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accreditation, American Massage Therapy Association, AMTA, certification, find a qualified massage therapist, licensing, massage, massage therapists, Nicole Ftacnik LMT CPNMT, state regulations
If so, check out the American Massage Therapy Association‘s (AMTA) website. The AMTA is the largest non-profit professional association; representing massage therapy. It was founded in 1943.
Here you can find qualified massage therapists who have demonstrated their competency by completing one or more of the following:
- Graduated from a minimum 500 in-class hour, entry-level massage therapy school
- Provided proof of current state or provincial licensure (where applicable)
- Certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
In addition, AMTA members adhere to a professionally recognized code of ethics and standards of practice, and are committed to continuing their professional education development.
Different states have different regulations when it comes to massage therapy requirements. For example, in Ohio where I work, a massage therapist must be licensed. If you’re curious as to what the difference is between Certification, Licensing, and Accreditation… Please check out this link. I’ve also included a map showing what states have regulations, what states have none, and what states—or state, rather—have introduced or is drafting legislation.
For detailed state-by-state regulations and legislative updates, please check out this link.
On another note, I’ve heard some horror stories with regards to massage therapists’ and their lack of professionalism. I’m sure most of you are aware that massage still has somewhat-of-a-stigma about it, and I would like to be a part of changing that, which is why I am a Professional Member with the AMTA… And also why I decided to post this information.
With that said, I hope you find this information to be informative!
UPDATE AS OF 9/6/12: I wanted to clarify that not being a member of the AMTA does not mean that all massage therapists are not professional. My main goal for this post was to get the word out there about this association because I have a lot of clients that have never heard of it. There are obviously other reputable websites out there that list them, so here are a couple others that I have personally used…
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“Neutral balance alignment is key to becoming pain-free” ~ Me
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