectations based on that educational standard.  I support employment for entry level massage based on an hourly wage of $15 per hour on site- not per massage.  This means that an entry level massage salary would be $600 per week gross based on a 40 hour work week.

6.      I want massage therapist with Board Certification to be paid more based on experience and commitment to excellence and ongoing increases in wages as experience and ongoing continuing education occur.

7.      I want massage to be affordable to the general public outside the health care insurance system.  I also want massage inside the health care system to be covered by insurance so that these organizations and corporations can hire massage therapists at a salary that reflects additional education, Board Certification and experience.

8.      I want the infighting to stop. I want massage therapy to be seen as a compassionate, skilled, artful, intuitive service and career based on justifiable criteria based on realistic expectations for outcomes and not based on opinion, guru’s, gimmicks and goofy claims.   I want massage to be therapeutic massage and not pushed to some sort of mini physical therapy or athletic training or psychology or counseling or spiritual practice.  If you want to do all the physical therapy stuff then commit to the education to become a physical therapist.  The same can be said for the rest. If you are going to be a massage therapist, then be an excellent massage therapist and respect and work together with other professionals.

 

 

We have come a long way.  Let’s celebrate and continue to work together. Be proactive. Monitor and hold to task the leadership organizations. Remain informed and be encouraged.  I am.