The idea of having a national certification board was initiated by AMTA
(American Massage Therapy Association) in 1988. AMTA gave $150,000 and
later another $75,000 from their general funds to create an exam that was
initially an entrance exam for AMTA potential members. Sometime and
somehow, in 1989, the intentions changed and it became a national exam.
In April of 1989, 60 massage therapists signed and sent a joint initiative to
AMTA to stop the process until more information could be gathered regarding
whether or not national certification was necessary for the profession.
This was rejected by AMTA.
A steering committee was chosen by 4 AMTA officers. It consisted
of 2 members of AMTA who initially proposed this action, Susan Rosen of
Washington and Susanne Carlson of Oregon. Within the committee, 7 out of 9
members were AMTA members.
In May 1990, the steering committee declared that it was now separate from
AMTA.
Massage Magazine in Jan/Feb 1991 reports that there were never any studies,
surveys or reports done that established a need for certification. There
was a survey of AMTA members asking whether or not they supported the action,
but not not if the thought national certification was needed. 1,420 AMTA
members responded of which 1,042 said they supported national
certification. At the time there were approximately 60,000 therapists
nationwide.
National Certification was developed in an attempt to bring credibility to
the profession. It's intentions were to improve the status and image of
the bodywork community. The exam would certify that certain educational
and professional standard were met. The educational requirements were the
bare minimum thought to be need to practice massage. The exam is based on a
study done to find out what practitioners do and what they need to know.
The national certification board has created an entry level test. It
does not mean that therapist who take it will be a good therapist. It has
not eliminated prostitution or the idea the massage is often equated with
prostitution. It does not mean that the therapist will know what to do when they
work on your herniated disc or other injury. It does not eliminate having to be
fingerprinted (in some cities) or get a massage parlor license to set up a
massage business.
The test questions were supposedly made after doing a survey of what
therapists do in their practices. It claims to have based the questions on what
current therapists have been using in their practice. I would love to see how
the survey was done and who it was sent to. How long have these people been in
practice? What information did they learn after massage
school?
The test itself is questionable as it includes topics such as meridians, chakras,
other types of therapies such a Ayuvedic medicine, what color your organs are on
a energetic level. I feel these do not have anything to do with
doing basic massage.
What it does do, is protect the massage profession from being regulated by
other professionals such as doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists. It
does often give credibility to a therapist in a state that doesn't have any
regulations and states where the legislative members are uneducated about
massage. There are still some cities/towns that have zoning laws restricting the
practice of massage in certain areas. There are also some places where
massage is still equated with the practice of prostitution.
Here in Washington State, Massage in regulated by the Department of Health's
board of Massage. 500 hours of education are required with specific hour
requirements of certain topics. In the City of Seattle, I need a city
business license. There is still a local newspaper, The Seattle Weekly
that regularly advertises illegal massage services. Licensing in my
opinion has not stopped massage being equated with prostitution. What is being done to
stop this?
Update: June 2007. The National Certification Board is going through
some serious changes with Board members leaving and being asked to leave.
The NCBTMB also seems to be behind in processing applications and test
results and is inadequately responding to requests for information. You
can contact
the NOCA which oversees the
NCBTMB to make formal complaints.
Read more on
Keith Graham's blog or on
my
blog.
