As part of its company mission to give back to the massage industry, Bon Vital is offering a $1,000 Cash “Holiday Massage Stimulus Package” to either a massage therapist or a massage student currently enrolled at an accredited massage therapy school. Bon Vital is family-owned and we consider our customers part of our family, so we created an opportunity in which every massage therapist and student is eligible for a chance to boost their careers with the “Holiday Massage Stimulus Package.”

“Our goal is to have massage therapists and students promote the theme of giving to their clients, and spread the word of massage therapy,” stated Thomas Heidenberger, President of Bon Vital, Inc. “Massage therapy is for everyone, and it is important that we let the population know of the therapeutic benefits and healing value. Even a simple gift, such as giving a free massage to a potential new client, is all it takes. The time is now; if we all give together we can change the world for the better.”

The drawing will be videotaped on Wednesday, December 8th, 2010, at 1 p.m. CST, by Ryan Hoyme of Massage Nerd. To enter the drawing (no purchase required) and for more details, visit www.bonvital.com.

As reported in The Morning Call: On September 18, 2010, Steven Min was arrested at the Sands Casino for a Impersonating a Public Servant. Steven Min posted a job posting on Craigslist for Certified Massage Therapists to be hired for the high rollers at the Sands Casino to conduct massages for $160. Steven Min has identified himself as a Pennsylvania Gaming Board member and an employee of the Sands Casino. Steven Min has no affiliation with the Sands Casino or has ever been a Pennsylvania Gaming Board member. Min is not a state employee. Steven Min is currently incarcerated at the Northampton County prison under $10,000 straight bail.

For years, Min—also known as Steven Sung and Steven Yamamoto—has allegedly been contacting massage therapists with sham job offers. He solicits practitioners for supposed lucrative job openings and requests late-night meetings and massage samplings. Some practitioners have reported harassment after the initial contact. Massage therapists in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Nevada have reported similar stories regarding Min. A photo of Min is posted The Morning Call online.

Victims of this scam can contact Investigator Moses Miller of the Bethlehem Police Department at 610-997-7674. The investigation is ongoing.

ABMP is happy to report that, on September 30, 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1822. In his veto message he stated:

“This bill is unnecessary and inappropriately requires specific law enforcement association appointments to the California Massage Therapy Council. This Council is already working closely with law enforcement professionals across the state to ensure the profession is appropriately screened for past criminal activity before being certified. In addition, there are members of the public, not associated with the massage industry, already appointed to this Council.”

ABMP and the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) could not agree more. Thank you Governor Schwarzenegger! ABMP’s lobbyist, Kathryn Scott, working with our staff, played a pivotal role in achieving the final outcome.

In other news, Senate Bill 294 was signed into law. The bill clarifies that the massage therapy provisions of SB 731 (passed in 2008) extend and apply to ALL cities and counties, INCLUDING charter cities and charter counties. As you may be aware, several charter cities (such as Irvine) were resistant to accepting CAMTC authority to certify practitioners and pre-empt local massage therapist licensing requirements. The passage of this bill clarifies that CAMTC certification will indeed pre-empt all such local massage license requirements.

Keep in mind that cities and counties, per SB 731, still may require that a massage therapist setting up a practice obtain a business permit, just as other professionals and retail service providers must do. Zoning, health, and safety requirements also apply, although they cannot be more rigorously applied to massage therapists than they are for others.

Please also exhibit patience over the implementation of SB 294. The CAMTC is on the case, but desires to work with cities, using its now strengthened hand, rather than provoke battles. If you seek to start a practice and are rebuffed, please inform us so we can bring your circumstance to CAMTC’s attention.

Report to ABMP Members

September 27 -29, 2010

Sixty participants gathered in Washington, DC to discuss new opportunities for the complementary and alternative health care community made possible by the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama in March, 2010. The Affordable Care Act focuses primarily on new consumer protections, improving quality and lowering the costs of healthcare, and increasing access to affordable care. Several sections within the law relate directly to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and integrative practices (specifically 2706, 3502, 4001, 4206, 5101, 6301 and 2301).

The goal of the working conference was to identify and strengthen opportunities for collaboration within the CAM community and to begin developing goals, strategies, and action plans for the implementation phase of the Affordable Health Care Act. Conference attendees formed six work groups that concentrated on the following issues: improving access to integrated health care, defining the heath care workforce, expanding health promotion and wellness programs, finding opportunities for inclusionary Current Procedural Terminology (CPT codes), setting a research agenda, and identifying opportunity for integration in practice and service delivery to patients.

A summary of the conference and work group sessions will be available on the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) website. This report will form the basis for further activity. http://www.ihpc.info/

Dr. Josephine Briggs, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at National Institutes of Health (NIH) presented on the new NCCAM Strategic Plan (http://plan.nccam.nih.gov/?nav=upd). The mission of NCCAM is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. Their new strategic plan is of interest to many CAM providers since it sets the tone for government research priorities.

The event was hosted by the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium, the Institute for Integrative Health, and the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Health Policy.
ABMP will continue to participate in ongoing efforts and work groups and will keep members informed.

For the last few months AB 1822 has been making its way through the legislative process. In its original form, the bill would have significantly gutted the authority of the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) and the certification process enacted under SB 731 (Oropeza) in 2008. In its current form, the bill would provide both the California Police Chiefs Association and the California State Sheriffs’ Association with the ability to appoint a person to the CAMTC board of directors. The bill has passed the General Assembly. The governor must sign or veto legislation within 12 days or it becomes law without his signature.

ABMP remains opposed to the bill (for reasons spelled out in ABMP’s Request for Veto) and has asked Governor Schwarzenegger to veto it. Other regulatory boards in California include members from the profession and the public. The inclusion of law enforcement organization appointees on a professional board is unprecedented and punitive.

Read ABMP’s Request for Veto

Includes User-friendly Tools and Unlimited Pages for ABMP Members

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) has just released its new ABMP Website Builder as a member benefit, creating an even better website tool for promoting member massage and bodywork practices. ABMP’s Website Builder is custom-built, making it the most practitioner-friendly program offered by a massage membership association. And it’s completely free. There is no cost for website registration, hosting, and an unlimited number of pages.

A decade ago, ABMP was the first massage therapy association to recognize that massage therapists needed a Web presence to succeed. ABMP was the first to invest in website hosting and creation tools on behalf of its members.

“We can’t overstate the importance of an online presence for massage therapists, especially when they work independently,” says Lara Bracciante, director of information services for ABMP. “Today’s clients don’t just prefer finding businesses on the Web—they expect it. We want to make it easy for members to have beautiful, professional websites that clearly communicate the quality of their work. This tool is a distinct advantage to every ABMP member.”

Features of the ABMP Website Builder include:

• No charge and no pressure to buy an upgrade. There is no cost to members for domain registration (.abmp.com or .massagetherapy.com), hosting, or setup. No one will call or e-mail with a sales pitch for upgrading service packages.
• Unlimited website pages. Members can add as many pages as they want.
• Content roadmap. The ABMP Website Builder provides 11 starter pages with content suggestions that make it easy to cover the basics—like the benefits of massage, cancellation policies, and frequently asked questions. Members can adapt, delete, or use the templates as is.
• Dozens of professional designs. Members choose from 25 flexible and professionally designed templates with three color choices each, totaling 75 different options.
• Logo included in the template design. Members can easily add their own logos as a natural-looking element of the design.
• Specials/call-out box. For emphasis, a box can be integrated into the template to highlight certain information, like the therapist’s location, monthly specials, or online booking. When the member fills that out, the information automatically appears throughout the site.
• Embedded video. For a personal touch, members can easily add video to any or all website pages.
• Automated Google map. When members include an address on their website, one extra click generates a Google map to make it even easier for clients to locate the practitioner.
• Contact form. This option allows clients and potential clients to reach members through a contact form without the therapist having to publish an e-mail address that invites unwanted e-mail messages.
• Search engine optimization. All pages provide fields for members to specify keywords that make their websites appear more prominently when potential clients search for massage therapy services.
• Smartphone compatibility. Template options are available that allow client smartphones to view member websites in an appealing and legible format.
• Client and therapist time-savers. Clients can easily download intake forms to bring with them to appointments, allowing them to more accurately and conveniently fill them out at home. These forms include First-time Client Health History, Screening Questionnaire, Body Map, Client Feedback, Physician’s Permission, and Physician’s Referral form.
• Online booking. ABMP members can set up their schedules so clients can see availability and make appointments 24/7. For booking a massage, many people prefer this option to voicemail and phone tag.
• Gift certificate/Paypal sales setup. Research shows most gift certificates are purchased at the last minute. ABMP members can sell gift certificates and take payment online 24/7, even if the member does not accept credit cards in their practice.

“We developed the ABMP Website Builder with massage therapists in mind every step of the way,” Bracciante says. “The system has been custom-built for our members and has many advantages over a third-party product or a one-size-fits-all website builder that doesn’t cater to profession-specific needs. As such, we can continually add customized features and templates that our members tell us are key to their success.”

ABMP is the nation’s largest membership association serving massage therapists and bodyworkers. ABMP promotes ethical practice, fosters acceptance of the profession, and protects the rights of legitimate practitioners. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Golden, Colo., ABMP has more than 73,000 massage therapist, student, and school members.

Governor David Paterson signed SB 5431 into law on August 30, 2010 after the bill was rushed through the legislature. The law will require massage therapists to complete 36 hours of continuing education during each triennial registration period. Of this, a maximum of twelve hours may be self-instruction. Licensees will have to complete a prorated number of continuing education requirements in the first triennial registration period. Licensees could be granted an exemption by the department for reasons of hardship or military service.

Unfortunately the New York General Assembly ignored valid concerns repeatedly brought forth by ABMP and the massage therapy community concerning the approval process for continuing education workshops. The bill stipulates that acceptable formal continuing education be approved through a new state-based process that will require CE providers to pay a $900 fee to become approved. The excessive cost and application requirements will likely discourage many CE providers from offering courses in New York.

Another deterrent for prospective CE providers is that New York does not provide an exemption from licensure, even if teaching a class for a day, for out-of-state CE providers. All hands-on providers would have to become state-licensed in New York. Not an easy feat since the state requires 1,000 hours of entry-level education and its own state exam.

ABMP is concerned that these two deterrents will lead to limited CE providers and more costly classes for licensees than what is typical in other states that mandate CE for renewal. ABMP had asked Governor Paterson to veto the bill but were not successful. ABMP will help members stay informed as additional policies are developed by the department in consultation with the State Board for Massage Therapy.

For several months, ABMP has worked (primarily through its role in CAMTC) with the sponsor of California Assembly Bill 1822 to effect several changes that would make AB 1822 more logical and supportive of the massage therapy profession. Unfortunately, the sponsor has stripped out the constructive clean-up language agreed upon, leaving only provisions for two more CAMTC board seats for specified law enforcement organizations. ABMP has engaged the professional lobbyist previously used in the state certification effort to help ensure a legislative result that prevents the undoing of the current state regulation.

View the document that has been distributed to California legislators.

The Board of Massage and Bodywork currently issues licenses to massage and bodywork therapists and certificates to massage technicians. Delaware is the only state to have this two-tier system. Licensed therapists are required to complete at least 500 hours of education and pass a certification examination. Massage technicians are required to complete 300 hours of education and are not required to take an examination.

The intent of HB 463 was to ultimately eliminate the 300-hour massage technician category and require all practitioners to become licensed therapists. To achieve licensure, massage technicians would have been required to pass an examination in the next three years. No additional education would have been required.

ABMP was very disappointed in the lack of outreach and transparency by the Board of Massage and Bodywork during this process. We believe that the lack of transparency led to the governor’s veto. Massage practitioners in Delaware will continue to be regulated by the two-tier system.

Read the governor’s veto message.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) today released a statement on an e-mail widely distributed last night to massage therapists by Will Green, owner of the now-defunct International Massage Association (IMA). His email appeared to be a response to an article in a massage therapy professional publication. ABMP’s response, distributed to the media and its members, follows. 

Within the past 24 hours, Massage Today magazine published an article titled “What Became of IMA?” and IMA’s owner, Will Green, sent to former International Massage Association (IMA) members a lengthy statement in response. As you may have heard, IMA Group, an insurance provider in the field, recently went out of business due to financial difficulties. In communicating the news to his former members, Mr. Green characterized some aspects of the insurance industry, and in particular Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), in a way that was not entirely accurate. 

ABMP is a full-service professional membership association, which provides liability insurance as one primary benefit of that membership. Insurance is an important piece of a practitioner’s portfolio—you want to make sure that you’re protected in the event a claim is filed against you—but insurance is not the sole valuable support a massage professional should expect from an association. 

In his comments, Mr. Green stated the following about liability insurance policies: 

All the other associations have master policies. The members are added to the policy with their limits. Here is what I have learned … these master policies have a limit. Most limits are $10 million. Each member is told they have a $1 million to $3 million limit but that is not really true. If the entire policy reaches $10 million in claims they have no ($0) coverage at all … ABMP is with the same company the IMA had. Does their policy have a limit? Good question if you have their coverage. 

Mr. Green is partially correct. And he raises a good question. Many providers of liability insurance to massage professionals, including the other full-service association, the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), do have master policy limits. If combined payments to settle claims filed against all insured members in any policy year reach the $10 million threshold, there is no coverage left for the next member filing a claim. 

ABMP’s insurance policy has no such master policy cap. Each insured member has coverage up to the full policy limits stated on his or her insurance certificate—$2 million per incident and $3 million aggregate for each of three types of liability—professional, general, and product. That coverage is not limited by the claims experience of other ABMP members. In fact, we have been talking about this liability insurance policy difference in our advertisements and promotional materials for more than a year. 

Mr. Green and IMA ran into trouble, as he admits, by not focusing on the fundamental aspects of his business, including not keeping up with his obligation to pay his insurance carrier. By contrast, ABMP’s current leadership team has been managing the organization for 14 years. In that time, ABMP became the largest professional association in the field, all while maintaining a stable membership fee and dramatically increasing the value of our membership. 

Unlike IMA, which shuttled among multiple insurance companies, ABMP has enjoyed a solid, strong relationship with our A.M. Best “A” rated insurance underwriter for the past decade, and our insurance broker for the past 13 years. While others claim to offer unsurpassed coverage, ABMP’s member liability insurance policy truly is the most comprehensive policy available in the field—measured both by its policy limits and by its “occurrence-form” nature, rather than the more limited “claims-made” type of coverage offered by some others. 

Mr. Green reached out to ABMP in March, when he knew his organization was in trouble. We paid attention because we did not want to see 15,000 massage therapists be left out in the cold. But, after investigation, we determined we were not prepared to potentially put at risk the health of our own organization and our 72,000 members, considering the problems surrounding the IMA Group. 

What really matters to members of a professional association is having an organization and leadership they can rely upon, an association that backs up their words with actions. ABMP is such an association, a community—not solely an insurance provider. We have 43 staff members possessing diverse professional skills who come to work every day with the same focus: “What can we do to make our members’ careers more successful?” A few of them specialize in insurance matters, providing supportive help whenever a claim arises. Most of the staff focuses on a wide variety of other services—including magazines, websites, webinars, legislative support, and other assistance—to keep ABMP’s members abreast of developments in the profession and focused on what it takes to build and sustain a successful practice. 

In Memoriam

The massage profession has lost a trusted voice and advocate in the July 18th passing of Nina McIntosh, author of The Educated Heart and longtime columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. Her 18-month struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) ended peacefully in the presence of friends and bodyworkers at her Asheville, North Carolina home. A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 24, at the Brooks Howell Home, 266 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. A second service will be held August 14 in Memphis, Tennessee (details pending).

After graduating from the Tulane University School of Social Work in 1970, Nina worked as a psychiatric social worker for several years, graduated from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 1978, and became a certified Rolfer in 1981. Her 1999 book, The Educated Heart, was highly revered within the profession and quickly became (and remains) the ethics and boundaries textbook for many massage educators. In 2001, Nina brought her unique wit and professionalism to the pages of Massage & Bodywork in her ethics column, The Heart of Bodywork, which lasted until she put away her pen in December 2009. Along with several other industry leaders, Nina also partnered with Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals in 2008 for the writing of Teaching Massage: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors, an educator’s resource manual.
Honored with a Humanitarian Award from the World Massage Festival in 2010, Nina always strove to bring a new level of professional ethics and attitudes to the profession she loved.

A favorite quote from her book speaks volumes to the message she tried to impart:
“Professionalism doesn’t mean acting stuffy or keeping our clients at arms’ length. It simply means that, when we’re working, our focus is on our clients. We pay attention to them, we’re sensitive to their vulnerability. Being professional is just an educated way of being kind.”

Contributions in her honor can be made to the Massage Therapy Foundation, 500 Davis Street, Suite 900, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, or online at www.massagetherapyfoundation.org.

ABMP Offers ABC’s “The View” Hosts a Complimentary Massage Therapy Session in Conjunction with EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, July 18 To 24

(Golden, Colo., July 9) – Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) will celebrate its award-winning, 16th annual EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, highlighting the benefits of massage, from Sunday, July 18, through Saturday, July 24. As in years past, ABMP members will hold grassroots events nationwide to give back to their communities and spread the word about the value of professional massage therapy.

“There’s no better time than now to tell the world about the value of legitimate, professional massage therapy,” said ABMP president and nationally certified massage therapist Les Sweeney. “It’s clear from recent events in the news that there are still a few folks out there—including some in the media—who aren’t clear about the code of conduct followed by massage therapists and the therapeutic value of professional massage therapy. It’s professional work that calls for significant training, adherence to a code of ethics, and professional licensing in 43 states.”

ABMP this week issued an invitation for a free one-hour massage session to co-hosts on ABC’s “The View,” and Joe Scarborough of NBC’s “Morning Joe,” after some stories with disrespectful comments about massage therapy were aired on their shows.

On behalf of the 293,000 massage therapists in the United States, ABMP pointed out the following to hosts and producers at these media outlets:

• Professional massage therapists complete anywhere from 250 to 1,000 hours of training in order to work legally in regulated states.
• ABMP therapists are required to follow a strict code of ethics.
• Massage therapy is the most-requested service in spas.
• The most typical session length for a table massage is 60 minutes. The next most frequent request is 75 to 90 minutes.
• At a massage session, a client undresses in private, only to his or her level of comfort, and is carefully draped at all times during the session, so that only the area being worked on is exposed.
• Any inappropriate remarks or actions by a client result in immediate termination of the massage session with no refund.
• There are numerous health and relaxation benefits from receiving massage therapy.
• Consumers can find out more at www.massagetherapy.com. The site includes the ability to search for links to qualified therapists.

“Unfortunately, massage terminology is used as a cover by some for illegal activities that have nothing to do with the work our members perform,” Sweeney said. “This puts legitimate professionals at unnecessary personal risk, and damages a profession that has made great strides in public recognition and acceptance in recent decades.”

Independent consumer research shows 42 percent of American adults have received at least one massage during their lifetime. Interest in and acceptance of massage therapy has grown significantly in the past two or three decades, thanks to ongoing education and the quality of work that’s being accomplished. The rise of spas and the aging of baby boomers have contributed to this trend.

Grassroots events for EveryBody Deserves an Massage Week this year include a contest giving away a massage to a deserving member of a community, fundraisers for a children’s hospital and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and complimentary 30-minute massages for veterans. To find out about events that may be happening in your area, contact ABMP PR Specialist Nora Brunner at 800-458-2267, ext. 647.

ABMP is the nation’s largest massage membership association and serves the profession by promoting ethical practice, fostering acceptance of the profession, and protecting the rights of legitimate massage and bodywork practitioners. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Golden, Colo., ABMP has more than 72,000 massage therapy professional and student members nationwide.

Contact:
Nora Brunner
Public Relations
nora@abmp.com
800-458-2267, ext. 647

Charitable and Educational Events Benefit Communities

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) today announced dates for the 2010 EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, which promotes the benefits of massage to consumers. Massage therapists will hold events between Sunday, July 18, and Saturday, July 24, in communities nationwide. The award-winning promotion is open to both ABMP members and non-members to help build their businesses and visibility.

The use of massage therapy has boomed in the last two decades. Massage has proven health benefits, such as effectiveness in treating persistent back pain and arthritis pain, as well as strengthening the immune system. It also reduces symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and much more. Consumer research shows first-time massage therapy clients report very positive feelings about their experience.

ABMP has sponsored a charitable, promotional massage event since 1995, with members holding celebrations that have included educational lectures, complimentary chair massage and gift certificate contests. Last year, ABMP introduced online customizable event materials for members, available at ABMP.com, Members section. Hard-copy event materials are also available to members and non-members, while supplies last, by calling 800-458-2267, ext. 632, or emailing expectmore@abmp.com. ABMP also loans participants large vinyl color banners (deposit required).

ABMP is the nation’s largest massage membership association. Headquartered in Golden, Colo., ABMP has more than 70,000 massage therapist members.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) has again been named “Association of the Year” by the World Massage Festival held in Berea, Ky. Festival founder Mike Hinkle presented the 2010 award to ABMP President Les Sweeney at a ceremony June 19.

“ABMP continues to lead the profession, especially with customer service,” Hinkle said. “Their creation of www.massageprofessionals.com led the entire industry in trying to bring all facets and memberships together. And it works! Congratulations to ABMP for another great year.” Hinkle is the former owner of Pensacola Massage Center in Pensacola, Fla.

“Once again, we are honored to have received this recognition,” Sweeney said. “The credit really goes to our loyal members, who have supported us as we’ve grown.” The festival is in its fifth year and reaches out to massage therapists, educators, profession leaders, and the general public in supporting massage practice and education. The festival helps therapists network with each other, massage business suppliers, schools, and professional associations. For more information, call 336-957-8997 or visit www.worldmassagefestival.com.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is a professional membership association serving the massage therapy profession by promoting ethical practice, fostering acceptance of the profession, and protecting the rights of legitimate massage and bodywork practitioners. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Golden, Colo., ABMP is the largest massage membership association in the United States with more than 72,000 massage therapist members.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) and the massage therapy profession have again been reminded by news events that continuing work needs to be done to educate the public and media about the legitimacy of the tens of thousands of licensed and qualified massage therapists practicing in the United States. The prominence of one individual named in the most recent story means the coverage could go on for some time.

No one doubts the massage profession has made tremendous strides over several decades in re-casting the image of massage therapists in the favorable and respectful light they deserve. It’s disturbing that some news commentators haven’t reached an enlightened perspective on the work that massage therapists do, and instead are using imprecise terminology and innuendo that fuels false perceptions.

There are still people trading on the good name of massage therapy to provide cover for illegal activities. As long as the term “massage therapy” is misappropriated by these operators, we will continue to correct the record and educate consumers and the media.

While we at ABMP are contacting media outlets nationwide to express our concerns, we believe another approach might also be effective. Just as legislators pay more attention to individually written letters than they do form letters, we suggest massage therapists disturbed by this coverage post or send their complaints to the offending news websites. This is truly a case where the strength in numbers of 72,000 ABMP massage therapists is more powerful than a single institutional voice.

Join Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), Massage & Bodywork magazine, and Whitney Lowe for an engaging discussion of active engagement techniques. These treatment approaches are a valuable approach in every clinician’s strategies for treating pain and injury conditions. Active engagement techniques incorporate active client movement along with specific massage treatment applications and can be applied to virtually any region of the body. Not only are they a great way to treat pain and injury conditions, they are also an excellent method for increasing the effectiveness of pressure during deep massage applications, making less work for the therapist. Whitney will:

• Cover theoretical concepts of active engagement methods.
• Show how these techniques can be incorporated in your practice.

Whitney Lowe is the author of Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy and Orthopedic Massage: Theory and Technique. His articles appear regularly in professional journals and magazines. In 1994, he founded the Orthopedic Massage Education & Research Institute (OMERI) to provide massage therapists the advanced education they would need for treating orthopedic soft-tissue disorders.
When registering, please click on the red “show time in my time zone” link to receive the appropriate webinar start time in your confirmation email.
For time zone assistance, click here.

Reserve your Webinar seat now!

MT Body of Knowledge Document Released

How Did We Get Here, and What Does It Mean?

Please join us June 23 for a complimentary webinar regarding the implications of the inaugural Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) document. The document was released May 15, 2010, at the Highlighting Massage Therapy in CIM Research Conference in Seattle, Washington. The MTBOK was developed by an eight-member task force selected by representatives of the largest organizations serving our profession.

We will discuss the MTBOK and its development, significance, and possible implications. Three of the task force members—Kevin Pierce, Susan Salvo, and Dawn Schmidt—will discuss the project and address questions and comments submitted by viewers. Attendance is limited, so register now and log on early to ensure your participation in the live event. Those who are not able to participate in the live event can enjoy the recorded version of the webinar available at www.mtbok.org by June 29th.

To read more about this project, turn to page 44 of the upcoming July/August 2010 issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine for the article: “The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge: What the MTBOK Is and Why You Should Care.” Or visit the digital edition at www.abmp.com.

When registering, please click on the red “show time in my time zone” link to receive the appropriate webinar start time in your confirmation email.
Reserve your webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/766511200.

California is in the process of redefining the regulation of massage therapy. It is considering AB 1822 which would, if passed, severely alter the regulatory powers of the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC).

AB 1822, heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 19, 2010, was referred to the suspense file until amendments to the bill could be made. ABMP expects the amendment to be drafted this week and for the Appropriations Committee to vote on Friday, May 28. Should the bill pass in committee, it will be referred to the Assembly Floor.

The amendments to AB 1822 are expected to address the concerns voiced by the CAMTC and massage therapy profession. The primary benefit to becoming CAMTC certified was to provide massage therapists some financial relief from restrictive and discriminatory local ordinances and from having duplicative processes to practice in multiple locations. We expect the amendment to eliminate language in AB 1822 taking away the CAMTC authority and returning it to local municipalities to be removed from the bill, thereby preserving this benefit.

In addition, we expect the amendment to include language that would clarify the scope of authority that local municipalities have to license massage establishments. Language adding two members to the CAMTC board, one member representing the Police Chief’s Association and one member representing the Sheriff’s Association, would remain in AB 1822 as currently written.

ABMP will continue to provide updates as progress is made.

As of July 1, 2010, you will need to be state licensed to practice as a massage therapist in Montana. The Montana Board of Massage Therapy is now accepting applications for licensing. Applications can be found at www.massagetherapists.mt.gov.

Because of the way the law was written, no licenses may be issued until 7/1/2010. However, license applications should be submitted now. Completed applications will be processed and a letter will be issued to the applicant stating the licensure status. Applications with the status of “approved” will be issued a license beginning 7/1/2010.

Application Processes
You may apply through one of three processes: grandfathering, endorsement, or examination. The grandfathering application is the easiest, consisting of four parts listed below.

1. Submit a completed application and application/license fee of $130.00 (check or money order payable to the Montana Board of Massage Therapy).
2. Submit documentation that the applicant will be at least 18 years of age by 7/1/2010. A copy of a driver’s license or birth certificate is acceptable.
3. Provide a notarized affidavit stating that the applicant has engaged in the practice of massage therapy for at least 100 hours in Montana on or before 7/1/2010 and prior to application. A form is provided in the application packet for your use.
4. Provide two letters attesting to the good moral character of the applicant sent directly to the board office by individuals who are not family members (your employer or clients are good choices). A form is provided in the application packet for your use and may be copied as many times as needed.

You will personally be submitting the application, one affidavit document, and the fee. Letters attesting to moral character will be sent to the board office by the individuals you ask to provide them. You may choose to provide individuals attesting to your moral character a postage paid envelope already addressed to the board to make it as easy as possible for them.

If you choose to apply by examination, in addition to the above items, you will have to submit proof of high school graduation, evidence of completing a massage therapy program, and evidence of a passing score on either the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) or either of the two exams offered by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).

If you choose to apply by endorsement, in addition to the items contained in the grandfathering application, you will have to submit proof of graduation from high school, official verification from each state in which you are licensed, and a copy of the licensing requirements from each state in which you are licensed. Some states may charge a fee for verification. We recommend that you contact each state prior to sending the request.

Again, the grandfathering application is the quickest and easiest pathway to licensure.

Additional Considerations
Question 11 on the application asks: “Have you ever practiced any other branch of the Healing Arts that did not require a license in that jurisdiction? If yes, please list.” ABMP contacted the board for clarification of this confusing question. The board is asking you to report additional training you have had in unlicensed practices. List all of the modalities that you practice under question 11.

Practices exempt from massage therapy licensure, as long as practitioners do not practice or advertise that they practice massage therapy, include: movement education, structural integration, and reflexology.

As always, ABMP will make licensure information available at www.abmp.com.

Specific questions should be directed to the board:
Montana Board of Massage Therapy
PO Box 200513
301 South Park, 4th Floor
Helena, MT 59620-0513
406-841-2331 or 2394
Fax: (406-841-2305
Email: dlibsdlmt@mt.gov
Website: www.massagetherapists.mt.gov

Under the current law, a person who is not certified as a massage therapist or bodyworker by the Department of Regulation and Licensing may not designate himself/herself as a massage therapist or bodyworker. The passage of AB 588 will make it mandatory for massage and bodywork therapists to be licensed by the state in order to practice, essentially changing the law from title protection to a mandatory practice act.

ABMP will keep members informed as the processes develop. Below are frequently asked questions that will address more common concerns.

Qualifications
Q. If I already have a Wisconsin State Certification, how does this affect me?
A. You will simply renew your credential by the regular renewal date (February 28, 2011). You will not have to reapply or start over in the application process. You may receive notification regarding the change from certification to licensure from the state. Make sure your address and contact information is correct by checking your profile.

Q. Will I be required to complete continuing education in order to renew on February 28, 2011?
A. No, not for the 2011 renewal.

Q. Will my title change?
A. Yes, you will be a licensed massage or bodywork therapist (LMT or LBT) instead of certified massage or bodywork therapist (CMT or CBT).

Q. I was Wisconsin State Certified but I allowed my certifcation to lapse. What should I do?
A. There is a 5 year grace period during which you can simply renew your lapsed state credential instead of having to start over in the application process. Check your status.

Q. How do I qualify if I am not currently Wisconsin State Certified?
A. The board will determine an application process. It will likely be similar to the
process in place for certification. We expect applications to be available by the end of 2010 at http://drl.wi.gov/profession.asp?profid=25&locid=0.

Qualifications
A grandfathering provision was adopted in the law to recognize existing practitioners who had not previously become state certified. For one year after the effective date of the act, the board will accept one of the following requirements to obtain a state license:

• The applicant was actively engaged in the practice of massage or bodywork therapy by practicing for an average of 10 hours per week for at least 10 years; or
• The applicant passed a nationally administered entry-level competency exam; or
• The person was actively engaged in the practice of massage or bodywork therapy by practicing for an average of 10 hours a week for at least 3 years and successfully completed a 200 hour licensure program approved by the board; or
• At least 180 days before the effective date of this act, the applicant completed a minimum 600-hour massage or bodywork training program.

The “effective date” is the first day of the 7th month after publication of the Act, December 2010.

Applicants will also have to attest that they have professional liability insurance, pass a state exam on massage and bodywork laws and regulations, and pay the fee.

Q. What will the qualifications for licensure be after the grandfathering provision expires in December 2011?
A.

1. Complete an approved minimum 600-hour massage or bodywork program.
2. Pass an entry-level competency exam accepted by the board.
3. Pass a state exam on massage and bodywork laws and regulations.
4. Attest to having professional liability insurance (which is included in your ABMP membership).
5. Pay the fee.

Q. Bodywork is a general term; are any practices exempt from licensure?
A. Specific practices are not named in the law. However, there are four categories of exempt practices.

1. Practitioners manipulating only the soft tissue of the hands, feet, and ears; and
2. Practitioners using touch, words, and directed movement to change a client’s awareness of existing patterns of movement; and
3. Practitioners using touch to affect the energy systems; and
4. Practitioners using touch and education to effect change in the structure of the body while engaged in the practice of structural integration.

Q. What title will I use if I practice one of the exempt practices?
A. A person who is exempt from licensure may use the terms “bodywork,” “bodyworker,” and “bodywork therapy.”

Affiliated Credentialing Board
The bill creates the Massage Therapy and Bodywork Therapy Affiliated Credentialing Board. A credentialing board has similar responsibilities to an examining board. Members are appointed by the governor and subject to senate confirmation; they will have authority to issue administrative rules interpreting the licensing law, and they will have authority to investigate complaints and discipline licensees.

Q. Who will be appointed to the Massage Therapy and Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board?
A. The board will be comprised of six massage and bodywork therapists who have engaged in practice of massage or bodywork therapy for at least two years. One will represent private, occupational schools approved by the Educational Approval Board and one will represent massage and bodywork programs offered by technical colleges. A seventh member will be a public member who is a practitioner of one of the exempt practices. Each member will serve a four-year term.

Q. How do I apply to be a member of the board?
A. Members of Wisconsin state boards and commissions are vital participants in developing policy, regulation, advisory and advocacy efforts for a wide variety of issues affecting all Wisconsinites. ABMP encourages members looking for a meaningful volunteer experience within the massage therapy profession to apply. This is not a paid position and will likely be a time commitment of 10 or more hours a month.

If you wish to apply, simply complete the Appointments Application and return it, and your resume, to the governor’s office by email or fax it to (608) 267-7888.

ABMP will keep you informed as the board is appointed and rules and regulations are developed. Stay informed at www.abmp.com.

(Seattle, May 15) – The inaugural Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) was released today at the 2010 Highlighting Massage Therapy in CIM conference held in Seattle, WA. The release comes after almost a year-long effort by a task force composed of professionals from the massage therapy field. The task force was established by five of the major organizations that represent massage therapy: American Massage Therapy Association, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, the Massage Therapy Foundation, and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

The fifty-plus page document addresses all criteria specified for the project: a description of the massage therapy field, a scope of practice statement, a section specifying the competencies expected of an entry-level massage therapist in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities, and a terminology section.

“The MTBOK has benefited greatly from the comments and suggestions provided by stakeholders on the two drafts we made available during the development process,” said Chip Hines, MTBOK Project Manager. “The task force did an outstanding job of pulling all of this information together and producing an inaugural MTBOK that was truly developed by and for the profession.”

The MTBOK project grew out of a multi-organizational process aimed at determining the best way to begin articulating a well of knowledge for the profession’s domains (practice, accreditation, research, certification, education and licensing). Five of the original organizations interested in the MTBOK joined together to become Stewards for the initiative.

The MTBOK is a living document that will develop and evolve over time in response to the needs of the profession.

The MTBOK is available to view and download at www.mtbok.org. Comments and suggestions on the MTBOK may be emailed to mtbok_comments@mtbok.org.

Don’t miss this important instructor workshop, hosted by Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). This local event is designed to give massage teachers the tools they need to support students and improve retention rate and program success.

What: Instructors on the Front Lines: Tools to Help You Support Your Students. Embassy Suites Detroit—Troy/Auburn Hills, 850 Tower Drive, Troy, MI 48098, 248-879-7500, www.detroittroy.embassysuites.com.

Where:

When: Friday, May 21, 2010; 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (Lunch will be provided.)

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, May 18, 2010.

Designed for: All instructors and massage program directors. ABMP members and non-members are welcome to attend this event.

Cost: The workshop and lunch are complimentary for all participants.

CE Hours: All participants receive 5 hours of continuing education approved by NCBTMB.

For more information and to register, please visit http://www.abmp.com/instructors_on_the_front_lines/intro.pdf.

In a time when the economy is uncertain and every student counts, your retention rate—as well as your program’s quality reputation—is essential. This training will provide the tools teachers need to ensure student success and program viability.

What recent participants have said about this workshop:

• “This was the most valuable learning experience I have had in 17 years as a massage educator. Well done and please keep it up!” Rick Garbowski–Georgia Massage School
• “I’ve paid $500 for workshops not as informative, readily useable, and as effective as this one. Thank you so much!” Sonny–Owner, I-N Touch School of Massage Therapy, Inc., West Virginia
• “I have come away with more useful information from ABMP for reaching our students than any other organization.” Charity–Daymar College, Kentucky

The number of massage therapists in the United States has grown by more than 16,000 in the past two years, according to new research by Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). The biennial research has been conducted by ABMP since 1998.

According to ABMP, the number of U.S. massage therapists as of January 2010 was 293,531. This represents an increase of 5.4 percent from the last estimate of 278,089, conducted in January 2008.

The figure was based on state licensing lists and estimates from primary membership organizations and state populations. General receptivity to massage in particular regions was also considered in the estimation process.

“Massage continues to gain respect from the public and health professionals as a relaxing and restorative way to promote health and reduce stress,” says Les Sweeney, nationally certified massage therapist and ABMP president. “While the rate of growth for massage therapists entering the profession has understandably slowed, there are still many people seeking massage therapy as a career. Massage has often attracted career changers in the past; now it’s even more attractive to people who want a second job because of the economy.”

California continues to lead the pack in the number of therapists, with an estimated 41,645. The state with the fewest massage therapists is North Dakota, with just 599.

The per capita, or number of U.S. citizens per massage therapist, has continued to decrease as a result of the growth in massage therapists. This means there are more massage therapists to serve the population.

“The growth has been remarkable,” Sweeney says. “In 1998, there was an estimated one massage therapist for every 1,941 people in the United States. The current estimate is one massage therapist for every 1,036 people.”

While the growth of the field has been impressive over the decade, Sweeney cautions against the conclusion that growth is a detriment for active practitioners. “More qualified practitioners who can provide services to the public are a good thing,” he says. “After all, when you contrast the 293,000-plus massage therapists with the more than 3 million registered and licensed practical nurses, an estimated 600,000 physicians and surgeons, and the more than 600,000 cosmetologists in the United States, you can see there’s still plenty of room for those considering massage therapy careers.”

Click here for a larger view.

Click here for a larger view.

AB 1822, sponsored by Assemblyman Swanson, passed out of the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection on April 20, 2010, with a vote of 8 for and 3 against. This was the first of several committee hearings the bill will have to pass in order to become law. The bill has been assigned to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

The bill language was amended on April 13, 2010, prior to the vote, but the new language accomplishes essentially the same thing. If passed into law, the bill would circumvent the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) authority and return licensing authority to local jurisdictions. The bill spells out that:

• Until January 16, 2016, any person who administers massage for compensation must be either certified by the CAMTC or certified, registered, or licensed by a city, county, or city and county.
• A city, county, or city and county are authorized to require any person who administers massage or who owns a massage establishment or business to hold a business license or massage establishment permit or both.
• Two members would be added to the board of directors of the CAMTC and would be selected by specified peace officer associations.
• The governing body of a city, county, or both, along with agreement from the head of local law enforcement, may elect to take over the licensing of massage therapists from the CAMTC. In this case, the bill would invalidate the preemption of local licensing if a massage therapist is CAMTC certified.

Existing law prohibits a city, county, or city and county from enacting an ordinance that requires a massage therapist who is currently certified by the CAMTC to obtain any other license, permit, or other authorization to engage in the practice of massage. It is the primary benefit to becoming CAMTC certified.

ABMP remains opposed to the bill. It is irresponsible to essentially repeal a law that hasn’t even been fully implemented. The formation of the CAMTC took thousands of volunteer hours and was at significant expense. The members of the CAMTC have worked to create a certification process which, while not perfect, has integrity. The CAMTC process has rejected applicants who were previously licensed by municipalities. The process is working and needs the opportunity to be fully implemented.

Contact members on the Assembly Appropriations Committee and ask them to vote “no” on AB 1822.
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/newcomframeset.asp?committee=43

Yesterday, the proposed zoning ordinance sponsored by Alderman Suarez was deferred by the Chicago City Council. Had the ordinance passed, massage businesses would have been moved out of convenient neighborhoods and placed in commercial and industrial zones.

Thanks to the support of the four aldermen listed below, there will not be a zoning change at this time. Because this is a deferral, the subject will likely be brought forth again. ABMP will let you know when the zoning issue is revisited. In the meantime, this is a good opportunity to know who your alderman is, and to either meet or contact him or her to share information about massage therapy and your business.

Your calls made a difference; thank you! A special thank you to ABMP member Sarah McLaughlin, who served as ABMP’s eyes and ears in the room during the hearings. Please take a minute to call and thank the following aldermen:

Alderman Joe Moore: ward49@cityofchicago.org
Ward Phone: (773) 338-5796

Alderman Thomas Tunney: ttunney@cityofchicago.org
Ward Phone: (773) 525-6034

Alderman Mary Ann Smith: msmith@cityofchicago.org
Ward Phone: (773) 784-5277

Alderman Brendan Reilly: Brendan.Reilly@cityofchicago.org
Ward Phone: (312) 642-4242

The City of Chicago’s Committee on Zoning passed a motion on March 25, 2010, to amend its zoning ordinance affecting massage establishments. The amendment, sponsored by Alderman Ray Suarez (31st Ward), would prohibit “massage establishments” from operating in B Zoning Districts, moving them into C Zoning Districts only. The vote passed 2-0, but the majority of committee members did not vote.

Massage establishments can currently operate in areas typically used by other small businesses and retail establishments in local neighborhoods (B Zoning). If the amendment offered by Alderman Suarez passes as proposed, massage establishments would be moved out of safe and convenient neighborhoods and would be located only in areas normally zoned for commercial and industrial businesses (C Zoning), such as outdoor storage areas and automobile lots. The zoning change would affect solo practitioners, massage clinics, and businesses that offer massage therapy as an ancillary service, such as spas and salons.

Massage businesses and the profession itself would be negatively impacted if the amendment should pass.

Call Alderman Suarez and ask him to reconsider sponsoring this amendment. He can be reached at 773-486-6488.

Call your alderman today and ask him or her to oppose the zoning amendment.

You can find contact information for your alderman at http://www.chicityclerk.com.
Go to the “City Council” tab and click “Find you Alderman.”

Passage of Health Care Reform

ABMP Statement 3-29-2010
Bob Benson
ABMP Chairman

The debate is over, for now at least. The American system for providing health care to its citizens will be transformed during the next few years. How will massage therapy be impacted by the changes in law? Mostly in ways that are not so far a central part of the conversation within the massage community.

Much of the massage profession discussion about health care reform has focused on enhanced recognition of the value of massage therapy by the medical and insurance communities. Discussions leading to the new law offered at least implicit recognition of massage therapy’s value in promoting health and wellness. The new law provides for research into the effectiveness of alternative approaches to treatment, which potentially may support the value of complementary therapies for certain physical conditions. While this recognition is appreciated, some in the massage community remain disappointed that, under the new law, massage therapy did not achieve notable gains in eligibility for reimbursement, i.e. by becoming considered a health service eligible for reimbursement by health insurance plans.

While greater respect for complementary and integrative medicine may be a subtle outcome of this new era in health care, another aspect of reform will directly affect a substantial number of massage therapists. ABMP’s research shows approximately 28 percent of our 71,000 massage therapist members do not currently have health insurance coverage. That percentage is almost double the rate of uninsured persons in the general U.S. population (approximately 15%). Many massage therapists mix and match their work – engaging in combinations of solo practice, part-time employment, and/or contract work – in combinations that do not facilitate eligibility for affordable employer sponsored health insurance coverage.

Frustration and worry about this circumstance show up in ABMP surveys we conduct to better understand the needs of our members. Health insurance has historically been one of the most-requested member benefits. ABMP explored options for a member health insurance program several times over the past 15 years. Consistently we found that a cost-effective national plan for members was unrealistic from cost and logistical perspectives.

Starting in 2014, those massage therapists currently lacking health insurance coverage will be required to obtain such insurance or to pay a penalty tax. However, based upon ABMP surveys of member income levels, many such affected individuals will be eligible for substantial financial subsidies. Even individuals with diverse massage practice arrangements will be able to choose among several plans expected to be offered through newly created insurance exchanges. Right away in 2010, massage therapists under age 26 will be eligible to remain covered under a parent’s health insurance plan.

The new health care bill will also bring numerous changes to the 72% of our members currently covered by health insurance. Among them are elimination of rate discrimination against women and prohibitions against insurance companies being able to disqualify an applicant for insurance because of a pre-existing condition or to boot someone out of a health plan because they had the audacity to actually become ill.

The new law certainly is imperfect, hardly surprising in tackling a service that makes up one-sixth of the entire U.S. economy. Though it contains a number of thoughtful initiatives to address rising health care costs, compromises with powerful elements in the health care industry limit the likely impact of those measures. The reality is that every health care system in the world is challenged by rapidly rising costs. Some of those cost increases have to do with wonderful, but expensive, new medical technologies, some to wasteful practices such as unnecessary duplication of medical records, and some to raw market power. We each also own a piece of the problem: only when attention to personal wellness becomes widespread does our society have an opportunity to reduce health care costs meaningfully.

Whatever differences of viewpoints individuals expressed during the extended national policy debate, the reality is that within five years it appears that more than 90% of practicing massage therapists will have health insurance coverage – and all of us will be relieved of the fear of losing coverage if we become ill or lose our job. We share the hopes of many that reform will on balance prove to be a positive change that will provide greater stability, security, and better health to Americans, and especially so to massage and bodywork professionals who themselves work to improve the health of millions of Americans every day.

Senate File 1233, the Senate’s version of the House’s 1503, has stalled in the Senate Health, Housing, and Family Security committee. Following a hearing on Monday, March 15, 2010, the bill failed to secure a vote and was held over without further action. The bill is considered dead and will likely be re-introduced next year.

If passed, SF 1233/HF 1503 would have created a voluntary registration credential for massage therapists. As detailed in the update on March 5, ABMP opposed the bill because of a mandatory requirement for schools to be accredited to be recognized by the board. As a result, only graduates of accredited massage schools would have been eligible for state registration. Since only 43% of massage therapy schools are accredited nationwide, this would have created a barrier to entry for any massage therapist who did not attend an accredited school.

ABMP worked with the AMTA chapter and sponsors to draft language that addressed this concern. Unfortunately, this language was not fully incorporated into SF 1233 and the bill was held over without a vote. Had this change been made, ABMP would have supported the bill and endorsed the voluntary credential.

If passed, House File 1503, would create a voluntary registration credential for massage therapists and create the Registered Massage Therapist Advisory Council to advise and assist the Board of Nursing in implementing the law. ABMP cannot support the bill in its current form; however, we are working with the AMTA chapter and legislative sponsor with the hope of amending the bill to address our concerns.

The following are areas that currently are cause for ABMP’s concern:
School Approval
ABMP opposes Section 10 (148.988) of the bill related to school approval. In order for a massage therapy program to be approved by the board, the school would have to meet all of the following:

1. Teach a program of at least 500 contact hours of combined massage therapy theory and practice training;
2. Be licensed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education or equivalent agency in another state;
3. Be accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education for accrediting such program or institutions (of which there are currently seven):
   • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
   • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).
   • Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET).
   • Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).
   • Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).
   • Council on Occupational Education (COE).
   • National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS).

Schools would also be obligated to pay an initial school approval fee of $300 to the board if already accredited by one of the seven accreditation agencies, or $450 if the school is not currently accredited. The yearly school renewal fee to the board would be set at $175. These requirements would be in addition to accrediting costs and licensing costs required by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

ABMP is specifically opposed to mandatory accreditation and the additional school approval process and fees that would be required by the board if HF 1503 were to pass.

In some professions, school accreditation is the norm. Nearly 100 percent of four-year colleges, for example, are accredited. That is not the norm among massage schools today. Only 676 of the 1575 (43%) state-approved massage schools are accredited by one or more of the seven bodies approved by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit massage programs. Chances are a massage therapist moving to Minnesota has not graduated from an accredited program and will have difficultly becoming registered.

There are only three states nationwide that only license graduates of accredited massage schools, all three have clearly documented problems because of this policy. We believe that the state agency assigned to approve schools should do its oversight job. When it does, that provides sufficient regulation of schools. Voluntary accreditation of massage schools has value for the individual school, but requiring such status should not be established as a barrier to entry.

Qualifications for Existing Practitioners
For a period of one year after applications become available, existing practitioners would be able to qualify for registration by paying a fee, submitting to a background check, demonstrating current CPR certification, proof of professional liability insurance and meeting one of the following requirements:

1. Completion of a minimum 500-hour massage therapy program (as approved by the board).
2. Passing an entry-level competency exam to be approved by the board
3. Demonstrating employment as a massage therapist for at least the previous 2 years prior to the effective date (August 1, 2010) of the bill.
4. Demonstrating active membership in a professional membership organization for at least 2 years prior to the effective date (August 1, 2010) of the bill.

ABMP is concerned about language that would require only applicants who have not graduated from an accredited school to pass an entry-level competency exam prior to registration. It is not clear whether this language would affect existing practitioners applying for registration in the first year.

Qualifications for Registration
To qualify for registration, a massage therapist would be required to:

• Pay a fee ($272 for initial registration)
• Submit to a background check.
• Demonstrate current CPR certification and proof of professional liability insurance.
• Demonstrate completion of an education program approved by the board.
• Demonstrate passage of an entry-level competency exam to be approved by the board.

In Minnesota, registration is considered voluntary, and is more a matter of title protection. Only massage therapists registering with the state would be able to use the title Registered Massage Therapist (RMT). Twelve hours of continuing education would be required every 2 years and the annual registration renewal fee would be set at $172.

The benefit to becoming state registered would be that the state credential would pre-empt local licensing requirements; however, local municipalities could still require business licenses with requirements consistent with other health professionals.

To read the entire bill, go to http://wdoc.house.leg.state.mn.us/leg/LS86/HF1503.1.pdf

New Instructor Training Program Added

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) announces online registration is open for the 14th annual ABMP School Issues Forum, April 22-24 in Alexandria, Va., at the Westin Alexandria Hotel.

ABMP’s School Issues Forum is a setting where owners, directors and members of the massage and bodywork profession can educate, inspire, network and talk shop with peers. This year, ABMP is launching a program for instructors emphasizing core skills for working with adult learners. All administrator and instructor attendees are eligible for as many as 15 NCBTMB-approved continuing education (CE) hours for the program’s administrator and instructor tracks.

“The instructor training program builds on the enthusiasm and appreciation schools have expressed for our live regional instructor trainings,” said Anne Williams, ABMP director of education. “We’ve received great reviews on our educator resources and the ABMP textbook, Teaching Massage: Fundamental Principles in Adult Education for Massage Program Instructors.”

Some of the instructor training topics at this year’s ABMP School Issues Forum include:

• Advanced Certification: What’s the Impact?
• Comprehensive Orientations: Why You Should Integrate One Now!
• Essential Classroom Management Skills.
• Learning Objectives: The Foundation of Curriculum.
• Massage School Curriculum: What’s Next?
• The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge Project.
• Principles and Practice of Core Learning Theories.
• Understanding Adult Learners and Choosing Instructional Methods.
• Effective Retention Strategies.

As in years past, attendees will have a flexible format in a relaxed environment that encourages participation.

Topics for school owners and administrators include:

• Advanced Certification: What’s the Impact?
• Building a Better Business.
• Comprehensive Orientations: Why You Should Integrate One Now!
• Effective Admissions Workshop.
• The Future of Vocational Education.
• Massage School Curriculum: What’s Next?
• Online Education: What are the Trends?
• The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge Project.

Online registration is open at www.abmp.com/school_administrators/forum or by calling Kathy Laskye at 800-458-2267, ext. 649. ABMP member schools can attend for $425; the non-member school fee is $485. Administrators receive a $50 discount for bringing one instructor to the event.

ABMP is a national professional membership association serving the massage therapy profession. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Golden, Colo., ABMP is the largest massage membership association in the United States with more than 70,000 massage therapist members.

The Massage Therapy Foundation Board of Trustees is proud to announce that Ruth Werner of Layton, Utah, is their newly elected President. Werner’s term as President will be from March 1, 2010, through February 28, 2012.

Werner has been a trustee with the Foundation since March 2006, most recently serving as President-elect. She serves on several Foundation committees, and in 2009 under her leadership the Education Committee launched a new program, “Teaching Research Literacy: An In Service Event for Teachers,” which provides a continuing education opportunity for massage therapy educators and schools.

Werner is a massage therapist, writer, and educator with a passionate interest in massage research and the role of bodywork for people who struggle with health. Her groundbreaking textbook, A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology was first published in 1998; keeping it current is now her main occupation. In addition, she writes a column for Massage and Bodywork magazine and teaches continuing education workshops all over the country. She has volunteered for the Utah Department of Public Licensing, the AMTA, the National Certifying Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. Ruth was extremely honored to be selected for the AMTA Council of Schools Teacher of the Year Award for 2005.

Werner will succeed Diana Thompson, who served as President of the Massage Therapy Foundation since March 2006. Thompson will remain on the Board of Trustees and will serve as Immediate Past President.

The Massage Therapy Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity, with a mission to advance the knowledge and practice of massage therapy by supporting scientific research, education, and community service. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.massagetherapyfoundation.org.

The health care debate in Washington, D.C., provides an opportunity for the complementary and alternative medicine community to make itself heard and, as massage therapists and bodyworkers, you can help influence the debate by advocating for inclusive language when it comes to the development of policy. You can view a sample letter, which you may want to personalize and send to your legislators so that the profession is adequately represented in the debate.

Personalized letters receive more attention, so you may want to adapt this sample letter to fit your situation and experience, such as mentioning the preventive effects of massage you’ve seen at work in your own practice.

To identify your Congressional representatives, please visit http://www.votesmart.org/ and enter your zip code. Keep in mind some representatives accept input only through online forms, so you may need to cut and paste the contents of the sample letter into a your representatives’ designated contact forms online.

AB 588 was passed favorably out of the Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform with two small changes.

• The Examining Board was changed to an Affiliated Credentialing Board. A credentialing board has similar responsibilities to an examining board. Members are appointed by the governor and subject to senate confirmation, they would have authority to issue administrative rules interpreting the licensing law, and they would have authority to investigate complaints and discipline licensees.
• At the request of a legislator on the committee, the title protection was expanded to include “masseuse” and “masseur” for a more thorough inclusion of titles.

For additional details, see http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB-588.pdf.

For the last two years, the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy and a few representatives from both ABMP and the AMTA-Kentucky Chapter have been discussing changes to the Massage Therapy Practice Act. House Bill 180, sponsored by Representative Ruth Ann Palumbo, is the result of those discussions.

If passed, HB 180 would make a few small changes to the existing law:

• An exemption for instructors who are residents of another state who are in Kentucky to teach short term would be clarified.
• Other licensed health professionals, in addition to L.M.T.’s, would be able to supervise students.
• The penalty for violation of the Massage Therapy Practice Act would change from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor.
• Fees for late renewals would be raised.
• The law would add language to allow the board to accept other entry-level exams, such as the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). The MBLEx is currently accepted in 22 states with additional states working toward accepting it.

ABMP expects the bill to pass with minimal changes, but will keep members informed on www.abmp.com as the bill progresses.

The Society of Ortho-Bionomy International (SOBI) has offered to waive the $100 non-member registration fee for ABMP members who attend the 15th Annual Ortho-Bionomy Conference. The conference will be held April 29 through May 2, 2010, at the Coronado Springs Resort, in Orlando, Florida.

Presenters from Australia, Germany, and across the United States will present lectures and labs with hands-on demonstrations and practice sessions. Members who are licensed massaged therapists in Florida will receive 17 hours of continuing education credits. Ortho-Bionomy is a gentle, osteopathically derived approach to neuromuscular reeducation that combines various manual interventions such as positional release and muscle energy technique with energy work and a highly detailed focus on movement and postural analysis. If you are interested in learning more about Ortho-Bionomy, visit www.ortho-bionomy.org.

To register and for additional information, visit www.ortho-bionomy.org/conference.aspx.

Les Sweeney, NCTM
President, ABMP

The blogosphere has heated up lately regarding implementation of statewide massage regulations in California—we think that’s healthy. The massage community needs to be engaged in offering its opinions. It took six years to get a bill passed; how the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) implements the law is just as important.

At ABMP, we have heard about the massage certification issue from a significant proportion of our 12,600 California members. Most simply want to understand what the impact is likely to be on their practice options. Many of those folks have applied for CAMTC certification, some with assistance or encouragement from our staff. A meaningful proportion of applicants have later contacted ABMP because of frustration that their applications, while seemingly complete, have not been acted upon. While we hope to have more information soon on this question, ABMP has no ability to affect certification decisions. All an applicant can do is to keep contacting the management company hired by the CAMTC Board of Directors at camtc@amgroup.us or 916- 669-5336.

The most current issue being debated is a Board decision to hire a CEO for the critical next 12–18 month period, and in particular how much it would be appropriate to pay this individual. ABMP wants to ensure that an experienced, capable person is chosen. Individuals with executive experience at this level of challenge come with six-figure compensation expectations. At the same time, the CAMTC is a non-profit organization with responsibilities similar both to boards regulating other professions and to other quasi-governmental organizations. ABMP believes that, in setting a CEO salary, there needs to be some sense of proportionality and recognition of the economic circumstances of CAMTC’s constituents—California massage therapy practitioners. After all, it is the aggregation of the $150 application fees paid by thousands of practitioners who pay CAMTC’s bills. As a point of reference, the California Board of Registered Nursing (which oversees the regulation of 370,000 RNs in CA) is currently seeking an Executive Officer (their chief staff officer). The advertised compensation range is between $105,000–$114,000 annually.

A recent Laura Allen blog posted on Massageprofessionals.com highlighted the CEO issue. It has generated a number of responses, including responses from CAMTC board members; one is from CAMTC Chair Beverly May. You are encouraged to read the diverse views expressed and add your opinion.

The CAMTC Board held its regularly scheduled meeting February 11. In the context of approving a 2010 budget, the CEO compensation issue came up. In essence, the issue was pushed down the road. The budget approved included a range of possible CEO compensation— $10,000 to $22,500 per month salary plus up to $5,000 per month for benefits plus mandated payroll taxes.

CAMTC Chair May presented a proposed budget for adoption calling for CEO salary and benefits at an annual rate of $330,000 per year (the maximum of the aforementioned range). CAMTC Board member Bob Benson (ABMP’s Chairman and one of two ABMP representatives on the CAMTC) proposed an amendment to reduce that figure to an annual rate of $180,000.

After much discussion, the amendment to reduce the amount to $15,000 per month (i.e. $180,000 per year) was defeated by a vote of 9-4. All CAMTC Board of Directors meetings are open to the public; the information below reports the publicly taken roll call vote:

Mason Myers, a CAMTC board member appointed by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools, had made clear in advance of the meeting that he would vote “Yes” on the proposed amendment, but, after staying on a conference phone for four hours while other agenda items were moved ahead of the budget discussion, had to leave the discussion to prepare for undergoing knee surgery.

To summarize, representatives of ABMP and three of the four school associations favored the lower CEO compensation level. Representatives from AMTA, American Massage Council, and Hands On Trade Association did not support the proposed compensation reduction.

ABMP will continue to update members regarding the California certification process, including the actions of the CAMTC Board.

In typical form that makes us so proud to be part of this profession, the massage/bodywork community is mobilizing to help Haiti relief efforts. If you are organizing such an event, we invite you to post it here. Please include the following information, if applicable: event name, sponsor, location, date, contact name, phone, e-mail, website, description of the event, and the name of the benefiting charity (American Red Cross, OXFAM, Doctors without Borders, etc.).

Having just completed its first year of operations, the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) announced that it is hiring for a CEO position, to provide leadership and assure that new, statewide voluntary certification becomes well-seated and widely accepted. The posting indicates that the successful candidate will be experienced with CEO responsibilities and have knowledge of California’s massage profession.

Read full details at http://www.camtc.org/Board/CEO.pdf.

In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, many ABMP members are reaching out, asking if there’s anything they can do. According to humanitarian aid organizations, monetary donations are most useful at this time, as material items like food and clothing cannot yet be distributed. To this end, and on behalf of our members, ABMP has made a donation to the American Red Cross.

If you would like to make a donation, CNN has vetted and compiled a list of highly rated charities: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/.

The ABMP staff acknowledges and appreciates the compassionate nature of the massage community as we send healing thoughts to Haiti’s residents.

ABMP’s Member Photo Library offers hundreds of bodywork-related images to be used in creating marketing materials, including brochures, flyers, websites, and office design. A new selection has been added for 2010 to meet members’ needs. Members are welcome to use these images when creating materials for your business. We only ask that you include a photo credit that reads, “Photo courtesy of ABMP.” (The images from these libraries may not be reproduced, repackaged, or resold for any purpose. Use of these materials for other than intended purposes is expressly forbidden.)

ABMP members, log in to the ABMP Members section to access the ABMP Member Photo Library. Select “Photo Library” from the “Marketing Center” menu to access the 2010 additions, as well as images from past years.

Online Education Center

High-quality online education is now available so you can earn CE hours at your convenience. ABMP members receive substantial discounts on all courses, and your first course is free!

ABMP Members

> Log in to view courses and discounted pricing.
> Learn more about your free ABMP member course.
> Learn more about ABMP’s interactive online course design.
> View ABMP’s Continuing Education Calendar for live and self-paced
   CE events.
> Continuing Education: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Not an ABMP Member?

> View CE courses at full price.
> Join now, and receive online course benefits today.
> Learn more about ABMP’s Continuing Education Calendar for live CE events.
> Continuing Education: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
> Learn more about ABMP’s interactive online course design.

Learn More About Your Free ABMP Member Course

The Introduction to Myofascial Massage and Online Learning course introduces participants to features of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals’ online continuing education courses. Participants learn to navigate the online format while developing skills in myofascial release techniques. Fascia and its components, assessment techniques, and specific application methods are discussed. This interactive course uses video, audio commentary, and learning activities to teach myofascial release skills. If you’re an ABMP member you receive this course for free and earn 1 CE hour! Simply log in to the ABMP Members section and follow the specified navigation. You can view courses, learn more, or begin by taking Introduction to Myofascial Massage and Online Learning by selecting the “My Courses” tab.

Learn More About ABMP’s Interactive Online Course Design

In partnership with Human Kinetics, a leader in online education, ABMP brings you interactive, engaging courses, many of which include audio, video, and dynamic features to make your learning experience enjoyable and relevant. These courses are developed around topics that you tell us you find interesting, and our library is always expanding. Check out our new course additions regularly and send us your ideas for courses you want to see in the future.
With ABMP’s online courses you can:

• Choose from a list of meaningful, enriching courses.
• Start a course and finish it at a later date.
• Earn CE hours and fulfill you state, national certification, and/or association requirements*

While these courses are available to anyone, ABMP members receive substantial discounts on online courses and your first course is free!

All courses are approved by the NCBTMB and state boards, when appropriate (NCB provider number 451086-09). In some states, online education is not accepted for continuing education to renew your state credentials. View your state requirements on continuing education to learn more.

 

---

 

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) invites you to listen to this special webinar with Ben Benjamin and Whitney Lowe. These noted clinical massage specialists explore low back pain originating from iliolumbar ligament disorders and related biomechanical challenges that result. They also talk about relevant anatomy, biomechanics, and crucial factors to consider in the assessment and treatment of these challenging conditions. Hear this fascinating clinical dialogue between these two key educators.

This webinar is an exclusive benefit for ABMP Members. Log in to the ABMP Members section now to access this webinar.

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and the AMTA Kansas chapter submitted a sunrise document (essentially an application to license massage therapists in Kansas) to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The KDHE Occupational Credentialing Technical Review Committee was appointed to review the document in a series of four meetings, two of which have already occurred; it will make a recommendation to the legislature whether massage therapy should be regulated in the state of Kansas based on this document.

During the meetings, the committee asked questions about the profession and had an open dialog with representatives from ABMP, AMTA, and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). In order to secure a favorable recommendation from the committee, the document asks the applicant to meet ten criteria, the most important being that the unregulated practice of massage therapy can potentially harm the public. The committee will accept public comment on November 13; on December 11 the committee will deliver its final recommendation for the legislature. 

Even if the committee recommends licensing, the Kansas state legislature will have to draft and pass a bill to license massage therapists. The submission of the sunrise document is merely the first step in the process and the committee does not have the authority to actually license massage therapists. The committee has been open-minded and very thoughtful throughout the process.

Meetings begin at 10 a.m. and are held at the Curtis State Office Building, Flint Hills Room, 1000 SW Jackson Street, Topeka, KS 66612.

ABMP will support a bill to license massage therapists as long as it contains a provision for existing practitioners to become licensed without meeting additional education or exam requirements (grandfathering); sets a minimum education requirement consistent with the rest of the country (500 hours); and pre-empts local regulations. Forty-three states and District of Columbia regulate massage therapy.

Skincare Leader Launches Partnership with National Massage Franchise

November 3, 2009—Murad, Inc. of El Segundo, Calif., and Massage Envy, of Scottsdale, Ariz, the nation’s largest franchise of massage therapy clinics, have announced a joint partnership. Massage Envy will begin converting many of its clinics and opening new clinics as Massage Envy Spas throughout the United States. Massage Envy Spa will offer Murad treatment facials, including special treatments, which are customized specifically for this partnership. Murad’s introduction of its treatments and retail products to Massage Envy brings its skincare line to a new consumer. The treatments will be performed by licensed estheticians who will receive ongoing training and education from Murad.

“We’re excited to partner with Massage Envy. Their core beliefs in the physical and mental benefits of healing touch and achieving wellness through internal and external skincare are very much in line with Dr. Murad’s inclusive health philosophy,” said Richard Murad, Murad’s chief operating officer. “Not only is this a great introduction to Murad for Massage Envy customers, it is our hope that customers who will be experiencing a facial for the first time will continue to seek professional treatments to compliment their existing at home skincare regimens.”

“We’re very pleased to be working with Murad in an effort to bring our members the most effective, highest quality treatments and products available,” said David Humphrey, chief executive officer of Massage Envy. “The relationship says a great deal about our organizations’ mutual regard for our clients. We believe it allows Massage Envy to offer our 625,000 plus members the benefits of exceptional facials and skincare, alongside offering the wellness benefits of massage.”

Murad Inc.
Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., an authority on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. The Murad brand includes 88 consumer products and 45 professional products sold in 45 countries.

Massage Envy:
Massage Envy Limited, LLC is a nation’s largest franchise of massage clinics. Founded in 2002, Massage Envy has opened nearly 600 clinics in 41 states. There are 35 Massage Envy Spas located in California, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina.

For more information about Massage Envy, visit www.massageenvy.com.

To help keep you and your business healthy this cold and flu season, check out ABMP’s “Keep Your Practice Healthy” webinar. This webinar provides the key components for preventing disease transmission and implementing Universal Precautions, leaving you with a handy “hygiene and sanitation” checklist to help you meet ABMP standards.

Also publicly available, health publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins has developed an H1N1 client handout (Spanish version available). Created in conjunction with Nursingcenter.com and utilizing the Anatomical Chart Company’s vivid images, this handout is designed to provide simple textual and visual information for health educators to give to their patients.

(Overland Park, Kansas, October 15, 2009)—The 4th Annual Meeting of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) was held in Nashville, Tennessee, with representatives from 30 state licensing boards and agencies, schools, and prominent national businesses and professional associations in attendance.

The delegate assembly, comprised of FSMTB member boards, elected Dennis Beye, LMT, and chair of the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy, as well as Jane Johnson, LMT and chair of the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy to serve on the Board of Directors, replacing Connie Shanks-Knight, LMT, and Christine Kiely, LMT, whose terms had expired. Kevin Snedden, LMT, and Susan Beam, LMBT, were both reelected to the Board of Directors.

Christine Kiely was elected to fill the one-year position vacated by Patty Glenn, LMP/LMT and executive director of the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists. Glenn’s tenure included a three-year span as president of FSMTB and one year as immediate past president. Glenn said, “with a very heavy heart I believe it is necessary to resign my position with the FSMTB Board of Directors in order to focus on the needs of the therapists in Oregon and the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists. I hope that in the near future my time and energy will be freed up and I will be able to find other ways to support the mission and vision of the FSMTB.”

Subsequent to the election, Kiely submitted her resignation, apologizing for not being able to serve to the best of her abilities. The one-year position will be filled by Phyllis Salyers, LMT and chair of the Tennessee Massage Licensure Board.

Kevin Snedden, chair of the Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage was elected to serve as president; Kathy Jensen, LMT, chair of the Iowa Board of Massage Therapy as vice president; and Susan Beam, LMBT, member at large of the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy as treasurer.

Snedden commented, “I am looking forward to another remarkable year ahead for the Federation and I am honored to serve again as president. The FSMTB remains poised and eager to continue our important work as we serve the regulatory community with integrity and transparency and participate in the evolution of the profession as a whole.”

The Federation’s mission is to support its member boards in their work of public protection, improve communication between states and offer prospects for enhanced licensing reciprocity for the ultimate benefit of safe massage and bodywork practice protecting consumers.

FSMTB Board of Directors
President – Kevin Snedden – Chair, Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage
Vice President – Kathy Jensen – Chair, Iowa Board of Massage Therapy
Treasurer – Susan Beam – Former Chair, North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy
Director- Dennis Beye – Chair, Arizona State board of Massage Therapy
Director – Jane Johnson – Chair, Georgia Board of Massage Therapy
Director – Scott Miller – Chair, Washington Board of Massage
Director – Phyllis Salyers –Chair, Tennessee Massage Licensure Board
Ex-Officio – Debra Persinger – FSMTB Executive Director

*****

If your practice was mentioned in print, online, on the radio, or on TV, please let ABMP know. Send an email to differentstrokes@abmp.com with the subject line “Members in the News” and a link to the online news coverage.

*****

(May/June, 2012)

Rachel Alderson: Revival through massage: Local massage therapy clinic focuses on healing, pain management

Eva Branson: Heart of the River Healing Center open house is Saturday

Steve Rogne: Evanston massage rules misguided, therapists say

(March/April, 2012)

Jerome Davre: Massage therapist works on Bucks, Brewers

Mary Kathleen Rose: Spotlight: Mary Kathleen Rose

Robin Streit: Announcing the Winners of the MTF’s 2011 Practitioner Case Report Contest

(January/February, 2012)

Emilie Ashton: YMCA Expands Massage Programs

Gustave Boisits: Bringing Some ‘Loving Healing to the NFL

Svetlana Braunt: A Spa Day at Venus Allure

Joan Cole: Therapeutic Massage for Runners

Jenn Dobransky and Kim Jacques: Business of bodywork improves as people become aware of health benefits

Lynda Duck: C-TEC students test skills at Zen Garden

Amy Elizabeth: Unlicensed massages draw ire in Natick

Jenny Farr: Local woman joins Ipava business

Lisa Gutowski: MI Massage Law needs to be stricter!

Kimberly Huneycutt: Personal transformation inspires W.Va. wellness coach to share gift of health

Lisa Hunstiger: New, Moving or Expanding: Cold Spring woman’s latest challenge: Massage therapy

Heather Karr: Golf Ball Massage on Good Day Columbus

Lori Lewis: Lewis Helps Daily Stress Go Away with Massage Therapy Position

Kimberly Mathews: Pamper yourself nature’s way

Beth Morford: The Winning Touch: KU Massage Therapist Beth Morford

Aimee McDonald: Holistic Practitioner Heals Humans and Animals Alike

Elise and Thomas McMasters: Ohana Bodywork & Massage: Extended family grows in Templeton

Jennifer Pyper-Muno: Columbia Heights massage therapist celebrates five-year anniversary

Allison Shorb: Hidden Treasure Offers Top-Notch Bodywork Experience

(November/December, 2011)

Jennifer Boal: Evolve Spa in Scott Towne Center Isn’t Just for Luxury

Wanda Bonet-Gascot: Terapia de Masaje para Pacientes con Cáncer

Sean Davis: Melodic massage

Beth Goren: The healing touch: Body-Mind Centering

Julie Hightman: Holistic massage therapist moves to new clinic in Sandy

Kim Hover: Massage therapist’s nimble fingers truly make it ‘a dog’s life’

Amanda King: Talk, demonstration on Zero Balancing massage

Theresa Labell: Local massage therapist has magic in her fingers

Mark Mills: Massage at work to fight off flu, stress

Lucy Moorman: Light Works Energy Therapy

Kim Novotny: People spending more and more to pamper their pets

Sharon Puszko: Thriving through touch

Suzanne Smith: Discover how sugar is making personal grooming a little bit sweeter

Sarah Willette: Mu-Xing Massage

(September/October, 2011)

Sorina Durante: Massage therapies benefit body, mind

David Esposito: Massage therapies benefit body, mind

Darcy Fournier: 24 massage therapists train at new spa in Chattanooga

Illinois Valley Community College: Massage more than relaxing

Knox County Career Center School of Massage Therapy: Massage therapy good for body, soul

Denise LaBarre: Author, massage therapist offers parents seminar on stress relief

Mary Lieberman: Who’s doing business in and around New Braunfels, Comal County

Joy Musacchio: Stillpoint…Living in Balance Introduces New Company – Stillpoint Aromatics

Angela Rafferty: Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa—The classic hotel California

Quita Reed: Skin and body salon to hold open house in Coldspring

Ellen Santistevan: Third Goddess; Healing hands will travel to offer different solutions

Jean Sefcovic: Healing Path Massage

Paula Sorg: Huntsville women find many resources for building their own businesses and careers

Doug Walker: Business Profile: LaVida Massage

Jack White: Best Massage—1st Place

Eric Williams: Beneficial treatment

Sara Wirth: Kneading Relief Massage in Grand Ridge rubs out the stress

(July/August, 2011)

Kimberly Blanton: $1k Massage License Fee May Be Eliminated

Scott Butler: Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork course open house Sept. 7

Cindy Carlson-Wilson: Study provides evidence about benefits of massage therapy

Kathy Cesa: Who’s Who: Kathy Cesa, Nurse Turned Massage Therapist

Litahni Coleman: A massage for Alice: Massage therapy for seniors

Joseph DiPuma: Business of Relaxation

Christine Gallagher: Acutonics practitioner employs healing vibrations at natural health center

Norell Leung: 15-Second Pitch: Aina Massage

Bobby Lewis: GNTC massage therapy instructor also has his own practice

Chris Masters: Local School to Give Massages for Charity

Abbey Rhoads: Get to Know: Abbey Rhoads, 25

Aura Rose: Aura Rose expressing healing beauty and life

Darby Trovato: Fundraiser benefiting The Watson Institute to be held July 17-23

Jerri Walston: Jerri Walston incorporates Healing Touch therapy at Sigler Chiropractic and Wellness Center

(May/June, 2011)

Tina Allen: Tina Allen awarded International Massage Therapist of the Year

Tiffanie Burger: Woman of the Year

Jonathan Burt: Everest Institute hosts walk-a-thon for breast cancer research

Chuck Dixon: Massage oasis holds ribbon cutting

Jessica Evans: Massage therapist enjoys healing power of hands-on therapy

Marie Free: Massage therapist has healing touch

Keith Eric Grant: Flying in the Coffin Corner—Air France Flight 447

Joseph McCue: Two-Time Cancer Survivor Finds New Lease On Life

Helen Moss: North Sioux City massage therapist offers help to flood volunteers

L. Rosalind Ojala: Fortuna’s Loving Hands Institute of Healing holds week-long massage event

Sandy Tuttle: Massage therapist gives back to community

Michael Wolfes: Massage therapist soothes sore muscles on the go

(March/April, 2011)

Tracy Bittner: Pets get complementary treatment

Cheryl Close: Great Escape: Relax – Massage therapist sees patients in Channahon and Shorewood

Sadie Coffer: Holistic healing is ‘harmony inspired’

David Crowell: Blindness prompts Freeport man to make career change

Jacki Gethner: Jacki Gethner Treats HIV/AIDS In Women Over 50

Jonathan Goldberg: Relax with a massage this weekend

Amber Hammond: Charlotte massage therapist named Massage Envy Therapist of the Year for North Carolina

Barry Lowe: Relay to promote a cancer-free world

Denise Nickey: Massage therapy licensing adds credibility to industry

Janine Ray: NFL players testify for bill allowing massage therapy without license

Lori Tackman: Massage therapy for the musical set

Ashley Watterson: Tocca Massage Therapy has the Touch

Angela Yoder: Massage therapist opens business in South Hutch

(January 10, 2011)

Meghan Arbogast: For Bandera 100K racers, ‘Rugged and Brutal Beauty’ await

Harry Chrissakis: Lecturer to discuss losing, maintaining weight

Laurie Drogue: Rowley Town Notebook

Jen Dunham: The Joy of Cooking

Cora Edwards: Wide-ranging effects of therapeutic massage help increase popularity

Patricia Halcomb: Massage helps dogs and cats become calm, free of pain, restores their flexibility and helps prepare them for surgery or competition

Danielle Hendrix: Going for the gold

Lisa Kleva-Cook: New adult education courses available at career center

Michael Quibell: Massage therapist has mission to help Maricopans

Gail Steele: Retail Roundup

(December 30, 2010)

Sandra Baughman: Richmond Hill acupuncturist seeks to bring balance and healing

Amy Therese Burk: Local gifts are just the ticket for those last names on list

Jessica Dragan: Rubbing Rover the right way

Stephanie Fountain: Self Therapy expands around three partners

Rita Marie Grudzinski: Chiropractic center’s cookbook benefits Komen foundation

Dianne Kent: Power of touch: Massage offers many health benefits

Dianah Kuhl: High Desert Warrior, Massage therapist offers ‘five-star service’

Kevil Kushle: South County Profile: Kevil Kuchle

Denise Labarre: Girls just wanna … hang loose and have fun!!

Jeraldine Peterson-Mark: Wireless foes gear up for new battle

Charles Robinson: Sympathy on the street, with a nudge about age

Anita H. Tatge: Morton welcomes Granite Valley Business Center

Stephanie Taylor: Massage therapist opens practice in Bishop Hill’s one-time hospital

Crystal Utech: Sweet Escape offering spa services

Jayne Varian: Salon raises $900 to help homeless

Benjamin Vernon: Open for Business

Debbie Webster-Wood: Local Wizards of ‘Ahs’

(November 30, 2010)

Danielle Almendinger: Health Briefs, Prenatal massage workshop for Glenwood YMCA

Karen Elaine Billberry: Rituals, hanging out, talk of who will win fill the night before national cross country championships

Dawn M. Dillon: Briefly, Cut-a-thon benefit

Kenneth J. Dipersio: Business People

Reni Fairman: Business provides relaxation, charity for holiday season

Aime’e Grahe: Health, Fitness and Sports Expo promotes health and wellness

Sabina Gutsell: Cotton Mill Open House schedule

Leandra Jackson: Leandra’s Touch Therapy, South Side Business News November 2010

Katheryn M. Langelier: Prints, paper, paintings and photos

Michele Merhib: Lucky at Losing

Nicole Methot: Williamstown holistic businesses unite

Sammy D. Molitas: Crossfit Workouts in Honolulu

Bonnie Nussbickel: Relax with restorative yoga

Rebecca Ross: White Lily Teas closing storefront, Owner to open studio for herbs and massages

Amy J. Smith: Business Briefs

Sadhana Louise Stupar: Volunteer and community events abound in Sunnyvale and Cupertino on Thanksgiving

Teresa Syperreck: Who’s News in the Grand Valley business community

Stephanie Taylor: New massage practice in The Colony Hospital Bed and Breakfast

Terri Vacek and Stacy Vacek: A New Career and an Authentic Journey

Moonstone White: Local toastmaster earns Triple Crown

(November 10, 2010)

Eugenia Jarema: The Saginaw News All About Women Expo readies for annual show at Ryder Center

Tanna Keller: Liberty massage therapist a 1-stop shop for relaxation, pain relief

Jessica Evans: Therapist always had a knack for massage

Joanne Cole: Inner Balance Day Spa opens in Dunkirk

Kelmie Blake: A life in balance: Healing with a body’s energy

Fritzi S. Schnel: Council Approves First Reading of Revised Massage Business Ordinance

Erica Butto: Dinner honors 20 Under 40 Award winners

Danielle Morris: Work as art: employees at The Studio offer art in all its forms

(October 26, 2010)

Chris L. Widlund: State Considers Licensing Massage Therapists

Jenna Minnes: Community Wellness Clinic to promote affordable health in Tahoe City

Jennifer Sweeney: Her odd, amazing gift to me

Timothy Scott Herold: Blind massage therapist and employer receive honors

Hana Ventura: Village Barber-ettes to mark reopening and unveil new services on Friday

Madeline Norland: Infant massage promotes health and bonding

Debbie Sellick: Cancer support group celebrates 10 years

(October 7, 2010)

Jamie Pettiette-Rhone: Local spa offers Fijian massage

Tracey Moon: European Wellness Center’s Tracey Moon

Kimberly Becker: Belmont artists share the places they’ve been

Benjamin Fox: Communication Helping Blue Hill Massage Business Grow

Victoria Oaks: Daymar instructor, grad offer area ‘essential therapy’

Alison Bentley: Alternative ways to manage the effects of cancer treatment

Bryan Brown: Inaugural event to showcase local businesses

Lynda Kuckenbrod: Area Woman Certified Harp Therapist

Rhonda Lenair: SHE is Your ‘Predictable Miracle’

Andy Trujillo: New Kearney therapist takes hands-on approach to relaxation

Lynn Watson: World Reflexology Week at The Painted Planet Artspace

(September 3, 2010)

Laura Eilers & Brooke Sutor: “Summit County resorts not just ski destinations”

Paule-Dominique Anneheim: On Seeing Beyond, KEST 1450 AM, San Francisco

Frank Arce: “Business Spotlight: Frank P. Arce Massage Therapy”

Ashley Bowen: “Massage therapy takes on a new twist: Humans, animals can both be treated with yoga-like Thai form”

Shannon DeWitt: “Red ribbon at Unwind Massage Therapy”

Jennifer Evans: “Crystal Therapy with Intuitive Jennifer Evans”

Patti Justice: “Austin pregnancy spa opens this month”

Wendy Kauff: “Cortiva Institute Graduate Opens New Visions Massage in Phoenixville”

Carole LaRochelle: “Healing Hands: 9 Massage Techniques That May Improve Your Health”

Heather Lastuka: “Therapist: Medical Massage Popular”

Rachel Madsen: “New massage therapist in SV hoping to ‘help people get better’”

Beverly McKinley: “Stuart massage therapist offers manual lymph node drainage”

Susan Monk: SLGT Photo Project: the Body Dynamic

Mark Pukmel: “Massage office opens in Poughkeepsie art center”

Rob Smith: “New Massage Therapy School Opens in Montrose”

EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week, July 18–24, 2010:

Coverage of Activities Across the Country

Watch staff and students from Everest College in Seattle, Washington, on KCPQ Q13 News

Jodi Hubbell and Lou LaManna Celebrate in Truckee, California

Rhonda Holt (Indianapolis, Indiana) Raises Donations to Benefit Riley’s Children’s Hospital

Hands On Health (Raleigh and East Cary, North Carolina) Offers Free Massages to Area Residents

Helix Wellness Solutions Offers Free Mobile Massage to Nominated Individuals in Phoenix Metro Area

Natural Elements Health Center Collects Nonperishable Food Items for Milaca (Minnesota) Food Pantry

Jeff Figgins Reduces Massage Fees in Turn for Donations to Bangor (Maine) Humane Society

Serenity Day Spa (Ozark, Missouri) Offers Free 30-Minute Massages to Veterans

*****

If your practice was mentioned in print, online, on the radio, or on TV, please let ABMP know. Send an email to differentstrokes@abmp.com with the subject line “Members in the News” and a link to the online news coverage.

*****

(July 14, 2010)

Jennifer Carroll: “Healing through touch: Cancer Services program offers free massages for clients”

Mary Ellen Hill: “Wende Breast Care adds massage, spa services”

Jodi Hubbell: “‘EveryBody’ deserves a Massage Week in Truckee Tahoe”

Christopher Loboda: Video from WFXV, Utica, New York

Danae Miley: Video from WVLT-DT, Knoxville, Tennessee

Jamie Pettiette-Rhone: “Jamie’s spa anniversary celebration set Friday”

Barbara White: Wiregrass Living Magazine

(July 6, 2010)

Shelah Barr: “She rubs pets the right way”

Andrea Creque: “Hands On Health Adds Massage Therapist Andrea Creque To Practice”

Shannon DeWitt: “‘Unwind Massage Therapy’ now open on East Main”

Carole LaRochelle: “From twister cables to pointe shoes: The birth of a Certified Rolfer” (3 part series)

Carolan McFarland: “McFarland rubs people the right way”

Jennifer Schoonover: “Tree of Life offers some health care alternatives”

Wally Ubben: “Senior Health Fair”

(April 15, 2010)

David Dowdy: “Touch therapy comforts fragile patients”

Gary Fineseke: SportsDay DFW “Catching up the blog”

Sharon Roggio: “Massage therapy: Ah, there’s the rub”

Shannon Tessier: “Tessier joins Relaxation Plus in Moorhead”

(March 25, 2010)

Shay Beider: “Soothing therapy is hands-on, and that’s just fine with him”

Lou Ann Brandeberry: “Family medicine”

Mary Ruff: “Business Digest: Massage therapists joins health network”

Elizabeth Schrock: “Everybody Needs a Little Me Thyme”

Lenore Teer: “Local massage therapist took career into her own hands”

(March 9, 2010)

Shannon Lynn Brown: “Massage said to help heal scar tissue”

Camdine Cox: “Two new massage therapists have set up practice in metro”

Tracey Holderman: “Believing in the power of touch: Hailey Yoga Center offers yoga spa retreat”

Kat Katz: “Quit Your Day Job: Salome”

The Rex Center & Heather Sanders: “Beast of the Bay Awards 2010″

Paula Scott: “Taking care of your heart”

Nicole Shostak: “Open House for Haiti a joint effort”

Laura Lee Soderberg: “Yoga and art classes for school children to begin”

(February 16, 2010)

Veronica Armstrong: “GOP contenders for McHenry Co. Board 3 discuss transparency”

Susan Harmuth: “Massage therapist offers nurturing touch”

Linda Ifert: “New Mom Tea & Social Hour”

David Ireland: “Quake Relief: Locals among group of volunteers sent to aid earthquake victims”

Karen McElroy: “The Art of Reiki”

Margie Molina: “Meet Your Merchant: Massage therapist provides much-needed de-stressing”

Tammy Nelson: “Students in massage therapy class find there’s a lot more to it”

Lisa Renaud: “Fayetteville: Renaud finds her center in massage”

Sue Shaver: “The psychic next door”

Desiree Smith: “Valentine’s Day packs economic punch”

Renee Waters: “Health tips will be topic at Feb. 10 Women in Management luncheon”

Ashley Wilson: “Market to offer special event”

(January 27, 2010)

Melissa Benson: “Strong-willed, strong heart: A woman’s weight-loss story”

Ken Bryant: “Lending a touch of hope”

Harvey Caine: “Business Beat”

Shane Carpenter: “Fairmont [WV] Massage: Relax and Feel Better”

Ashley Costas: “Longtime family restauranteurs open surf’n’ turf restaurant”

Margaret Dutcher: “Health Briefs: Infant massage class offered”

Kari Falk: “Massage therapist opens business on Frazee’s Main Ave.”

Bea Furman: “Massage therapist lends hand at center”

Sister Rosalind Gefre: “Finding Minnesota: Sister Rosalind’s Healing Hands”

Amy Hackett: “Delivering a new spa experience”

Lisa Hammons: “Clyde Career Women”

Joni Kaiser: “Kaiser offers massages at The Massage Shoppe”

Moriah McKee: “Bozeman women opt to stay and help at Haitian orphanage”

Andrea Mongillo: “Spotlight: The book on life—A rookie author offers wide-ranging advice”

Krystle Shapiro: “Group promotes holistic wellness”

Denise Young: “Salem Business Builders end-of-year party”

(January 6, 2010)

Jaime Devine and Kelly McCarthy

Aaron Ameny

Patricia Boyd

Steve Cable

Rina Durman

John Earl

Gail Galivan

Susan Guttzeit

Lisa Herz

Debby Jay

Costa John

Holly Jones

Brian Lawrence

Christopher Loboda

Craig Lozzi

Linda Maher

Beth Nolan

Manuel Perry

Sue Rexford

Hildegard Rutter

Jim Schlough

Catherine Senesac

Juliet Stahl-Schehlein

Christine Voss

Nila J. Webster

Dale Winger

(November 30, 2009)

Janet Biondi

John Earl

Jennifer Mulhern

Janet Shelton

D. Shannon Smith

Shannah Tenner

(November 25, 2009)

Angela Houser and Angelia Nash

Lea Allen

Brandi Davis

Angela Ferri

Colleen Fletcher

Farida Gipson Burt

Valencia Green

Richard Hays

Marilyn Kier

Lara Kurtak

Elizabeth Martorana

Pat McDonald

Pam Peretz

Audrey Powell

Brother Bernard Seif

Nadine Steg

Morgan Sturtevant

Kim Musolf

ABMP presents the newest version of the Successful Business Handbook—now available in a digital format. All Certified, Professional, Practitioner, and Supporting level ABMP members can access it online by logging in to the ABMP Members section.

This updated 176-page guide offers many valuable resources for entrants to the profession and for tenured practitioners. Inside you’ll find live links to the many resources and websites mentioned in the more than 60 articles.

• To strategize your business success, we’ve included an in-depth take on resume writing (“Create Your Resume”), creative approaches to getting that much-needed loan (“Finance Your Vision”), and a comprehensive look into a tried-and-true bodywork staple—seated massage (“Seated Solution”).

• We also want to expose practitioners to the ever-changing technological landscape. New articles “E-mail Marketing” and “Tap Into Social Networking” address the growing popularity of using the Internet as a tool to connect with your clients.

• We hope you find our many other new additions helpful, too. These include “6 Tips to Finding the Perfect Location,” “Effective Record Keeping,” “Establish a CAM Clinic,” “Get Your Practice on Radio and Television,” “Personal Safety,” “Prepare for Tax Time,” “Responsible Retailing,” and “Take That Vacation.”

Log in to the ABMP Members section and access the digital edition of the Successful Business Handbook.

Fall is in the air, and so are germs. The issue of H1N1 (swine flu) has further heightened awareness as well as fear. Obtaining a clear understanding of when you should or should not work on clients—either because of your illness or theirs—is paramount in a bodywork business.

Check out ABMP’s “Keep Your Practice Healthy” webinar, to help you and your clients prepare for cold and flu season. This webinar provides the key components for preventing disease transmission and implementing Universal Precautions, leaving you with a handy “hygiene and sanitation” checklist to help you meet ABMP standards. It’s your job to not only ensure your health, but also that of your clients, and give them no reason to shy away from booking a massage during the winter months.

This webinar is part of our ongoing ABMP BizFit practice management series. While these webinars are typically only available to members, ABMP recognizes this as a public health issue and has consequently made the webinar available to everyone.

View ABMP’s “Keep Your Practice Healthy” webinar.

The Massage Therapy Foundation is now requesting abstracts for all oral and poster presentations for the 2010 Highlighting Massage Therapy in CIM Research Conference. This conference will focus on and represent rigorous scientific research exploring massage therapy in CIM practices.

The following topics for submission are recommended: current massage and manual therapy-related research and topics with a special focus on translational research and public health.

Please complete the abstract template and return it via email to Alison Pittas, Research and Grant Program Manager at apittas@massagetherapyfoundation.org.

Abstracts will be peer reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Committee and abstracts selected for presentation will be notified by January 15, 2010.

Download abstract template here:
http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/pdf/Abstract_Submission_Template_2010FINAL.doc

Scottsdale, Ariz. (Sep. 25, 2009) Massage Envy’s annual signature fundraising event, Massage for the Cure, provided an unprecedented 46,680 massages and raised over $466,000 during the nationwide event.

Massage for the Cure, hosted on Tuesday, Sept., 15th, benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and helps fund breast cancer screening and treatment initiatives across the country. One-hour therapeutic massages were offered at a discounted price of $35, with $10 from each massage directly benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Affiliates. Additional donations were accepted, and all proceeds collected stay in the local community. Total additional donations are currently being calculated.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s event,” said Massage Envy’s CEO David Humphrey. “The enthusiasm and dedication of Massage Envy owners, employees and clients has made Massage for the Cure our largest fundraising effort and we are incredibly grateful for their support.”

Since the first Massage for the Cure event in 2005, Massage Envy has raised over $1.3 million for Komen. This year, with 589 Massage Envy clinics across 41 states participating for the first time, Massage Envy provided 46,680 massages.

The money donated during Massage for the Cure will help fund educational and community outreach projects. The funds will also sponsor screening and treatment initiatives in local communities.

“We are thankful to have such a wonderful partnership with Massage Envy, and couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome of the Massage for the Cure event. Our local Affiliates across the country will benefit greatly from these donations,” said Katrina McGhee, vice president of global partnerships for Komen for the Cure.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2009, more than 40,000 women and men will die from breast cancer. A woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes and the disease claims a woman’s life every 13 minutes.

About Massage for the Cure
Massage for the Cure is an annual, one-day event hosted by Massage Envy and benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a global leader in the movement to end breast cancer. Since the event’s inception in 2005, Massage Envy has raised over $1.3 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with 100 percent of the proceeds being used for education, screening, and treatment programs in local communities. Now in its fifth year, Massage for the Cure was held on Sept. 15, 2009, at 589 Massage Envy clinics across the United States.

The World Massage Conference is a web-based, online conference featuring over 70 of the top massage experts from around the globe in an information-packed, six-day event. Topics include research, spa, techniques, business, treatments, education, and more.

Learn more about the World Massage Conference.

ABMP members, register at half-price!

A Letter to California ABMP Members from Bob Benson, ABMP Chairman

September 1, 2009

Dear ABMP California Member:

With great pleasure I communicate to you that the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) is, as of 5:19 p.m. today, fully open for business, receiving and processing applications for statewide certification as a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) or a Certified Massage Practitioner (CMP). Because of the importance of this opportunity, all ABMP California practicing massage members should be receiving within the next two weeks a mailed copy of this communication along with an application form.

This opportunity is the culmination of eight years of extensive ABMP involvement addressing inequities in local government regulation of massage practitioners. Most of those years involved crafting legislative solutions, assuring that the needs of ABMP’s diverse membership were fairly considered, and battling to get a bill signed into law. SB 731 was that vehicle; it became effective January 1, 2009.

CAMTC certification is voluntary. The design is to allow someone to continue practicing massage therapy (following local city and county ordinances) without securing CAMTC certification. Some municipalities are, however, electing to step away from massage licensing activities, instead requiring individuals to secure CAMTC certification. Please check with your own city or county if you are planning not to obtain CAMTC certification.

Reasons to Certify
Even where it remains voluntary, there are excellent reasons to seek CAMTC certification:

• Cost: A single $150 fee (plus an estimated one-time $80-$95 charge for live-scan fingerprinting and related ID costs) covers you for an initial 24 months; renewal for the next 24 months will cost only $125 (with no need to repeat fingerprinting);
• Pre-emption: While you still will need to secure a local government business license if you have your own practice, possession of CAMTC certification will exempt you from local government massage licensing requirements and fees;
• Portability: With CAMTC certification, you can practice anywhere in the state;
• Title Protection: Only individuals holding CAMTC certification will be permitted to use within California the titles “Certified Massage Therapist” or “Certified Massage Practitioner” or similar wording or abbreviations¹;
• Visibility: Consumers will be able to verify on a website who is or isn’t certified; over time, consumers may begin to establish a preference for certified individuals.

Helpful Hints
Most applicants will be able straightforwardly to qualify for certification simply by having their massage school supply an official transcript to CAMTC. If, however, the school you attended no longer is in operation, don’t despair. Gather what evidence of attendance and program completion you possess. If all you have is a copy of a graduation certificate, supplement that with additional evidence of participation in the program when you send in your application (e.g. a copy of a cancelled check evidencing tuition payment, a graded final exam, class notes, or a statement from a former instructor confirming your program completion).

If you have 250 or more massage education hours, but not that many at a single approved school, you still probably can qualify for CMP certification. This is also the case if you have the total hours, but not at least 100 of those hours in specified curriculum areas. In both cases, apply for “Conditional Massage Practitioner” certification. Once CAMTC examines your full record, they will likely see you are immediately eligible for full certification.

If you have at least 100 massage education hours, but not 250, check out Pathways B and C on the “Overview of Pathways to CAMTC Certification” chart; you may possess sufficient experience hours to qualify for CMP status through these grandfathering education + experience routes.

Cautions … and a Request for Patience
The application form and supporting documentation requests are thorough, necessarily so. As you are painfully aware, for decades certain individuals offering other personal services have tried to pose as massage therapists. Cities and counties adopted restrictive massage therapy regulations, thinking that would curb prostitution. Having secured back an opportunity to regulate our own profession, it is important that CAMTC certification requirements and disciplinary processes be thorough so that we earn the trust of local government officials.

Most cities appear ready to give CAMTC an opportunity to be successful. A few cities have indicated they may resist the new CAMTC massage therapy regulations and instead try to apply local ordinances to all therapists practicing within their boundaries. Both ABMP and CAMTC disagree with those cities’ legal positions and have pledged to work to alter the stance those cities are now taking. As we become aware of a city taking such a position, we will notify ABMP members residing in that jurisdiction.

In closing, I ask you to be patient with CAMTC staff these coming months. Certification criteria and procedures are still being refined. Every CAMTC staff member processing applications is a rookie, because the organization is just getting started. None of us know whether initial application flow will be a trickle or a rush of many thousands at once. If interest is high, it may take weeks to catch up. My advice: if statewide CAMTC certification is appealing to you, initiate the application process at least a couple of months in advance of the expiration of your current local government permit or license.

To learn more about CAMTC certification, please visit other parts of www.camtc.org. If, after exploring that website, including the Frequently Asked Questions section, you require additional information, you can talk to a CAMTC staff member at (916) 669-5336. While ABMP staff is less versed in the details of the new program, we of course also welcome your calls or e-mails.

Sincerely,

Bob Benson
Chairman

_________

¹If you are an ABMP Certified Massage Therapist, ABMP Certified Bodywork Therapist, or ABMP Certified Somatic Therapist, you will be required to obtain CAMTC CMT level certification to continue being permitted to use those ABMP titles within California. We anticipate that a reasonable CAMTC grace period will be provided before this limitation is enforced. Beginning January 1, 2010, ABMP plans to limit both new and renewal ABMP Certified level memberships to those California residents who have obtained CAMTC CMT level certification. Any Californian who currently holds an ABMP Certified level membership who elects not to become CAMTC certified may alternatively switch to ABMP Professional level membership.

A Letter to California ABMP Members from Bob Benson, ABMP Chairman

August 25, 2009

Dear ABMP California Member:

I had hoped to be in a position this week to inform you that statewide certification as a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) or a Certified Massage Practitioner (CMP) would be fully ready on September 1. I still anticipate that will be the case sometime in mid-September, at which time ABMP will send by regular mail to all California practicing massage members a formal announcement, an application form, and accompanying instructions.

What is available at this time is about two-thirds of a loaf for those of you who desire to get started on the process. You may link to www.camtc.org and click on “Application for Certification,” which will permit you to download an application form and instructions. You then will be able to fill out the form, arrange for your massage school(s) to send in official copies of your transcripts, gather other supporting documents, and transmit that material to the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) along with payment.

What is missing at this point is the Live Scan fingerprinting process, which will provide the basis for a criminal background check, a helpful safeguard to distinguish you from others trying to pose as massage therapists. In charge of Live Scan procedures is the California Department of Justice (DOJ). CAMTC staff filed a preliminary application with DOJ on April 29. CAMTC filed the final required information with DOJ on July 21. On August 21 DOJ suddenly determined that it needs to make a computer programming change to accommodate CAMTC processing requirements. DOJ now says the “earliest” possible date to activate Live Scan will be September 8, with no guarantee it won’t take longer. When all systems are go, ABMP will post that fact here on www.abmp.com.

CAMTC certification is voluntary. The design is to allow someone to continue practicing massage therapy (following local city and county ordinances) without securing CAMTC certification. Some municipalities are, however, electing to step away from massage licensing activities, instead requiring individuals to secure CAMTC certification. Please check with your own city or county if you are planning not to obtain CAMTC certification.

Reasons to Certify
Even where it remains voluntary, there are excellent reasons to seek CAMTC certification:

• Cost: A single $150 fee (plus an estimated one-time $80-$95 charge for live-scan fingerprinting and related ID costs) covers you for an initial 24 months; renewal for the next 24 months will cost only $125 (with no need to repeat fingerprinting);
• Pre-emption: While you still will need to secure a local government business license if you have your own practice, possession of CAMTC certification will exempt you from local government massage licensing requirements and fees;
• Portability: With CAMTC certification, you can practice anywhere in the state;
• Title Protection: Only individuals holding CAMTC certification will be permitted to use within California the titles “Certified Massage Therapist” or “Certified Massage Practitioner” or similar wording or abbreviations¹;
• Visibility: Consumers will be able to verify on a website who is or isn’t certified; over time, consumers may begin to establish a preference for certified individuals.

Helpful Hints
Most applicants will be able straightforwardly to qualify for certification simply by having their massage school supply an official transcript to CAMTC. If, however, the school you attended no longer is in operation, don’t despair. Gather what evidence of attendance and program completion you possess. If all you have is a copy of a graduation certificate, supplement that with additional evidence of participation in the program when you send in your application (e.g. a copy of a cancelled check evidencing tuition payment, a graded final exam, class notes, or a statement from a former instructor confirming your program completion).

If you have 250 or more massage education hours, but not that many at a single approved school, you still probably can qualify for CMP certification. This is also the case if you have the total hours, but not at least 100 of those hours in specified curriculum areas. In both cases, apply for “Conditional Massage Practitioner” certification. Once CAMTC examines your full record, they will likely see you are immediately eligible for full certification.

If you have at least 100 massage education hours, but not 250, check out Pathways B and C on the “Overview of Pathways to CAMTC Certification” chart near the end of the instructions posted on www.camtc.org; you may possess sufficient experience hours to qualify for CMP status through these grandfathering education + experience routes.

Cautions … and a Request for Patience
The application form and supporting documentation requests are thorough, necessarily so. As you are painfully aware, for decades certain individuals offering other personal services have tried to pose as massage therapists. Cities and counties adopted restrictive massage therapy regulations, thinking that would curb prostitution. Having secured back an opportunity to regulate our own profession, it is important that CAMTC certification requirements and disciplinary processes be thorough so that we earn the trust of local government officials.

Most cities appear ready to give CAMTC an opportunity to be successful. A few cities have indicated they may resist the new CAMTC massage therapy regulations and instead try to apply local ordinances to all therapists practicing within their boundaries. Both ABMP and CAMTC disagree with those cities’ legal positions and have pledged to work to alter the stance those cities are now taking. As we become aware of a city taking such a position, we will notify ABMP members residing in that jurisdiction. A few other cities, notably Santa Monica, are intending to accept pre-emption, but are making noises about requiring everyone to have CAMTC certification in place by September 1, 2009 – a physical impossibility even if DOJ was not behind schedule. CAMTC will attempt to reason with Santa Monica officials, but can make no promises of success.

In closing, I ask you to be patient with CAMTC staff these coming months. Certification criteria and procedures are still being refined. Every CAMTC staff member processing applications is a rookie, because the organization is just getting started. None of us know whether initial application flow will be a trickle or a rush of many thousands at once. If interest is high, it may take weeks to catch up. My advice: if statewide CAMTC certification is appealing to you, initiate the application process at least a couple months in advance of the expiration of your current local government permit or license.

To learn more about CAMTC certification, please visit www.camtc.org. If after exploring that website, including the Frequently Asked Questions section, you require additional information, you can talk to a CAMTC staff member at (916) 669-5336. While ABMP staff is less versed in the details of the new program, we of course also welcome your calls or e-mails.

Sincerely,

Bob Benson
Chairman

__________
¹If you are an ABMP Certified Massage Therapist, ABMP Certified Bodywork Therapist, or ABMP Certified Somatic Therapist, you will be required to obtain CAMTC certification to continue being permitted to use those ABMP titles within California. We anticipate that a reasonable CAMTC grace period will be provided before this limitation is enforced. Beginning January 1, 2010, ABMP plans to limit both new and renewal ABMP Certified level memberships to those California residents who have obtained CAMTC certification. Any Californian who currently holds an ABMP Certified level membership who elects not to become CAMTC certified may alternatively switch to ABMP Professional level membership.

What:  Massage therapists supporting Marine Corp Marathon participants
When:  October 25, 2009
Time:  7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where:  Rosslyn Metro Station, Fort Myer Drive Exit, Arlington VA, inside finish festival
Contact:  Charles Fisher, marathon@massageenvydc.com

On October 25, 2009, 35,000 runners will enter the grueling Marine Corp Marathon. As we know, the best reward for this accomplishment is a relaxing massage. This year, you can provide relief to these runners and earn a Guinness World Record for “The Most People Being Massaged” in the process.

Many wounded troops and their families will participate in the marathon, and massage therapists will be there to provide our support. To demonstrate pride and support to the troops, we will bring the Guinness World record back to the United States. Currently the record is held in the United Kingdom.

Rarely in a person’s lifetime is there an opportunity to become a Guinness World Record holder. The Marine Corp Marathon is a perfect opportunity to give back to the community and bring the record home!

Massage Envy is coordinating the event and we are looking for massage therapists and students who wish to participate. Interested volunteers will be requested to assist by providing a basic effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement stroke to the lower extremities in 8-12 minutes intervals. The day will be long but very rewarding. Distribution of business cards is encouraged. Massage Envy will provide necessary supplies such as lotion, gel, crème, and tables.

The current record for most people simultaneously massaged is 154, set at Potters Fields Park in London, UK, on October 21, 2007. All participants were massaged by qualified practitioners to celebrate the launch of a new range of treats offered by Nectar (UK). We will bring the record home with 220 people being massaged.

Volunteers will receive gifts such as T-shirts and sponsor paraphernalia. Food and beer will be provided for volunteers also. Feedback from therapists who have participated in similar events suggests that on average a therapist will walk away with 10-30 new clients by participating.

If you are interested in participating, please RSVP via http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1768498. We need to have an approximate count for gifts, food, and Guinness World Record Holder Certificates.

Therapist volunteers receive:

• A certificate for breaking the Guinness World Record
• Advertising and exposure to 35,000 runners
• Networking with local therapists
• Free promotional gifts, including T-Shirts, food and beer
• The opportunity to increase the visibility of massage in the community
• Post-event press coverage

Interested parties:
Please RSVP at http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1768498.
For more information, contact Charles Fisher at marathon@massageenvydc.com.

For more information about the Marine Corp Marathon, visit http://www.marinemarathon.com/.

PDF of the event flyer available for posting.

The 2009 Fascia Research Congress post-congress workshops are available for registration online at http://www.fasciacongress.org/2009/post_conference_workshops.php. All workshops are scheduled for the day following the main conference, Saturday, October 31, 2009.

The Second International Fascia Research Congress will take place at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, October 27-30, 2009 (full details at http://www.fasciacongress.org/2009/).

Post Congress Workshops
There is an impressive variety of workshop subjects presented by some of the top people in their respective fields. Workshops will focus primarily on clinical methodologies in fields where the human fascia is a main focus of practice and/or theory. An important goal of the Fascia Research Congress has been from the outset to provide an opportunity where both researchers and clinicians can meet, share their work, and collaborate.

For Researchers. It is expected that new areas of scientific inquiry will be identified. The workshop program is designed to give fascia research scientists a greater understanding of how clinicians relate to the subject of the human fasciae, a first hand view of clinical applications, and exposure to the questions clinicians have about the workings of their specialties.

For Clinicians. The program is also designed for clinical practitioners. They will have an opportunity for cross education to learn new techniques and points of view. At the First International Fascia Research Congress in 2007 in Boston, it was clear that those in clinical practice have a keen interest in learning about the scientific basis of their work. The intention is that education in the science underlying clinical methods will add new understandings for the benefit of practitioners themselves in their work and ultimately in the delivery of successful outcomes for those they serve.

Next Steps
You are invited to register for the main conference plus a post-conference workshop, or just post-conference workshops. There are five full-day workshops and six half-day, each of the latter is planned to be repeated twice. You can select any one full-day presentation or any two half-day sessions.

From ABMP President Les Sweeney

Social media has exploded in the last six months, in large part due to the popularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter. We at ABMP have engaged in social media as an avenue to build community with members and the massage and bodywork profession as a whole

However, we’ve been struck by the challenge of sorting through the maze of massage relationships, high school friends, parents of our children, and coworkers. We started to realize that a community just for the massage and bodywork profession makes sense.

So, we’ve started one at www.massageprofessionals.com. On it you’ll find many of the characteristics of other social media–a place for your picture, profile, discussions, groups you may join or create, even opportunities to post your own blog. What makes this different is that the site has been established solely for massage therapists and bodyworkers.

Massageprofessionals.com is a community for the entire massage and bodywork profession–students, those just entering the field, and seasoned professionals, alike. I am hopeful that all practitioners (whether belonging to ABMP, AMTA, any other organization, or no organization at all) find value in joining what we hope will be the largest, most vibrant community in the profession.

Please take a look and tell your friends and colleagues that we’d love to have their voices be part of the network, too. Thank you for participating and helping us build our profession’s new community!

www.massageprofessionals.com

The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) Stewards are pleased to announce the volunteer MTBOK Task Force member selections have been made. Every attempt has been made to select a dynamic group of individuals who together represent what may be considered the broadly defined field of massage therapy.

Each of the MTBOK Task Force members were chosen for their experience, credentials and expertise as well as having a working understanding of at least one of the major areas impacting the current and future growth of the Massage Therapy profession. The members of the MTBOK Task Force are:

• Megan Lavery
• Kevin Pierce
• Susan Salvo
• Michael Shea
• Steve Schenkman
• Dawn Schmidt
• Nancy Schmitt
• JoEllen Sefton

The Task Force is responsible for initiating a profession-wide and unifying effort to articulate a common body of knowledge for the profession. Under the guidance of Chip Hines, a PMI certified Project Manager Professional, the Task Force members will begin work on the foundational elements of the MTBOK project in July, 2009. These foundational elements include:

• Definition of massage therapy
  • Describing the Field (primarily to enhance understanding and appreciation of the profession by those outside the profession)
  • Scope of Practice
  • Terminology
• Competencies of an entry-level massage therapist (knowledge, skills, abilities)

The MTBOK project is expected to complete the foundational elements phase of the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge initiative in approximately one year.

Six organizations have agreed to jointly steward the MTBOK initiative. They are American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), AMTA Council of Schools, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), Massage Therapy Foundation, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB).

All stakeholders in Massage Therapy are encouraged to follow the progress of the project, and to provide comments, suggestions and make contributions. Specific instructions will be forthcoming as the project gets started this summer. Task Force bios and other MTBOK updates are available at www.mtbok.org.

From the Desk of Les Sweeney, President, ABMP

ABMP recently learned of the proposed launch of the USA Massage Resource Association (USAMRA), a membership association created by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). According to a memo to the NCBTMB Board of Directors, it is NCBTMB’s intent to enter the association marketplace and offer “a robust membership package including insurance and much more-all designed to strengthen the value of NCBTMB by virtue of its relationship with usamra.org.”

We want to share our perspectives on this development and take the opportunity to restate our commitment to you and to the massage and bodywork profession.

ABMP feels it is entirely within NCBTMB’s prerogative to try to find an audience for a new membership association. We are firm believers that any group or entity has the right to compete in the marketplace. After all, ABMP was in a similar position in 1987, when AMTA was the only professional membership organization then serving the field.

That does not mean, however, that we think NCBTMB’s decision to form an association is in its best interest as an organization, or that their doing so will benefit the profession. Birthed by AMTA 18 years ago, NCBTMB was created for the purpose of offering voluntary certification to massage therapists who subscribed to and met high standards of preparation, knowledge, and ethics. Seduced by the attraction of multiplying significantly the number of individuals taking an examination NCBTMB developed, NCBTMB moved into a vacuum, encouraging states to adopt their National Certification Exam for use as a required entrance exam into the profession, even though their exam had not been designed for that purpose. Within the past three years, a new organization-the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards-emerged (with an initial loan from ABMP) and developed the MBLEx, a true entrance examination that quickly garnered the support of both ABMP and AMTA as the entry exam of choice for our profession.

Both ABMP and AMTA have publicly expressed support for the value of voluntary certification and have encouraged NCBTMB to re-concentrate its energies on serving that original purpose. NCBTMB has resisted that advice, instead aggressively litigating and lobbying to retain a place in entry-level testing and now seeking a new mission to provide professional association services.

While defending NCBTMB’s right to try such a new initiative, ABMP believes that NCBTMB has not earned the right to merit your professional membership affiliation. At the core, what should an effective professional membership association provide its members? You have told us

• quickly responsive, knowledgeable service to all constituents, whether your request for help is simple or complex;
• practice development assistance;
• first-rate communications, in print and online, to keep you abreast of new developments in massage knowledge; and
• comprehensive liability insurance protection backed by an experienced staff present to support you should a claim be filed against you.

NCBTMB can secure some sort of insurance, but lacks experience in administering such a program. Their experience in providing practice development and educational content communications is highly limited. As to basic service responsiveness, NCBTMB’s record is widely considered by the massage profession to be deplorable. Stories of no live person to answer the phone, timely respond to an inquiry, or provide knowledgeable information are legion. NCBTMB has changed the content of their examinations without giving either the massage education community or state licensing boards opportunities for meaningful input. Does this sound like an organization with the skills to be your chosen professional membership association?

Throughout ABMP’s 22-year history, our focus has been on constantly improving the value of your membership. Liability insurance is an integral part of ABMP membership and an important element of any massage therapist’s practice. But as we like to say at ABMP, it’s only part of the story. Membership includes an award-winning magazine, valuable publications and business resources, a robust (and also award-winning) website, legislative and regulatory advocacy, top-notch service, and an opportunity to be heard. Through 1,000-plus Massage & Bodywork articles, curriculum and instructional supports for schools and students, and frequent webinars, ABMP has earned wide respect as a contributor to the advancement of massage knowledge and teaching.

Sometimes providing quality customer service is as simple as making sure someone answers the phone. ABMP has built its reputation over 22 years-one phone call, one conversation, one member at a time. When an ABMP staff member does not immediately have an answer to your inquiry, she quickly finds out and communicates the answer to you. No bull. No pretensions. Honest acknowledgement of what we do and don’t know.

It’s not generally ABMP’s style to toot its own horn. Perhaps the idea of an organization with demonstrated weakness in customer relations thinking they can better provide professional membership association services got my Irish up! We welcome competition and have learned through experience interacting with AMTA that we can constructively work with them on issues of common concern to the profession even while vigorously competing for members. If NCBTMB moves forward to form USAMRA, we hope to continue to support their certification and continuing education approval activities. Rest assured though: ABMP will work hard to keep you as a member and to ask you to encourage others to share your membership choice.

Thank you for listening; most importantly, thank you for your loyalty to ABMP. We intend to merit your continued support.

Regards,

Les Sweeney, NCTM
President, ABMP

As part of the ABMP BizFit Practice Management series, a “Marketing and Promotion, Part 2” toolkit is now available. We’ve compiled the research for you in a single spot to save you time and help pave the foundation for business success. The kit includes:
Articles:
Creating Customized Marketing Tools
Spreading the Word About Your Business
Developing an Advertising Strategy

Resources:
Everybody Deserves a Massage Week
Customized Client Loyalty Poster

To access these resources, log in to the ABMP Members section and select the ABMP BizFit headline.

Please visit http://www.camtc.org for more information.

The New Mexico Massage Therapy Board will convene a rule hearing to hear public testimony and comments regarding proposed amendments, repeals, and/or replacements to the rules relating to general provisions, fees, and licensing requirements for individuals, schools, and instructors.

Details on the proposed changes can be found at http://www.rld.state.nm.us/Massage/news.html.

The rule hearing will be held at the Regulation and Licensing Department, Rio Grande Conference Room, in the Toney Anaya Building, 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 beginning at 10:00 a.m. Persons wishing to present written comments at the hearing are asked to provide (8) copies of any comments or proposed changes. In addition, persons may present their comments orally at the hearing.

Following the rule hearing, the New Mexico Massage Therapy Board will convene a regular board meeting to consider adoption of the proposed amendments, repeals, and/or replacements to the rules.

HB 2059 is currently moving through the Oregon State Legislature. The bill amends and creates new provisions for health regulatory boards, including the Oregon Board of Massage Therapy (OBMT). This seemingly innocuous bill turned much less so on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, when the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) proposed an amendment that would require the OBMT to accept their national certification exams. The amendment (HB 2059-A7) reads as follows:

“The board shall accept passage of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork examination of another board-approved national standardized examination as meeting the written examination requirement contained in this paragraph.”

ABMP urges schools to contact members of the Senate Committee on Health Care and Veterans Affairs immediately and encourage them to vote “no” on HB 2059-A7. When speaking with legislators keep your comments short and to the point. It is best to call or email the committee members.

I am (name) calling from (name of the school) in (city). I am calling to ask Senator ______ to vote on a proposed amendment to HB 2059. The amendment is “dash 7” and would require the Oregon Board of Massage Therapy (OBMT) to accept a certification exam offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. We support the current language in the law that allows the OBMT to decide on acceptable exam(s).

The OBMT currently accepts the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). The OBMT has direct oversight of this exam both administratively and in content. We are satisfied with the OBMT decision to accept this exam.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (phone number).

Attached is a statement by ABMP that was sent to the committee last week urging the committee to vote no.

Members of the Senate Committee on Health Care and Veterans Affairs

Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1725
Email: sen.lauriemonnesanderson@state.or.us

Senator Jeff Kruse
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1701
Email: sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us

Senator Alan C Bates
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1703
Email: sen.alanbates@state.or.us

Senator Bill Morrisette
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1706
Email: sen.billmorrisette@state.or.us

Senator Frank Morse
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1708
Email: sen.frankmorse@state.or.us

Contact:
Jean Robinson, Government Relations Director (jean@abmp.com)
Jennifer Argenbright, School Liaison (Jennifer@abmp.com)

The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) Stewards recently announced the appointment of Chip Hines, MS, LMT, as the Project Manager for the definition phase of the MTBOK project.

Hines is a former senior federal government project manager and PMI-certified project management professional. He brings with him a wealth of experience in managing large-scale projects that require consensus building within a diverse community. Chip is also a Licensed Massage Therapist (Maryland) who is NCBTMB certified and has taught advanced bodywork at the Baltimore School of Massage.

As project manager, Chip will direct and manage efforts of the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge Task Force, to ensure its members successfully produce the desired outcomes within the time and resource constraints; serve as a public liaison for the Task Force; and act as a conduit to MTBOK Stewards. The taskforce, made up of subject matter experts in the field—practitioners, educators and researchers—will be seated in July 2009 to define, develop, and articulate the MTBOK. Foundational elements of the MTBOK project consist of:

• Definition of massage therapy (scope of practice, terminology, describing the field);
• Definition of the competencies of an entry-level massage therapist, in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs).

Chip will serve a twelve-month contract and report directly to the MTBOK Stewards. The MTBOK Stewards consist of representatives from the American Massage Therapy Association, AMTA Council of Schools, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, Massage Therapy Foundation, and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

For more information and ongoing updates on the Body of Knowledge Project, please visit www.mtbok.org.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) said today it has won three awards for its editorial offerings and website from the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) and the Western Publications Association (WPA).

ABMP won two SNAP EXCEL awards: a silver in general excellence for editorial products and a bronze in online publishing for the members section of www.abmp.com.

The ABMP entries “displayed superior quality” among “an extraordinary number of high-quality entries,” SNAP said. SNAP has recognized leading publications nationwide for nearly 30 years.

WPA honored ABMP with a Maggie award for the best web publication – website/trade for www.abmp.com. Maggies have a 58-year tradition of recognizing “hard work, dedication and creative talents” in publishing, WPA said.

“These awards echo what our members have been telling us about our flagship publication, Massage & Bodywork, and other ABMP publications,” said Leslie Young, vice president, communication and editor in chief of the magazine. “They also speak highly of our member website, which we strive continually to make user-friendly and attractive.”

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is a professional membership association serving the massage therapy profession by promoting ethical practice, fostering acceptance of the profession and protecting the rights of legitimate massage and bodywork practitioners. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Golden, Colo., ABMP is the largest massage membership association in the United States with more than 67,000 members.

House bill 662, providing for the state licensing of massage therapists, was signed into law by Governor Schweitzer on May 5, 2009. The new law goes into effect immediately. However, applications for state licenses will not become available until a Board of Massage Therapists is appointed then writes rules and regulations to implement the law. There is no action for you to take at this time. ABMP will continue to keep members informed.

In order to qualify for licensure, existing practitioners will need to sign an affidavit stating that they have engaged in the practice of massage therapy for at least 100 hours in Montana. Practitioners would be able to qualify under this provision until July 1, 2012.

After July 1, 2012, applicants must have completed a minimum 500-hour massage therapy program and pass an exam approved by the Board.

Once a massage therapist is licensed, he or she will have to complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years for license renewal.

Practices exempt from massage therapy licensure, as long as practitioners do not practice or advertise that they practice massage therapy, include: movement education, structural integration, and reflexology.

The Board of Massage Therapy will be comprised of one member of the public, one licensed health care provider, and three massage therapists. ABMP encourages members looking for a meaningful volunteer experience within the massage profession to apply for a position on the board. Board members will be reimbursed for mileage driven, are required to be residents of Montana, and to have practiced massage therapy for at least three years.

You can apply for a position on the board by going to https://app.mt.gov/cgi-bin/governor/appointment.cgi

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) was named “Association of the Year” April 25 at the 2009 World Massage Festival held in New Braunfels, Texas. Festival founder Mike Hinkle presented the award to ABMP President Les Sweeney, NCTM, at an awards ceremony.

“ABMP has become the membership leader, but its online video magazine and member services are by far the best in the profession,” Hinkle said. He cited “contributions to the profession, creativity, leadership, and commitment” as elements in honoring ABMP at the event. Hinkle is the former owner of Pensacola Massage Center in Pensacola, Fla.

“We are deeply appreciative of this recognition from our peers,” Sweeney said. “We work hard to provide meaningful value to our members and the profession.”

The festival is in its third year and reaches out to massage therapists, educators, profession leaders and the general public in supporting massage practice and education. The festival helps therapists network with each other, massage business suppliers, schools and professional associations.

The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) Stewards are now accepting applications for volunteer positions on the MTBOK Task Force. Eight positions are available. Application deadline is May 1, 2009.

The job description and application guidelines for Task Force volunteers are available on www.mtbok.org. The task force will be seated in July 2009. This volunteer position will require a nine-month commitment, with a projected completion date of April 2010.

Interested candidates should submit the following, contained in one electronic file (either Microsoft Word or PDF format):

• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Cover Letter
• List of professional references

E-mail applications to mtboktf@gmail.com by May 1, 2009.

The MTBOK Project is a collaboration of several massage organizations, established to develop and adopt across the massage therapy profession a living resource of competencies, standards, and values that inform and guide the domains of practice, licensure, certification, education, accreditation, and research. For more information, please visit www.mtbok.org.

Last week the Illinois Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 318 (SB318), which now moves into the Illinois House of Representatives for consideration. As you recall, SB 318, sponsored by Sen. Ira Silverstein, would amend the Medical Practice Act to allow any person licensed under it (physicians, chiropractors) to delegate tasks or duties to licensed or unlicensed personnel as long as those duties fall within the scope of practice for the physician or chiropractor. If passed, SB 318, would circumvent the Massage Licensing Act and allow the unlicensed practice of massage therapy and other allied health professions. It’s safe to assume that chiropractors would have a bigger potential impact on the massage therapy profession than physicians.

The Illinois House of Representatives is currently on break and legislators can be found in their home districts. ABMP encourages you to call or visit your representative’s district office and ask them to vote no on SB 318. You may use the following talking points:

• SB 318 is an unbridled expansion of the Medical Practice Act to allow chiropractors to delegate tasks or duties to an unlicensed person, even those activities that are currently deemed by Illinois statute to require a license. SB 318 does not require supervision of unlicensed employees, does not restrict their activities to the chiropractor’s office, and does not limit the extent to which an unlicensed person may do licensed activities. Unlicensed employees will be able to perform licensed activities without any restrictions.
• SB 318 circumvents the Massage Licensing Act and will promote the unlicensed practice of massage therapy. The Illinois Chiropractic Society has stated specifically that massage is one of the tasks that they want chiropractors to delegate. There are nearly 8,000 licensed Massage Therapists in Illinois in virtually every county of the state. There is clearly no shortage of qualified licensed Massage Therapists to meet this need.
• SB 318 will increase the opportunity for hazardous practice and impact public safety. Untrained employees will be allowed to provide direct patient care to patients with medical conditions.
• The Massage Therapy Licensing Act requires licensees to be fingerprinted as part of the license application process. This is required to help protect the public from sexual predators and other people with a history of sexual violations. SB 318 will not afford the public these protections.

We encourage you to forward this e-mail to massage therapists, clients, family members, friends or any other healthcare consumer to contact their representatives and ask them to oppose SB 318. This action will have more of an impact if accomplished by April 21, 2009.

We are keeping track of conversations being held with legislators regarding this issue. Please relay any information that you can gather from your discussions with your representative to jean@abmp.com.

To find out who your legislator is, go to:
http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1

House bill 662, sponsored by Rep. Elsie Arntzen, has passed the House and is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee on April 8, 2009. If passed, the bill would require massage therapists to become state licensed and would establish a Board of Massage Therapists to implement the law.

The bill would allow practitioners to qualify for licensure by signing an affidavit that they have engaged in the practice of massage therapy for at least 100 hours in Montana. Practitioners would be able to qualify under this provision until July 1, 2012.

After July 1, 2012, applicants would have to complete a minimum 500-hour massage therapy program and pass an exam approved by the board.

Once a massage therapist is licensed, he or she will have to complete 12 hours of continuing education every 2 years for license renewal.

Practices exempt from massage therapy licensure, as long as practitioners do not practice or advertise that they practice massage therapy, include: movement education, structural integration, and reflexology.

ABMP will keep members informed as the bill moves forward.

To view the entire bill go to http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billpdf/HB0662.pdf

As part of the ABMP BizFit Practice Management series, a “Marketing and Promotion, Part 1” toolkit is now available. We’ve compiled the research for you in a single spot to save you time and help pave the foundation for business success. The kit includes:

Articles:
Creating a Marketing Plan
Attracting Clients
6 Ways to Keep Clients
10 Low-Cost Promotions You Can Start Today

Resources:
How to use Body Sense magazine and Fingertips for the Client as effective marketing tools.

To access these resources, log in to the ABMP Members section and select the ABMP BizFit headline.

Senate bill 318, sponsored by Sen. Ira Silverstein, would amend the Medical Practice Act to allow any person licensed under it (physicians, chiropractors) to delegate tasks or duties to licensed or unlicensed personnel as long as those duties fall within the scope of practice for the physician or chiropractor. If passed, SB 318, would circumvent the Massage Licensing Act and allow the unlicensed practice of massage therapy.

The bill would allow chiropractors and physicians to assign various duties to staff who might not be trained or qualified to perform those duties. For example, they could ask a receptionist to perform massage, or a massage therapist to draw blood. If passed, this bill could negatively impact public safety and would obviously impact a host of licensed professions, including massage therapy.

To view the entire bill, go to:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB0318sam003&SessionID=76&GA=
96&DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=0318&print=true

ABMP encourages you to call, email, or fax your state senator immediately and ask them to oppose SB 318. Keep your conversation short and on point. It doesn’t take much to express your view. Here is a sample script:

“SB 318 will allow physicians to delegate duties and tasks to unlicensed individuals. As a licensed massage therapist, I am concerned that this bill would allow massage to be performed by individuals who are not trained and licensed which would severely impact patient safety. As a consumer, I don’t want unlicensed and unqualified people would be working on my family and me.”

To find out who your legislator is, go to:
http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1

SB 318 is the Senate version of House Bill 64, which ABMP reported on in February.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) conducts research as a service to the profession and on March 24 released new statistics about how massage school enrollment and graduation rates are faring.

Student enrollments and graduations continued their decline from 2006 to 2008, even as the number of training programs for massage therapists continued to grow during that period.

Enrollment has declined 11.9 percent from 66,653 entrants in 2006 to 58,700 in 2008. Graduates from massage therapy programs in 2008 totaled 53,372, vs. 62,784 graduates in 2006, a decline of 15.0 percent.

“ABMP considers these results a continuing market correction that began after the peak in school activity in 2004,” said Les Sweeney, nationally certified massage therapist and ABMP president. “Based on our extensive relationships with massage and bodywork training programs, we noted two years ago that there was a leveling off in the rapid school-enrollment trend. We think that massage and bodywork school enrollment is in the process of settling into a more natural number.”

While the number of massage therapy schools continued to grow over the last two years, the growth rate from 2006 to 2008 was even slower than the growth rate from 2004 to 2006. The number of state-approved schools increased 2.5 percent, compared to an increase of 7.8 percent from 2004 to 2006.

“We think the growth of massage programs has likely reached its end; in fact, the 2010 report could likely show a decrease in the number of schools,” Sweeney said. “It would not be surprising to see a further reduction in the number of massage training programs during the next few years. The current economic crisis could accelerate that trend. The landscape has become more competitive. Those with quality instruction, passion for the field and effective student recruitment and support are more likely to thrive.”

ABMP has an active school relations program that includes nearly 2,500 ABMP staff visits to schools over the last decade, a comprehensive initiative launched in 2007 to strengthen massage students’ educational experience and the sponsorship of a 2008 instructors’ textbook in massage therapy.

Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) has adopted emergency rules establishing a Good Faith Provisional Registration process. This process provisionally registers any individual as a massage therapist who has taken steps to comply with Colorado law by April 1, 2009, but who will not have received their registration by that date.

To be eligible for provisional licensing, individuals will have had to submit the following by April 1, 2009:

• Application and fee
• Education or training standards established in the law
• Fingerprints and background check

For more information, see the Nov. 20, 2008 Colorado Legislative Update

Individuals who have taken these measures will have provisional registration for three months and will be considered in compliance with Colorado law. Within this three-month time frame, all who applied prior to April 1st should have their registration issued.

Those individuals who have not taken the necessary steps prior to April 1, 2009, have not made a good faith effort to become registered, will not receive the provisional registration, and will be treated as any other unlicensed or unregistered professional operating in Colorado. In short, massage therapists who are not registered cannot legally practice in Colorado after April 1, 2009.

For more information, see the Nov. 20, 2008 Colorado Legislative Update

Colorado Registration Deadline: April 1, 2009
This is a reminder that the deadline for massage therapists to become state registered in the state of Colorado is April 1, 2009. You must be state registered by April to continue practicing. This is a mandatory registration. Applications and detailed instructions can be found at:
http://www.dora.state.co.us/massage-therapists/licensure.htm

Fingerprinting and background checks are mandatory and can take up to 12 weeks to be processed, start this process immediately.

Indiana Registration Deadline: July 1, 2009
Applications for state certification will be available the first week of February. They will be posted on the State Board of Massage Therapy website: http://www.in.gov/pla/massage.htm

As part of the ABMP BizFit Practice Management series, a “Prepare for Tax Time” toolkit is now available. We’ve already done the research for you with this compilation of resources in a single spot, saving you time and providing massage therapists with the specific tax information you need. The kit includes:

Articles:

Preparing for Tax Time: Serving Up Solutions
Financial Record Keeping and Management
Understanding Balance Sheets

Online Resources:

Small business tax workshops, phone forums, and webinars

Discounted Tax Preparation Services:

ABMP members receive a $20 discount from H&R Block

To access these resources, log in to the ABMP Members section and select the ABMP BizFit headline.

Senate Bill 854, sponsored by Senator Dan Patrick, was introduced to the Texas State Legislature on February 12, 2009. It has not been assigned to an initial committee hearing yet. The bill adds restrictions and requirements for massage establishments and increases penalties for noncompliance.

If passed, SB 854 would restrict the business hours of massage establishments, prohibit the presence of sleeping quarters in any establishment, and require a daily employee log to be maintained, subject to inspection for 90 days. In addition, it would require an owner of a massage establishment to conduct criminal background checks on all applicants for employment and all employees. If the bill were enacted, the new regulations would be very expensive and cumbersome for a small business owner. SB 854 would also prohibit an employer from hiring a staff person who knowingly has a communicable skin disease or a venereal disease.

ABMP strongly opposes the bill and encourages members to contact Senator Patrick immediately and ask him to reconsider the bill. You may also call or email your state senator and ask that they vote no on SB 854.

Senator Patrick can be emailed at the following:
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist7/dist7.htm#Form

If you don’t know who your state senator is, go to:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

To view the entire bill, go to:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/pdf/SB00854I.pdf

ABMP will keep members posted on the bill’s status.

The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge (MTBOK) Project Stewards recently met in San Antonio, Texas, to establish next steps in the MTBOK development process. The Stewards are pleased to announce the establishment of a structure to articulate the foundational elements common to a MTBOK shared by all stakeholders in the profession. The foundational elements of the MTBOK consist of:

• Definition of massage therapy (scope of practice, terminology, describing the field);
• Definition of the competencies of an entry-level massage therapist, in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs).

This profession-wide initiative will be managed and supported by a project manager. The position will serve a twelve-month contract and will report directly to the MTBOK Stewards. A job description for the Project Manager position and application procedure has been posted on www.mtbok.org.

A task force, made up of subject matter experts in the field—practitioners, educators, and researchers—will be established to define, develop, and articulate the MTBOK. The task force will be seated in July, 2009, and will be managed and supported by the Project Manager.

Individuals interested in serving on the task force are encouraged to visit www.mtbok.org in March to review the task force criteria as well as steps required for submission of interest.

The MTBOK Stewards consist of representatives from the American Massage Therapy Association, AMTA Council of Schools, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, Massage Therapy Foundation, and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

H&R Block offers ABMP members special savings and discounted tax preparation fees when they visit an H&R Block office. To help find your every deduction, and for more information:

• Log in to the ABMP Members section
• Select the headline “H&R Block Offers Discounted Tax Services”
• Click the the specified link to learn how to receive your discount

As part of the ABMP BizFit practice management series, we are tapping into our greatest asset—our members—and inviting you to share with your colleagues the business practices that have contributed to your success.

If you are a budding filmographer who records your own videos, we invite you to submit your YouTube video for possible inclusion on ABMP.com. Simply send us the link to your video that describes your successful business practices for getting new clients, retaining current clients, locking in future business, or any other practice method that is serving as a foundation to your success. Here’s how to submit your video:

1. Record your “best practices” video.
2. Download the video to your computer and do any editing necessary.
3. Go to www.youtube.com, click the “sign up” button, and set up an account (or log in, if you already have an account); upload your video following the site’s specifications.
4. Copy the URL link that appears on your video page, and paste it into the submission form.

Videos should be no longer than three minutes.

Please note: While ABMP will make every effort to post member videos, each will be reviewed and must meet content/quality standards for inclusion on ABMP.com. Please allow up to five business days for posting. ABMP is unable to edit any video submissions; videos should be ready for presentation prior to submission.

> Submit Your Best Practices Video.

> View samples of ABMP massage therapists’ Best Practice videos.

ABMP Applauds AMTA Endorsement of MBLEx as Entry-Level Exam
On January 26, 2009, the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) distributed a press release announcing its support for the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), an entry-level requirement designed to support a therapist’s ability to practice from state to state. In response, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals issued the following:

Working Toward a Common Goal
ABMP Applauds AMTA Recognition of MBLEx

(Golden, Colo., Jan. 27, 2009) — Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) today said it commends the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) for reaching the conclusion, after careful and thorough study, that “the MBLEx exam, developed by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) is the best choice for a licensing exam that can lead to portability of massage practice.”⁽¹⁾

“We applaud the decision of the AMTA Board of Directors,” said ABMP President Les Sweeney, NCTM. “This is an important step forward for the profession.”

AMTA provided leadership and loaned funds in the early 1990s to create an organization, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), to offer a way for individual massage practitioners to qualify for national certification and thus demonstrate their commitment to high professional standards. The AMTA statement makes clear it still sees voluntary certification as “a valuable cornerstone of the massage therapy profession.” Nonetheless, ABMP wishes to recognize AMTA’s courage and selflessness in assessing changes in the profession and endorsing the separation of roles for NCBTMB and FSMTB exams.

ABMP played an instrumental role in creating the FSMTB and has felt for some time that an exam like the MBLEx that is specifically oriented to assess qualifications for initial licensure is the appropriate instrument for that purpose. A key factor in that decision is that FSMTB’s constituent members are state licensing boards; the MBLEx exam was developed and is administered by the state bodies charged with deciding who is qualified to begin massage practice.

ABMP has also consistently supported the continued availability of voluntary national certification. Entry level readiness assessment and demonstration of an advanced level of commitment should be two complementary pillars of the massage therapy profession — as is already the case in many other health care professions. “We feel there is a place in the massage and bodywork profession for advanced credentialing,” Sweeney said.

ABMP shares AMTA’s stated aim to promote portability within the profession as well as its expression of hope that its “support for one massage licensing exam will help move the profession forward in a unified way.” ABMP currently is engaged alongside AMTA, NCBTMB, FSMTB and other massage organizations in working toward agreement upon articulation of a commonly accepted massage therapy body of knowledge.

For 22 years, ABMP and AMTA have healthily competed to secure and retain members of their respective professional membership organizations. The individual therapist has benefited from the resulting efforts by both organizations to add services and improve value. For the good of the profession, it is important that the two organizations can complement that competition by working in agreement on important issues like the entry-level exam choice matter at hand.

# # #

⁽¹⁾ The Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) test was developed with input from more than 7,600 massage and bodywork practitioners, state regulatory agencies and 50 subject-matter experts in massage and bodywork education and practice. It was introduced in October 2007 and has been accepted by 15 state regulatory boards.

Today, House Bill 5651, providing for the state licensing of massage therapists, was signed into law by Governor Granholm. While the law is effective immediately, it will take some time to implement. There is no action for you to take at this time. It will likely take at least 6-12 months before applications become available, ABMP will continue to keep members informed.

The law will benefit the massage therapy community in three primary ways:

• Minimum training requirements and scope of practice are defined.
• An avenue for consumer complaint is established.
• Local regulations will be pre-empted, meaning all massage therapists will license with the state and no longer have to become licensed in their city or in multiple cities. 

Existing practitioners
For approximately the first year license applications are available, existing practitioners will be able qualify for state license by meeting one of these five criteria:

1. Provide evidence that you have been an active member, as a massage therapist, of a professional massage therapy association (such as ABMP) for at least one year; or
2. Establish by affidavit that you have practiced massage therapy for an average of at least 10 hours per week for five or more years; or
3. Establish by affidavit that you have practiced massage therapy for at least 3 years and provide evidence from the school you attended that you also completed at least 300 hours of formal training; or
4. You have passed an exam approved by the board*; or
5. You have completed at least 500 hours of classroom instruction in massage.

Once a massage therapist becomes state licensed, you will be required to complete 18 hours of continuing education and renew your state license every 3 years.

After the initial year of licensing, new candidates for state license will have to complete a 500-hour minimum massage therapy program AND pass an exam (to be) approved by the board*.

An eleven member Michigan Board of Massage Therapy, consisting of seven massage therapists and four public members, will be created to implement the law. If you are interested in serving on the board, please send a resume and cover letter to jean@abmp.com.* The board will be responsible for writing rules and regulations to implement the law, in addition to designating approved exams.

Professions exempt from obtaining state registration, as long as practitioners do not practice or advertise that they practice massage therapy, include: reflexologists, movement educators (Feldenkrais, Trager), energy workers (Reiki, Shiatsu, Asian Bodywork, Polarity), structural integrators (Rolfing and Hellerwork)

To view the entire law, go to:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/billenrolled/House/pdf/2008-HNB-5651.pdf

Questions can be directed to Jean Robinson at jean@abmp.com.

Choose from 250 bodywork images, perfect for use on websites and marketing materials. ABMP’s photo library contains images of professional photographs, covering a variety of subjects. Ranging from massage-specific, to hands-on, to environment shots, these high quality images will help you round out your marketing materials. Access this exclusive ABMP member benefit by logging in to the ABMP Members section.

New York Legislative Update
December 30, 2008

On December 16, 2008, Governor Paterson released the Executive Budget plan for 2009-2010. In an effort to reduce a record $13.7 billion budget deficit, the Executive Budget recommends increasing and extending taxes and fees along with spending cuts in virtually all government programs. If the recommended budget is passed, massage therapists would potentially be affected by three proposed measures:

1. The extension of New York City’s personal and credit services sales tax statewide.  This would make personal services (such as beauty, barbering, manicure, pedicure, massage, health salon, or gymnasium services) and credit rating and reporting services subject to sales tax statewide. Currently, only New York City imposes a sales tax that applies to these services.

ABMP’s view: Most visits for massage therapy are for treatment of symptoms. Massage therapy is a form of health care recognized by the National Institutes of Health and clients should not be lumped in with personal services such as beauty and barbering. At the very least, clients presenting a prescription for massage therapy should be exempt from the tax. Health insurance rarely covers massage and bodywork. Taxation of individuals who are already paying out-of-pocket to relieve their pain literally adds insult to injury.

Fifty-eight percent of massage therapists are self-employed. The task of collecting and paying a service tax could double the time spent on the administrative duties of owning a practice. ABMP has already been in contact with the governor’s office and intends to contact assembly members and leadership with our views.

2. Expansion of fingerprinting to licensed insurance personnel. This would require fingerprinting and background checks at current fee levels of $75 for any individual who is applying for a license under Article 21 of the Insurance Law. If you receive insurance reimbursement for massage services, you would be required to comply with a background check.

3. Increased state licensing fees. This would increases licensing examination fees for 16 disciplines licensed by the Department of State, including massage therapists. These fees have been increased at various times between 1967 and 2005. The current exam fee is $250, the license fee is $100 and is valid for three years. New York’s fee structure is currently below the national average.

The governor is responsible for developing and preparing a comprehensive, balanced budget proposal, which the legislature modifies and enacts into law. By mid-January the legislature will begin analyzing the governor’s proposals, primarily through its fiscal committees (Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means), but both houses will have to come to an agreement on priorities.

Action
ABMP recommends contacting your assembly member to voice your concerns. Attempting to expand service taxes to massage therapy and other personal services has become an increasingly common way for states to try to increase tax revenue. We have had success in defeating some attempts, but only if massage therapists become involved in contacting their representatives. Many legislators assume they are imposing a “luxury tax” on wealthy people, not knowing that most people seek massage for pain relief. It would also be prudent to have your clients contact their legislators since they are the ones who will be taxed for their healthcare service.

If you do not know who your representative is, go to:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

The 2009 Yellow Book, a Statistical and Narrative Summary of the Executive Budget Prepared by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, was released on December 22nd. To view the Yellow Book, go to:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/Reports/WAM/2009Yellow/

To view Governor Paterson’s Executive Budget, go to:
http://publications.budget.state.ny.us/eBudget0910/fy0910littlebook/RevenueActions.html

To view legislative updates for New York, visit the interactive legislative map at www.abmp.com.

On Monday, November 17, 2008, the Rules and Regulation Hearing was completed at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The applications for state registration will be available on 12/1/2008 at: http://www.dora.state.co.us/massage-therapists/index.htm

All massage therapists must be state registered by April 1, 2009 in order to continue practicing. Some people have confused the grandfathering provision, which only relates to qualifications for registration, with the April 1, 2009, date by which massage therapists need to be state registered in order to practice. Do not delay applying! All massage therapists must be state registered by April 1, 2009.

Fingerprinting and Background
In order to qualify for state registration, applicants will have to be fingerprinted, and have background checks completed. All applicants are required to submit fingerprints for a new background check, even if you have previously completed this process for your local license. Unless you are able to have your fingerprinting done electronically (as described below), this will be a 2-step process. First, get your fingerprints taken; next send the fingerprint card to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Start this process immediately. Background checks can take up to 12 weeks to be processed.

You may be fingerprinted by any of the following agencies:

1. DORA recommends electronic fingerprinting because it is the most accurate method and can be transmitted directly to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Some local law enforcement agencies may be able to submit fingerprints electronically and it can also be done at:Arapahoe Community College
   5900 South Santa Fe Drive, 2nd Floor, Room M-2600
   Littleton, CO
   ph. 303-797-5800Hours: Monday – Thursday 8 AM – 6 PM, Friday 8 AM – 4 PM (no appointment necessary); call before you go to be sure they are up and running. It is a new program. Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted ($62, this includes the background check fee of $39.50 for CBI).
2. Manual fingerprinting at :Colorado Correctional Industries
   4999 Oakland Street (Two blocks west of Peoria)
   Denver, CO 80239
   ph. 303-370-2165Hours: Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4 PM (no appointment necessary)
   Cash only ($10)
3. Manual fingerprinting at your local law enforcement agency. We have provided a list of agencies (attachment), but you will need to confirm the information.Contact the agency you will use to find out (a) if they use the electronic (preferred) or manual method for fingerprinting; (b) if they supply the appropriate Fingerprint Card (Form FD258) or if you need to obtain the card; and (c) residency requirements, hours of operation, and cost.

Regardless of the method you choose, you will need the following information:

You will then send your completed fingerprint cards, along with a $39.50 background check fee, to:

Colorado Bureau of Investigation
690 Kipling
Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone: 303-239-4208

CBI accepts cash, money order, cashiers check, company check or credit card. They do not accept personal checks. Note that CBI will return the card and payment requiring re-submittal for an additional fee if: (1) fingerprints are not readable, due to low quality of print characteristics; (2) payment is not made in the exact amount ($39.50); or (3) the wrong fingerprint card is used (you must use Form FD 258).

CBI will complete the background check and submit it directly to DORA. Please do not call DORA repeatedly to check on the status. This part of the process may take up to 12 weeks. DORA will hold the background check on file (for up to a year) until the rest of your application is received.

Registration application
The application for state registration will be available December 1, 2008 at:
http://www.dora.state.co.us/massage-therapists/index.htm

An application is considered complete by DORA when:

• The original application form (no photocopies, no fax), and all questions are filled out completely and accurately;
• The appropriate fee ($90) has been remitted;
• Fingerprint card has been submitted to CBI and the background check has been received;
• The original (no photocopies) Affidavit of Eligibility form is complete;
• Any additional information requested by the director (i.e. explanation addressing screening questions) has been received;
• Any additional requirements listed in the application’s instructions and checklist are complete, including an affidavit stating that you have, and will maintain, professional liability insurance. ABMP Professional, Practitioner, and Certified levels of membership include professional liability insurance and meet this qualification.

DORA expects to issue registration within 14 days of receipt of completed applications. You will be able to check the progress of your application on the DORA website. It has been reported that up to 40% of applicants to the Division of Registration submit incomplete applications. This only causes a delay in processing. Check your application twice before sending it in. DORA has made this process extremely easy by not requiring applicant to document eligibility by providing transcripts or test scores. If everyone double-checks their applications prior to sending them in, there should be no problem receiving your registration by 4/1/2009.
Avoid common mistakes:

• If you have changed your name because of a marriage or divorce and the name on the application is different than the name you used in school, send a copy of your marriage or divorce documentation along with your application.
• Don’t lie on the screening questions. An arrest, criminal conviction, or disciplinary action will not automatically disqualify a candidate for registration. Lying on the application will not help your cause and could be considered a violation of ABMP’s Code of Ethics.
• Don’t skip any lines on the application.

Qualifications for Registration
Registration will begin 12/1/08 and the grandfathering period will end 12/31/09. Until 12/31/2009, applicants can meet EITHER the education or exam requirement or demonstrate that they have practiced for 5 years and have had 300 hours massage education. DORA will accept an attestation for proof of education or experience during the initial registration process.

Anyone applying after 12/31/2009 will need to meet both the entry-level education requirements (500 hours) and exam requirement (MBLEX or NCBTMB exam). Future applicants will have to submit their transcripts and exam scores.

Renewal
This initial state registration will be effective for two years. The renewal date will be 1/31/11. There is no background check or continuing education required for renewal and a fee has not been set at this time. Renewal notices will be sent by DORA as a courtesy. However, it is the responsibility of the massage therapist to renew. You are also required to keep your address current with DORA.

Contact information
All information related to the registration of massage therapists can be found at:
Department of Regulatory Agencies
Division of Registrations
Office of Licensing – Massage Therapists Registration
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303.894.7800

Website: http://www.dora.state.co.us/massage-therapists/index.htm

Exempt professions
Professions exempt from obtaining state registration, as long as practitioners do not practice or advertise that they practice massage therapy, include: reflexology, movement educators (Feldenkrais, Trager, and Body-Mind Centering), energy work (reiki, shiatsu, asian bodywork, polarity), structural integrators (Rolfing and Hellerwork), and the process of muscle activation techniques.

Local Licenses
You must comply with your city’s requirements since they have regulatory jurisdiction until 3/31/09. The State has sent a notice to the municipal clerks regarding the change in jurisdiction but has no authority to compel cities or local jurisdictions to waive the renewal fee if you are required to renew your license before April 1, 2009.

ABMP members, log in to access your BizFit materials for getting your practice in shape.

Dear Valued Member,

The headlines regarding the economy are unsettling, and likely leaving you wondering how the recession will affect your practice. Maybe some of you are already feeling the effects. Consequently, we don’t think there’s a moment to waste and are moving quickly to put ideas and solutions in your hands. To that end, ABMP introduces its new “BizFit: Get Your Practice in Shape” business management series to help you navigate these changing economic times. To access the following tools, log in to the ABMP.com Members section and click on the ABMP BizFit headline.

• Video Tips: Practitioners Share Their Business Advice
  1. Getting New Clients
  2. Re-booking Strategies
  3. Ten Things to Do Today to Build Your Practice
  4. Ten Ways to Use an Hour When You Don’t Have an Appointment

 

• Toolkits: Strategies for Practice Management
  1. Retaining Clients
  2. Quick Fixes
  3. Getting Comfortable with Money
  4. Getting Started
  5. Insurance Billing

 

• Webinars
  Lock in Your Massage Business for 2009

 

• Marketing Materials
  Customizable Client Education Brochures: Topics include Invest In Your Health and The Benefits of Frequently Scheduled Massage
  
  Customizable Client Newsletter: Choose from a variety of articles including The Benefits of Massage and A Cornerstone of Health
  

 

• Consumer Awareness Initiative through Massagetherapy.com, ABMP’s public education resource. Massagetherapy.com’s monthly topics and associated e-newsletters champion the benefits of massage as a relaxation necessity in stressful times, a vital wellness measure, and an important healthcare modality. All ABMP members will soon be added to the monthly e-newsletter distribution list from this public education website.

 

• And more. We will continue to build regularly on the ABMP BizFit series. Look for additional video tips, toolkits, podcasts, marketing materials, and upcoming articles in Massage & Bodywork magazine and Different Strokes.

It’s hard to know what exactly the economy has in store and how it will affect the business of massage. But be assured, we are committed to working with you for the benefit of your clients’ health and the health of your practice.

E-mail us at expectmore@abmp.com with your ideas and feedback. We’d love to hear from you. We are hopeful the massage profession will continue to build, but no matter the path, know that we are with you every step of the way.

Sincerely,

Les Sweeney, NCTM
President, ABMP

Log in to the ABMP Members section now to access ABMP BizFit Practice Management Series.

October 31, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Nora Brunner
800-458-2267, ext. 647

ABMP’S DIGITAL MASSAGE & BODYWORK
MAGAZINE TAKES GOLD MARCOM AWARD

(Evergreen, Colo., Oct. 31) – Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP)
today announced its digital Massage & Bodywork magazine has won a gold award from the international MarCom Awards, sponsored by the Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals (AMCP). The digital Massage & Bodywork was one of 5,000 entries in the competition. ABMP rolled out the September/October inaugural e-zine Aug. 11. Massage & Bodywork is the first U.S. massage therapy journal to be offered online by a leading massage membership association.

MarCom’s gold winners were judged to “exceed the high standards of the industry norm,” and the gold is “a tremendous achievement,” according to the Arlington, Texas-based AMCP.

The digital Massage & Bodywork features links to ads, streaming videos and websites, along with video sidebars to help deepen readers’ knowledge of a technique or treatment. Subscribers can easily locate specific issues, articles and pages using the table of contents and search function. Those who prefer to read exclusively online can go green by notifying ABMP they want only the digital version. Subscribers to the award-winning print magazine receive the digital magazine free.

A Readex survey released last summer shows Massage &Bodywork is the top professional magazine choice among massage therapist survey respondents not affiliated with either of the two major membership associations. It was named the first choice by 37 percent of unaffiliated readers, demonstrating leadership over MTJ, Massage Magazine and Massage Today. Massage & Bodywork recently won prestigious gold and silver EXCEL awards from the nation’s leading association publishing organization.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is a national professional membership association serving the massage therapy profession. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Evergreen, Colo., ABMP is the largest massage membership association in the United States with more than 65,000 members.

House Bill 2499, a legislative proposal to license massage therapists, was signed into law by Governor Rendell yesterday. The law requires the governor to appoint a regulatory board to implement the law. The board will consist of six massage therapists, two members of the public, and three representatives from different government departments. ABMP will inform members when the governor begins accepting applications to be appointed to the board. The board will have the responsibility of writing rules and regulations to implement the law, including an application process.

As previously reported, the law will allow existing practitioners to qualify for a license without obtaining additional education or taking an exam. To qualify for a license under the grandfathering provision an applicant will be required to demonstrate they have actively practiced massage therapy and meet ONE of the following requirements:

1. Has been in active, continuous practice for a minimum of 5 years; OR
2. Has passed a massage therapy exam that is part of a certification program accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA); OR
3. Has completed a minimum of 500 hours of massage education; OR
4. Has completed at least 100 hours of massage education and passed the National Exam for State Licensure (NESL) offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); OR
5. Has completed at least 100 hours of massage education and passed the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB).

Once a massage therapist obtains a license through the grandfathering provision, the only requirement for maintenance of his or her license would be to complete 24 hours continuing education for renewal every two years.

To qualify for licensure after the grandfathering provision expires, an applicant must have completed a minimum 600 hour massage therapy program and pass an exam approved or administered by the board.

Professions exempt from massage therapy licensure would include energy work, movement education, and reflexology.

There is no action to take at this time. It can take up to a year for the board to be appointed and an application process to be put in place. ABMP will keep members informed as progress is made.

Read the entire law.

On Saturday, September 27, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 731 into law. When fully implemented, the new law makes available regulatory relief for the nearly 40,000 individuals practicing massage therapy in California.

Today is not the end of a now six year process – creation of a governing board, hiring a staff, developing policies, advertising the availability of applications for state-level certification, processing applications, and finally issuing certifications all lie ahead. Indeed, language in the bill states that no certifications may be issued prior to September 1, 2009.

Neither does this bill mandate anything for individual massage practitioners. It is a voluntary certification bill. Those who qualify, elect to seek, and secure a certification from the yet to be formed California Massage Therapy Organization will gain the right to practice anywhere in the state without having to secure massage therapy licenses from individual cities or counties. Potentially, the cost of a state-level certification will be meaningfully less than what many individuals are paying now for local permits.

I understand that not every ABMP California member will cheer SB 731 becoming law. While the latest California member survey we conducted (July 2008) found 83% support for the bill, I respect the contrary views of the other 17% and hope the voluntary nature of the law assuages their disagreement.

Having offered these caveats, some celebration seems in order. While highly imperfect, and some distance from the original legislative draft, SB 731 appears to solve a huge problem with the practice of massage within California. This law looks at bona fide massage therapists as professionals, not as suspect providers of illicit services. Those electing to become certified will be able to have their qualifications vetted by a knowledgeable massage organization rather than by local police departments. Discriminatory zoning rules singling out massage therapists could no longer be enforced against individuals certified by this new massage organization.

Over time the new law raises educational requirements to enter the profession, but up front it provides avenues for experienced practitioners to qualify for certification with fewer formal education hours.

View a copy of the complete bill. ABMP will soon be sending to each California member via regular mail information on the bill and the standards for becoming certified under its provisions. As the new Massage Organization is formed and begins shaping rules and practices in 2009, ABMP will again send specific guidance about becoming certified to all members. While I am certain numerous recipients of this electronic communication have interpretation questions about how the law will apply to apply to your individual situation, please hold off those inquiries until after receiving the first of those future letters.

The governing structure for the Massage Therapy Organization is described in the bill. Because it will be a private organization outside of state government, board members are not selected by the Governor. Rather, organizations of varying types may qualify to appoint one or more board members. Once we present our credentials, ABMP will be entitled to two seats on the founding board. If you feel qualified and are interested in serving on that body, please by October 20 send a resume and a cover letter expressing interest to: rsb@abmp.com. ABMP’s President will make the selections. Weight will be given to involvement and contributions to this legislative effort over the past six years, but there may well be other individuals who possess some useful combination of massage work experience, insights about massage education, knowledge about consumer needs, and participation in government processes.

Our colleagues in this legislative effort, the California chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association, will also have two seats on the board and should be acknowledged for their perseverance and commitment of resources in this effort. This six-year road started as a conversation among colleagues, required compromise among varying viewpoints within the profession, and ended with a largely shared vision to pass a law that will improve the regulatory structure for massage therapists who choose to be certified. Over the past two years, Massage Envy has also been strongly supportive of these legislative efforts – testifying, writing support letters, and contributing financially.

After a rocky relationship start, I am pleased to report that in the end the California Chiropractic Association not only supported the bill, but also actively lobbied on its behalf. That support helped meaningfully, and we appreciate that. We wish that we had also had support of the California Physical Therapy Association, but that did not come to pass.

ABMP owes genuine gratitude to three individuals. State Senator Jenny Oropeza agreed to serve as author of and advocate for SB 731, stepping up to the plate two years ago when many of her colleagues were wary or simply had other priorities.

Kathryn Scott and Judy Wolen, our government relations representatives with the firm of Capital Partners in Sacramento made huge contributions. They have been ABMP’s strategists and implementing point persons in this effort for five years. Yes, ABMP paid them for their services, but their creative, persistent efforts moved beyond executing an assignment into the realm of genuine caring about helping the massage therapy profession. What started as an assignment became a personal mission.

On a personal note, I am proud to have lent some combination of Swedish stubbornness and skill at mediating diverse ABMP member views to this effort. Several ABMP staff colleagues and a so-called “kitchen cabinet” of about two-dozen ABMP California members also uncomplainingly and repeatedly put shoulder to the wheel to make this effort ultimately successful. This journey has been lengthy already and certainly has had its full share of disappointments along the way. It has required considerable ABMP senior management time along with dollar outlays for outside services. We kept at it because many of our 12,000+ California members face every day an unjust and intolerable regulatory burden. We have consistently described SB 731 as an imperfect solution, but it does comprise an important step forward in enabling ABMP members to be recognized as professionals and to be regulated in a time and cost-effective manner.

Bob Benson
Chairman

Produced twice a year, Body Sense is a vital, attractive tool to boost your client education efforts and a way to say thanks while encouraging healthy living behavior. Make Body Sense a cornerstone to your marketing plan and place your order for additional copies, available to ABMP members for $1 a copy, with free shipping. To place your order or learn more, visit www.bodysensemagazine.com.

Classified ads are posted in the ABMP.com Members section. Non-members and employers will be invoiced for $50 per posting. ABMP members can submit classifieds free of charge. Response information is included in the listing. ABMP performs this service for its members and makes no guarantee as to the validity of the listings. Listings will be removed after 60 days unless we are notified.

Post a classified in the ABMP.com Members section.