However, another important tenet of responsible journalism is to report facts—or at least do your homework. The two most recent postings by Stephens fail to meet that standard.

In the December 2009 issue of Massage Today, Stephens wrote an article titled, “Year-End Observations of our Profession,” where he rightfully gave praise to the efforts of Janet Kahn and the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium. As we are all aware, the health care debate in this country is as contentious an issue as we have experienced in quite some time; having a voice like IHPC at the table has been a great step forward for our profession. What was not noted in the prior article was that both AMTA and ABMP are supporters of IHPC, recognizing it as an appropriate conduit to represent massage therapy along with other complementary and integrative health care disciplines. In our case, ABMP has been a financial supporter and our Chairman Bob Benson served on the IHPC Steering Committee during its formative years. We are delighted to work with IHPC in this pursuit.

Stephens goes on to extol the virtues of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) as the organization with the potential to “salvage the mess made primarily by AMTA, and by ABMP to a lesser degree,” and “raise the standards for our profession, something our associations and massage schools have no financial incentive to do.” We’ll take that comment as some form of thanks; ABMP helped initiate the effort to establish the FSMTB in 2005 and provided a loan to help the organization get off the ground.

In his most recent (January 2010) column, “Heart on the Bottom Line,” Stephens advances the premise that associations and schools are in collusion to limit massage therapy’s scope of practice. It is difficult to rationally rebut an irrational statement. In my 15+ years of involvement in the massage therapy profession through ABMP, 24 states and the District of Columbia have enacted massage regulation laws. During that time, ABMP has been on all sides of the debate, because ABMP’s legislative principles had not changed—we seek to ensure the most favorable climate possible in which to practice. If Stephens had been involved in any one of those state-level efforts, he would have an understanding that there has been an effort (at least on ABMP’s part) to establish a consistent legislative standard, should one be needed. However, those 24 states view our profession through their own lens; the reasons that Alabama and Nevada have different licensing laws have a lot to do with those two states, and nothing to do with liability insurance. We believe raising the standards of our profession happens through better curricula, better instruction, better schools, and more successful graduates and therapists.

Has the regulatory development of the massage profession been disjointed? Absolutely. Could we as a profession have done better? Of course. Will the regulatory environment improve in the future? I believe so, for the same reason Ralph Stephens does—establishing FSMTB will only increase the states’ abilities to work together.

News flash: The massage and bodywork profession is imperfect. As a leader in this profession, we at ABMP understand that the easy path is to blame “the big guys” for things that aren’t the way we want them. We have no illusions about the role of Stephens’ column: it is an opinion piece. However, we do feel that he should do some homework before sharing those opinions.

The news coverage of the tragedy is excessive, yet somehow necessary. This is a horrible disaster and countless fellow humans need help; showing us the realities of the aftermath inspires support. My wife and I made a modest contribution, but as I watch the massive recovery efforts unfold, our donation feels like it probably should—only marginally helpful. The images of merciless destruction and bottomless grief overwhelm us.

Of course, when disaster strikes, ABMP members and others call us and ask two basic questions:

• What can I do to help?
• What are you doing to help?

In cases such as with Haiti, the response is oddly simple, and likely unfulfilling to those who are moved to do something—anything—to provide support.

Give.

When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, massage therapists were in need and many stepped forward to help them; ABMP worked to get practitioners back to their practices. After the attacks of September 11^th, ABMP members volunteered countless hours providing relief to first responders. Groups such as Emergency Response Massage International are specifically trained for these types of circumstances.

People typically join the massage & bodywork profession because they are compassionate, caring individuals. A tragic situation like the Haiti earthquake calls to our mission to provide relief. However, this time the need isn’t next door. Worse yet, it’s in another country—a country that had a challenged infrastructure before the disaster. Now Haiti’s need is compounded and our desires to help are thwarted as the cycle of desperation builds upon itself. It is not practical (or perhaps even possible) to coordinate a relief effort yet (if at all) that provides massage therapy. How would I get there? What system is already in place? Perhaps as time passes the realities will change and doors will open, but right now there just isn’t a way to be actively involved.

My advice to those who feel a strong desire to help: channel that desire to help humanity into your practice, send healing thoughts, and, if possible, share your good fortune through a donation. ABMP made a donation to the Red Cross on behalf of our members; we intend to monitor proceedings to see if there is a constructive role we can play. If you’re looking to donate, check out CNN’s long list of organizations providing relief and choose the one that most resonates with you.

Money won’t solve all the problems, or take away the pain, or bring back those who perished. But even a modest contribution—multiplied many times over through individual acts of generosity and compassion—can provide relief.

I took the opportunity to read through the turn-of-the-century editions of Massage & Bodywork (M&B), Massage Magazine (MM), and Massage Therapy Journal (MTJ). MM and MTJ each had articles about “the future of touch,” while M&B focused on a more-pragmatic issue of avoiding “Y2k” trouble. The late Robert Noah Calvert wrote an article in MM lauding “The Stars of the Century,” recognizing the leaders of the field in the 1900s (he included himself). An interesting part of the futuristic articles was looking at the names who were asked to comment; many are still the profession’s thought leaders. Most fascinating? The hairstyles (guilty as charged, Lynda and Diana).

In a parallel but unrelated exercise, I used some time off over the holiday break to do some much-overdue purging of collected treasures/junk in the Sweeney household. It is an interesting self-examination to look through things from earlier in your life. Invariably, the overriding question becomes, “why do I still have this?” followed by “look at my hair in that picture.” Glad that wasn’t in Massage Magazine. Undertaking an exercise like this, followed up by seeing “Up in The Air” with George Clooney, gets you thinking about what’s in “my backpack.” How much do we really need? It’s a question I can always do a better job of reflecting on than acting on. Our colleague Marissa Macias posted a similar discussion on massageprofessionals.com; she does an excellent job of framing the issue as it relates to our professional lives.

For me, the New Year brings excitement—a chance for ABMP to build on its successes, and learn from our challenges; another year of using our role to help advance the profession and its members; personally, the calendar seems to be turning ever more quickly, and spending time with my boys suddenly seems an increasingly elusive goal.

What’s exciting is we never know what the calendar has in store for us. Tiger Woods was named athlete of the decade, the same week he was a national punch line. The future of massage will be determined day by day, session by session—not by me, or “leaders of the field,” but by you.

Another year is upon us—what do you have in store for it?

Considering it’s the holidays—and following Laura Allen’s feeling of a sense of quiet and/or writer’s block—I am taking the time-honored strategy of using the list as the framework for this post.

Hence, Birthday Wishes:

I wish for a continual positive progression for the U.S. economy, led by demand for massage and bodywork.

I wish the dogs would clean up the yard themselves.

I wish for a logical, needs-driven framework for certification in the massage field.

I wish more people didn’t use “Reply to All” as a default when I’m just another name on the list.

I wish a higher percentage of entrants into the massage and bodywork field were practicing 5 years after their graduation.

I wish my laptop battery lasted longer.

I wish more of our ABMP members utilized the great resources we have developed to help them build lasting client relationships (but we’re making progress).

I wish for one more family dinner with my mom.

I wish every member of Massageprofessionals.com would invite a friend to join so we could grow our community even further and deepen the conversations.

I wish Los Lobos would make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I wish you a healthy, happy holiday, and a full appointment calendar in 2010.

We at ABMP exist to serve our members and, broadly, the profession. It is our members, however, who provide us with so much—suggestions, support, praise, occasional constructive criticism. There would be no ABMP without our members. We are an important entity in the profession thanks to every one of you. We’ll do our best to keep earning your confidence. Please accept our deepest gratitude.

Thanks to Charlie, my yellow Lab who is a shining example of how to live life stress-free.

Thanks to Leslie Young Giase, for reminding me that my writing is not quite perfect (but is after she looks at it!).

Thanks to Tracy Rains, who has greeted me with a smile and “hello” first thing in the morning 99.8% of the time the last 11 years. No better way to start the workday.

Thanks to Jenny Good, who always makes me think.

Thanks to ABMP’s membership department, who makes us the service leader 300+ times a day.

Thanks to Laura Allen, who thanked me in her Thanksgiving blog. You’re welcome.

Thanks to G. Love and Special Sauce.

Thanks to Anne, Taffie, Mel, Jenn, Kathy, and Brian; Jean; Lara, Marlene, and David; Darren, Amy, James, Angie, Mary, Jodi, Karrie, and Nora; Katie, Jesse, Debbie, Kristine, and Kate; Connie and Carolyn; Matt, Leroy, and Erin. And thanks to Bob, too.

Thanks to the Sweeneys as well—the ones who came before me, are with me now, and those who will carry on after me. And thanks to Granny, too.

Also, thanks for electricity, indoor plumbing, satellite television, and— especially—Swedish massage.

When I get a haircut, I tip the barber/stylist (if you’ve seen my hair, you understand). If I order a beer, I tip the bartender. When I visit the doctor, I don’t tip. I haven’t been to the chiropractor in a while, but I don’t remember tipping him. I recently had eight sessions with a physical therapist. No tip for him, either.

I got a massage the other day, and had a decision to make—do I leave a tip? I did. Actually I can’t think of a situation where I haven’t left a tip for my massage therapist.

Our ABMP Member Survey indicates the following:

• Therapists who practice in spas/salons receive tips from 90% of their clients.
• Therapists who practice in a massage-only clinic receive tips from 80% of their clients.
• Therapists who work in medical offices report receiving tips from 10% of their clients.

Some places where I have received massage encouraged tipping the therapist and suggest an amount; that’s my decision, not theirs.

When I was completing my student clinic work, I received tips, and I know this probably sounds funny, but that was awesome. Many of you know I had no expectations of a flourishing massage career when I embarked on my massage training; getting a tip from a client was not financially material (although it bought a few lunches), but it validated me and my work. It underscored to me that I was providing value to my client. And that feeling meant more than the $5.

Some of this discussion is trivial and certainly subjective, but I think the topic also addresses a larger issue for some people—are we a service profession? Service professionals in many cases receive tips; in most cases, health professionals do not. If you consider yourself a health professional, does receiving a tip marginalize you in any way?

How about you? If you are paying for a massage, do you tip your therapist? In your practice, do you accept tips? If so, how do you feel about them? Digging deeper, do you declare your tips as income? And perhaps the most important question—what’s a decent tip for an hour massage?

Survey Says!

ABMP conducts a member survey every two years as a way to take our members’ pulse and gain a better understanding of who they are, what they do, and what services and resources we should provide for them (or stop providing, as the case may be). We just completed this survey and I’ve been able to sneak a peek at some preliminary data (it’s good to be the president).

A bit about surveys: on occasion members contact us and ask why they weren’t included. Without subjecting you to my grad school statistics lecture (you’re welcome), nearly every survey/poll conducted relies heavily on sampling. In short, we establish a subset of members whose characteristics and responses will adequately speak for the entire group. Typical reasons for sampling, instead of surveying the entire population, are money and time. The key is to make sure you have an adequate sample size. In our case, we are blessed; ABMP members traditionally are very willing participants when we ask for feedback. Thank you to all of you who share your insights.

A more robust review of our member survey will be published in the January/February edition of ABMP’s member newsletter, Different Strokes, but I thought I’d share a snapshot of what we know already, compiled in the ever-popular Fun Facts/Did You Know? format.

• Five out of six ABMP members (and massage professionals in general) are female.

• Nearly 85% of members attended college; 53% obtained a degree (two-year, four-year, or graduate).

• All members report being one year older than they were at this time last year. Just making sure you’re paying attention.

• Quiz time: among our members, which modality is practiced more—pregnancy massage or stone massage?

• Average session length for our members is between 50 and 75 minutes.

• Three in four members have kept their prices the same over the past year.

• Members report nearly half (45%) of all new clients are referred by existing clients. Keep brushing your teeth and smiling.

• Answer: stone massage by a nose (52% to 48%).

• One in seven receives third-party health insurance reimbursement.

• One-third of members reported making more from their practice in this year. One-fourth made less money; 41% stayed the same.

• Only three in eight have a website for their practice. WHAT? When you can have a free one from ABMP? I’d like some answers, please, folks.

• 98% report receiving “friendly, responsive, and professional” service from ABMP. Thank you; we’ll get to work on that last 2%.

ABMP recently shared with its members a request from the NCBTMB to solicit feedback regarding the proposed advanced certification. I received a handful of comments directly, ranging from general concern to disappointment with ABMP for supporting NCBTMB’s efforts. My reason for distributing the survey to our members was to make sure our members (many of whom are NCBTMB certificants) had an opportunity to express their views regarding NCBTMB’s plans, whether in support or opposition. Liz Langston, CAE, the director of exam development for NCBTMB, has been extremely helpful and gracious in interacting with our members, even those who were not in support of the initiative.

In announcing their intentions, NCBTMB stated:

NCBTMB’s National Certification Exams have long represented the highest standard of excellence in the field, and with its Advanced Certification Examination, the organization plans to take the profession to the next level. National certification will continue to serve as the industry’s foundation, with the new credential building upon its educational, experiential and ethical requirements.

I participated in the survey, and registered my views on the idea of an advanced certification. I am using this space to elaborate on those views.

I have little doubt that ABMP is not viewed as a steadfast friend of NCBTMB (and by extension, I am not either). We have had real concerns with a good portion of the organization’s performance and actions through the years, and we have not hesitated to express those concerns.

What may come as a surprise to some is that I feel strongly that NCBTMB potentially should play an important role in the continuing development of the massage therapy profession.

I believe NCBTMB has made a mistake in how it has and continues to muddle the distinction between obtaining certification and licensure. Webster’s defines certified as “recognized as having met special qualifications (as of a governmental agency or professional board) within a field.” License is “a permission granted by competent authority to engage in a business or occupation or in an activity otherwise unlawful.”

While the medical profession is not always a model in the eyes of our field, I find the following Q & A from the American Board of Medical Specialties quite helpful:

What Does it Mean if a Doctor is Board Certified?

Doctors who are board certified have participated in a voluntary process that involves evaluation of their knowledge and skills beyond what’s required for them to become licensed physicians. The standards for board certification, such as the type of evaluation, and whether additional education and training are required, vary depending on the certifying board.

I am nationally certified through NCBTMB; I voluntarily applied to become so immediately upon receiving my massage school diploma. I had yet to perform my first paying massage! Can a doctor become board-certified without practicing? No. In the massage therapy profession, would it be more meaningful a distinction from “licensed,” meaning permitted to practice, if the existing NCE credential had more robust requirements? Yes.

I don’t think the massage & bodywork profession needs to establish a second level of certification. I think NCBTMB should revamp their existing certification program to truly make certification an indication of an individual’s special qualifications; it should get out of the licensing exam business. ABMP Chairman Bob Benson and I articulated such a view in a visit to their headquarters in June 2008. We were told at that time that they had no intention of getting out of that business.

I appreciate that what Bob and I suggested would neither be easy nor painless for NCBTMB. However, I am writing about what I believe would best serve the massage therapy profession, not a particular organization. National Certification has been repurposed as a licensing examination, occasionally dressed up as denoting “excellence.” Would advanced certification be characterized as “even more excellence”?

Building an advanced certification program that becomes essentially National Certification, Part 2 will only serve to compound an already flawed program. Consolidating their efforts into a single certification program that denotes distinction and acknowledges experience and achievement (and tests for that) is something I would willingly support.

In initiating the advanced certification effort, NCBTMB has made a productive step forward by soliciting feedback from a broad segment of the profession. In addition, they have lined up some impressive folks in the profession for a task force, including Sandy Fritz, Margaret Avery-Moon, and other well-qualified individuals. It is my hope that this robust group of experienced professionals will encourage NCBTMB to make some difficult decisions that will in the long run provide greater meaning and usefulness for its credentialing program, and in turn for the massage therapy profession.

I believe that NCBTMB has been hamstrung by a sense of urgency related to developing “something” in the realm of advanced certification. I don’t know what an advanced certification should look like. But I have an idea about how NCBTMB should get there:

1. Wait. NCBTMB has sent mixed messages by thoughtfully soliciting feedback while at the same time announcing an initial exam date. Having an exam already scheduled gives the impression that the content and focus is already determined. If so, why ask for feedback? NCBTMB no doubt feels some pressure to move forward; however, the end result should define and drive the process. The field will support a thoughtful process and solid result, even if it takes longer.

2. Give the task force a clean sheet. This task force could do the most good by being allowed to look at NCBTMB’s entire certification program, and determine whether a new certification paradigm should be established. When should certification be able to be attained (right out of school, after a set time, based on experience)? Should there be National Certification and a general Advanced Certification? Or one general certification? Certification in specialty areas or disciplines? Any or all of these options? These are important legitimate questions that these folks are well-qualified to tackle.

3. Follow the MTBOK’s lead. NCBTMB has been a supporter of and participant in the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) project. The release of the MTBOK report in mid-2010 would be a logical resource for the aforementioned task force to utilize. This could be very helpful in supporting the task force analysis. Proceeding before the MTBOK task force completes it works seemingly undermines NCBTMB’s support of MTBOK.

Invariably, when I comment on the actions of another organization in the field, I receive a few comments encouraging me to stick to my knitting. I understand that view, but this is my knitting, too. I am Nationally Certified, and I want it to mean something more than it does. I also want members of this field and the clients they serve to be able to differentiate between licensure and certification, ideally recognizing certification as meaning something distinctive. And I want our members and practitioners everywhere to flourish in a field where professional development is supported and encouraged. Logically.

I welcome your comments. If you choose to share your views with NCBTMB, they can be sent to advanced@ncbtmb.org.

Have you ever planned for something for a long time, then it happens and actually turns out as good as you’d hoped? That just happened to me. Three great friends and I make up a band we call The Traveling Pillsburys (if you’re wondering, I’m the lead singer). The whole venture started out as a lark in 1989 in the basement of our fraternity house in Charlottesville, Virginia. We weren’t very good at first, but we got better over time, and actually had a small, but devoted following for the better part of a year when we lived outside Washington, DC, after graduating from college. We never had any delusions of grandeur (well, perhaps some); we just enjoyed playing in front of people.

Life’s circumstances pulled us apart in the early 1990s. We went about with living our lives—marriages, graduate school, children, careers. We got together in 1998 to play at a wedding and that sparked our enthusiasm. Then more life, more career, more children occupied our time. In 2007, under the guise of my 40^th birthday, we got together again and played. It was more fun than ever—I gained newfound appreciation for those bands you hear are reuniting. Your usual thought is, “oh, they’re back for the money.” In their cases, maybe that’s right. In ours, not quite; playing costs us money. And it’s worth every penny.

Fast forward to 2009. As much fun as our 2007 reunion was, I feared we would slip back into another 5-year stretch between gigs. I tend to be the pest in the group, so I cajoled and encouraged my pals to come to Denver (one lives in New York, one in Pennsylvania, one in the mountains here in Colorado) in October for another gig—this time to celebrate our 20^th anniversary.

We all bunked at my place (imagine kids and dogs and kids’ friends—and my wife taking care of all of us) for a few nights and spent 8½ hours over two days practicing old songs and learning new ones. I’m not sure if we’re wiser, but we’re definitely older. I’ll just say: more ibuprofen than beer.

Playing downtown at a bar in front of a healthy crowd of friends (including a hearty cheering/dancing section from ABMP), we somehow made it through 36 songs and 3½ hours. Just like the good ol’ days, we were the last four at the bar.

Sunday came and Hunter and Stephan headed to the airport; Jeff and his family headed back to Steamboat. We all return to the daily activities that give us pleasure and enrich our lives—family, friends, work. This time we already have a date for the next gig—and we’re planning annual concerts thereafter. It’s too much fun and means too much to us to let years pass between gigs. Huey Lewis said it best—“Being in a band is the greatest thing in the world.” The Travelling Pillsburys ARE a band; we just live apart and jam not as frequently as some.

What does all this have to do with massage? Nothing. And everything. Can you say you have one thing in your life that makes you truly happy? Are you making time for it? I am blessed to say I have many. One of which is every once in a while I get to stand on stage, pretend I’m a rock star, and share the spotlight with three friends for life.

Follow your bliss.

I have a super-nice dentist, in whom I have great confidence. The hygienist could not be any nicer; she always asks about my family, and also takes care of my wife and kids. As dental practices go, this one seems to have everything you could ask for. But I still don’t like going. The bottom line is I need to maintain my teeth, and I would deal with going even if I didn’t like the dental care team as much as I do.

When was the last time you heard of a massage client who didn’t like her therapist, but went anyway? I never have. Massage and bodywork sessions aren’t like trips to the dentist, cholesterol checks, acute medical care, or even physical therapy. I’m not looking for a friend at these places; I need professional expertise. I appreciate finding someone I don’t mind spending time with, but I am looking for competence first and foremost. When visiting a massage therapist, I view personality and attitude as important parts of the competence I expect. One of the challenges of explaining massage therapy to the uninitiated is underscoring the fundamental intimacy of the work. As a client, it’s difficult to embrace that intimacy if you don’t respect or feel comfortable with your therapist. If I had cancer, I’d want a doctor who was well-regarded and knowledgeable; if he or she was a jerk, I’d live with it (hopefully, right?).

One of the important issues we talk about in this profession is the need for boundaries; therapists should not carry extra emotional baggage for their clients (or unload it on them, either). But a big part of being successful in a service-oriented business is generating a personal connection with your clients or customers. It CAN be done while maintaining appropriate professional and personal boundaries.

A couple months back in this blogumn I asked, “Do you love your clients?” Today the question is, “Do your clients love you?”