Depending on the state or region where you work as a professional massage therapist or bodyworker, earning a certain number of continuing education credits may be one of the requirements when it comes to maintaining and renewing your license to practice.
The continuing education requirements for massage therapists and bodyworkers can vary from state to state and from region to region. These guidelines for continuing education can also change over time. Therefore, it is important for each practitioner to do his or her homework and figure out any requirements that may be associated with earning continuing education credits.
In certain states and regions, professional massage therapists and bodyworkers may find that no continuing education is necessary at all, perhaps because the field of massage therapy and bodywork is not regulated by the local government. However, this is not the case in most places, as the regulation of massage therapy and bodywork appears to be growing right along with the industry itself.
For those practitioners who do happen to work in an area that is regulated and does require massage therapists and bodyworkers to earn continuing education credits, it is crucial to find out the details of this requirement. You need to know if there are any specific guidelines as far as what type of continuing education classes you are required to take, how many credits you need to earn and how often, whether there is a list of approved continuing education providers and so on.
Equipped with all the necessary data about the continuing education requirements in your state or region, you will be ready to make an informed decision when it comes to taking continuing education classes. You can then work within the structure of these regulations as you search for a continuing education class that you believe will be worth the while for you and your practice.
If you happen to work in one of those places where the field of massage therapy and bodywork is not regulated and continuing education is not a requirement, do not cross continuing education classes off your to-do list entirely. After all, taking continuing education classes on a regular basis is one of the best ways to stay fresh, excited and successful in your career as a professional massage therapist or bodyworker.
As for choosing a specific continuing education class, again this will often be guided, at least in part, by any regulations and requirements that might apply to massage therapists or bodyworkers in your state or region. However, when there is a bit of “wiggle room” for you to pick a class out on your own, aim for those continuing education courses that are focused on topics that could strengthen your practice.
Depending on the practitioner, this might mean a continuing education class on an advanced deep-tissue technique, to increase one’s skill level and keep clients coming back for more. For another massage therapist, it might mean enrolling.