Massage Therapy Credentials

A new massage therapy practice recently opened near me. An announcement in our local newspaper read in part:

"The owners … recently became certified massage therapists through New Hampshire Community Technical College, where they studied a variety of massage techniques, anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology."

Wrong! Massage therapy schools do not certify therapists. I don’t know who misspoke, the therapists or a newspaper editor, but the sentence is misleading. It implies that the therapists have a credential that they may not have. While the mistake was probably an innocent one, the public, particularly potential clients, deserve better. That’s especially true in Vermont, where massage therapy is unregulated and no certification or license is required to practice.

Certification is a process by which an independent agency or professional association grants recognition to an individual who has met professional standards for practice. Certification is generally voluntary. In the United States, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork is the only agency whose certification enjoys widespread acceptance.

Licensure, on the other hand, is the process by which a government agency grants permission to an individual to engage in a given occupation. Becoming licensed is mandatory if one wishes to practice an occupation that is regulated by the state or other jurisdiction.

Bottom Line: Massage therapists and other professionals have an ethical obligation to accurately portray their credentials. Conversely, clients have the right to know what licenses and certifications their therapists possess. If in doubt, please do not hesitate to ask.

To your health! - Kevin

Note: Definitions of certification and licensure were adapted from those shown on the FSU Psychology Department’s web page entitled "Accreditation, Certification and Licensure Information" (http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/graduate/certify1.htm#certify).