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Massage on the move                                                                       May 2005

In the field of massage, each therapist brings a unique style to the table. That style, in some cases, varies radically from one practitioner to another. In other instances, it may differ only in the pressure of touch or the scent of a lotion. Similarly, massage-license requirements can vary from state to state by as much as 750 hours of education, or by as little as a background check or an oral exam.

But while diversity of technique among touch therapists keeps the field fresh, diversity in massage-licensing laws can pose obstacles for those moving to another state.

In an attempt to increase the portability of the profession, many state massage laws include language on reciprocity, which aims to allow massage therapists licensed in one state to move to another state and practice promptly, without going through the entire licensing process again. However, because most states’ licensing requirements differ, incoming massage therapists are usually considered on a case-by-case basis.

“Because so many laws are different somehow—local jurisprudence, practical exam or other unique facets—reciprocity is something that everyone seems to believe in, but the reality doesn’t quite match expectations,” says Les Sweeney, executive vice president of Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP).

Making reciprocity a reality should be one of the primary goals of massage regulation, according to ABMP. The massage association lists reciprocity among its recommendations for massage-and-bodywork legislation.

“Legislation drafted sometimes gets bogged down in the details of reciprocity, essentially granting it only if the other state grants it to them,” says Sweeney. “Such language virtually assures that no state would have reciprocal rights, since most states’ massage-licensing laws are not identical.”

In Nebraska, for example, one of the requirements for reciprocity is that the incoming massage therapist be licensed in a state with standards “equal to those maintained in Nebraska,” where 1,000 hours of education and a passing score the on National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB) are necessary to earn a license.

If a massage therapist moved from Iowa—where 500 hours of education are required—to Nebraska, she would need to go back to school before being granted a Nebraska massage license.

“Ultimately, our concern is with the practitioner’s ability to practice,” says Sweeney. “Does someone practicing in Iowa really need to get another 500 hours of education just because they moved to Nebraska?”

According to Dolly Wallace, national government-relations committee chair for the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), more than half of AMTA members surveyed online says they had to meet additional requirements to get a massage credential in another state. Forty-four percent says it took more than three months to get the credential; 70 percent says they were required to sit for additional testing; and 47 percent says the process cost more than $200.

“While the goal of reciprocity is certainly the direction in which we hope future state regulation and licensure will go, it isn’t the emphasis for AMTA chapters seeking initial regulation,” says Wallace. “AMTA promotes the idea of similar standards for credentialing in all jurisdictions in the United States, and we believe licensing by the states is the best way to achieve that.”

According to Sally Hacking, government-relations consultant for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, most state massage laws do address reciprocity, accepting massage therapists from states with “substantially similar” standards. However, even if two states’ education hours and exam requirements are identical, a massage therapist on the move may have to meet a few standards unique to his or her new state.

“When additional standards have to be met it can be a frustration to the practitioners moving into that state,” Hacking explains. “Educational and examination requirements are not the only reciprocity issues; there can be others.”

As it stands, a massage therapist moving to a regulated state should contact that state’s massage-therapy board, as well as local officials in the city of relocation, to find out whether additional education hours, exam scores or course certifications are necessary for licensure, and if there is any recognition of practical experience.

In New York, another state with a 1,000-hour education standard, practical experience can, at times, make up for a lack of education hours. “We look at what the person’s qualifications are,” says Kathleen Doyle, Ph.D., executive secretary for the New York Board of Massage Therapy. “In some cases, we can enable a person to make something up.”

For example, if a massage therapist moving to New York has passed the NCETMB; been deemed of good moral character; and has an average of 12 hours of practical experience per week for five years, he or she only has to have 800 of the 1,000 required education hours, says Doyle.

As most states’ required massage education hovers around 500 hours, the extra education needed to apply for reciprocity will rarely exceed 300 hours. Still, many massage therapists, as well as ABMP, are seeking smoother transitions from state to state.

Suggestions range from allowing massage therapists to “test in” to a new state using the NCETMB, to defining a combination of experience and education that meets reciprocity standards in regulated states nationwide.

“We feel recognition of education received and service provided, even if it doesn’t exactly match your state’s requirement, should be a goal,” says Sweeney. “Honoring another state’s credential removes a potentially onerous burden from the individual.”

—Brandi Schlossberg

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