Archive for March, 2011
Each Massage A New Experience
23 March 2011Once you have gone through a massage curriculum, you have learned things that are ingrained. The powers of therapeutic touch and the many techniques used to manipulate the muscles to get them to relax never truly leave your mind. Even when two therapists have been instructed by the same teacher, they come away with their own way of looking at a pathology and what they would do in order to relieve the negative symptoms and strengthen the weaknesses. That is why it is imperative that after you graduate you get massages from other therapists and take interesting continuing education classes. What one therapist is attracted to could not even enter the mind of another.
When you do get a chance to massage another therapist, don’t be shy, give them your best treatment. Who cares if they have practiced more or less then you or went to this school or had this mentor. We each have a gift we can offer, we are all talented in different ways and as such have individual touch that will bring about good because we all focus on doing no harm. There is no room for thinking about them stilling a technique you have perfected or negative shop talk. When coming away from a massage they want what anyone wants…. To feel good and enjoy the experience. Every situation you are in has the potential to teach you something. If you go away with nothing then it is your own fault.
Referrals are one of the ways your clients will know that you are looking out for their best interest. Some will say I only want to come to you and others will give it a try. Most of the time when I refer, it is to an Acupuncturist or Chiropractor. When I am unavailable I do give them other alternatives to massage if needed. If you don’t have a list of referrals, that might be something you can do this year. Search out the best and get the networking going. Truly find people you yourself would go to if you had a need for their services.
Make your Massage practice one of the best experiences your clients will rely on.
Massage Exams Reviewed
15 March 2011Each state that is regulated is regulated by a Board. Each Board has laws, rules and regulations set forth to govern the profession. The day will come when reciprocity or portability between states will be made easy, but it is not yet. Organizations and building blocks are being established and will continue to grow the Massage industry. The support and education of each individual Massage Therapists is not only wanted but needed. This education begins at the place of education, the schools that offer the curriculum.
So many educators are not “In-The-Know” when it comes to preparing their students for what comes after their education. Following are Ten Misconceptions about the massage licensing exams.
First Misconception:
NCETMB/NCETM is a National exam- meaning every state accepts it; Wrong, just because it has the word National in the title of the exam, it does not mean that it is accepted everywhere. As it stands right now if you wish to perform Massage Therapy in a state you have to check off the state requirements before obtaining a license to practice within that state, even if you are visiting as a practitioner or an instructor you must check in with the state board to do so.
Second Misconception:
The MBLEx gives me a License to practice Massage in my state; The MBLEx or Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination is a License issued when you have passed the standardized exam and shows you have a basic education, competent enough to start your practice. After receiving a passing score you must then give the results to the state along with your application to obtain a license to practice within your state. A certification is issued by regulated organizations and a license is issued by government regulated agency. The MBLEx is administered by the FSMTB or Federation of Massage Therapy Boards a group of all the government state Massage Boards. The NCETMB is a certificate of passing from the NCBTMB or National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork organization.
Third Misconception:
Reciprocity is easy; If you have been practicing Massage in your state with a current valid license you will have a better time with moving to another state and obtaining a license to practice. You must contact the new state and check off the license requirements. If you are short 100 hours of schooling, you may need to go back to school. Again this is left up to the discretion of the board regulations so contacting them is always key. They may accept the exam you have taken even if it is not the accepted exam for that state. Each state has different rules of accepting reciprocity.
Fourth Misconception:
The MBLEx is a cop out for less knowledgeable students; The MBLEx was designed to test the basic knowledge of a newly graduated student of a 500 hour class curriculum. The exam is scored on a scale starting at 300 and ending at 900. A passing score is obtained at 630, you have advanced knowledge of massage if you obtain a higher score.
Fifth Misconception:
The MBLEx is a less recognized exam; The FSMTB or Federation was founded in 2005. It is a government agency consisting of 39 State Massage Boards. Of those 39 states that are members of the Federation of Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), 32 have adopted the use of the MBLEx into Law scenes the exam began in 2007, some of these states have exclusive use.
Sixth Misconception:
The MBLEx does not have CAM (Complimentary Alternative Medicine) questions; The MBLEx has definitions of CAM’s, CPR and History questions. The NCETMB has A&P, Assessment and Application CAM questions.
Seventh Misconception:
I graduated with a 4.0, I will pass no problem; Many graduates find out that they had not properly been prepared for the exam when they take it for the first time. How are you to know if what your school is teaching is what you will need to know for the exams? Check the outlines for the MBLEx and NCETMB. Because the schools are not yet regulated across the states with standard approved curriculum. They are free to teach you what they think you should know. One school could have an abundance in energy work and massage theory and lack in A&P, another could focus on A&P and forget about Kinesiology. That is why we need associations like the MTBOK to established ground for standardization and reciprocity.
Eighth Misconception:
My state accepts the MBLEx and NCETMB so I must take both; The application for a state licensure will accept one or the other. It is your choice on the exam to take, it is not necessary to take both. If you pass one then you can send those results to the state for your license to practice.
Ninth Misconception:
My state has a Massage Board but I don’t need a current license to practice; When Laws, Rules and Regulations and voted into law and a Massage Board is organized for your state, you MUST have a current License to practice. The first reason and most important is that when practicing without a license you are subject to fines for both yourself and the establishment you work for this is per incident/massage and is not cheap. Second, not abiding by the statues put into place, gives the Massage Industry a bad name and can decrease the reliability of the good responsible reputation we are trying to create for the consumers, government organizations and media.
Tenth Misconception (most frequent):
My state has its own exam; The only states that do not utilize the MBLEx, NCETM/TMB, NCCAOM and NBCA are New York, Ohio and Hawaii. States may have a take home Jurisprudence exam they give with the state license application, others may have a practical in addition but the MBLEx and NCETM/TMB are the most accepted and used exams.
Motivation and Momentum
1 March 2011From my early years I have been taught to set goals and work hard at achieving them. If you want a successful business you must work hard to maintain the ground you have acquired and build upon it. This information age of resources upon resources at our fingertips is a perfect opportunity to abound in abundance and grow your business.
Where do you want to take your business? How much success do you see in your future? Is your goal to work less and make more? Or is it to work hard everyday all day and make enough to sustain your family?
Working for yourself is a great start, but why stop there? Consider being a boss as well, expand your business and rent out rooms in a office or hire employees. Purchase a franchise or build your own. Start a local publication creating awareness of the benefits of Massage and alternative modalities that support health and wellness. Create brand awareness, utilize or create health fairs, networking groups and additional products. Adapt your business to suite your personality, you don’t have to be a cookie cutter business owner, what else are you good at?
Massage is wonderful but you could also become a life coach or a personal trainer. Think Big develop and grow the possibilities are endless.