Certification Across the Nation
North Dakota adopts the National Certification Exam (NCE) in lieu of using its own state exam for licensure

As the therapeutic massage and bodywork field continues to grow, the industry as a whole is recognizing the value of National Certification. More and more states are requiring successful completion of NCBTMB’s program and the most recent state to join this movement is North Dakota.

Although there has been a law governing massage therapy in North Dakota since 1959, it was not until this past spring that passing the National Certification Examination (NCE) became a requirement for practitioners to become licensed in the state.

In April 2004, the five-member North Dakota State Board of Massage made the decision to utilize the National Certification Exam (NCE) in lieu of its own state exam because it is a consistent measure of competency in the field and it is widely recognized as the most comprehensive way to test massage school graduates. The Board also recognized that adopting the NCE would provide convenience to applicants because of its accessibility. The exam is offered five to six times per week at test sites across the country.

“By adopting the NCE, North Dakota becomes the latest of 28 states and the District of Columbia to recognize the importance and value of National Certification,” said NCBTMB Chair Judy Dean, RN, NCTMB. “North Dakota is now providing its residents with the assurance that therapists statewide have met requirements aligned with a national standard and have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide massage services professionally and ethically.” [top]

Judy Dean, M.Ed, RN, NCTMB, CHt

Autumn is now in full swing and for most of us, this is a season deeply associated with change. The end of summer, the onset of cooler weather, the changing colors of the leaves – these are all signs that fall has arrived and brought with it a new environment to which we must adapt.

In our field, it is extremely important that we be aware of the current environment and be open to change. As consumer awareness and acceptance of massage therapy and bodywork rapidly grows, our industry changes at a similar pace. A successful practice can be built on flexibility and willingness to adjust to the changing demands of the environment.

Just as you are forced to accommodate changes in your surroundings to maintain a successful practice, so too is NCBTMB required to embrace change and adjust to it to maintain the credibility of its certification programs.

As our field grows and becomes increasingly accepted by the medical field, we are challenged with keeping up-to-date with the current field of practice. It is for this very reason that NCBTMB conducts a job analysis study every five years to ensure that our examinations reflect real world practice. These studies involve intense review of research and literature, surveys and focus groups to ensure that the questions on the exam are true to what practitioners are applying in their daily practice.

NCBTMB’s enactment of a redesigned 10-option recertification program is another example of our organization changing to accommodate the diverse needs of our certificants in the areas of continuing education and continuing competence. Similarly, the NCBTMB’s new massage-only credential, the National Certification in Massage Therapy (NCTM) available June 1 next year, illustrates NCBTMB’s commitment to aligning its programs with the evolving demands of its stakeholders.

Just as we go through cycles with the changing seasons of the year, so too does NCBTMB in many ways. In addition to the continual adaptation of our organization to factors that influence our environment, there is a cycle on the NCBTMB Board of Directors as new leadership rises through the ranks. Under each new board chair, new policies and programs are brought to the organization. We will continue to adapt to the changes in our field and be receptive to your needs as Nationally Certified practitioners.

As you reflect on the change in your environment and in your own practice, remember the words of the writer Gail Sheehy, “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” This autumn, remember that change is growth, and growth is life!

Until next time… “Work steady and play often!!” [top]

Progressing Toward the NCBTMB Strategic Plan

Ethics and Standards Committee
Most Nationally Certified massage and bodywork practitioners are not fully aware of the full scope of the NCBTMB Ethics and Standards Committee. We want NCBTMB certificants to know what this committee is, why it exists and what it does… and be glad to have it.

Simply put—Ethics and Standards is the committee that oversees the standards that require ethical professional behavior from every certificant. We receive complaints from consumers, other practitioners, business owners and others who feel they have observed or received less than professionally ethical services from massage therapists and bodyworkers who are Nationally Certified. The Investigative Panel, a subcommittee of the Ethics and Standards Committee, is the group of individuals who review a complaint, take testimony and evidence and report findings to the committee.

Who is on this committee? It is a committee made up of your peers who have been in practice for at least five years and have an interest in professional ethics. In addition, there is at least one public member on the committee who represents the consumer. The full committee, including the Investigative Panel, is trained annually by an attorney and an ethics specialist in the ethical principles of NCBTMB, the complaint process, the investigative process and the standards for disciplinary action.

What kind of complaints does the committee hear? Any violation of NCBTMB’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice can come to our attention. That includes all areas of a certificant’s professional practice—record keeping, financial procedures, sexual propriety and issues of confidentiality, among others.

Anyone who believes they have been “harmed” by an unethical behavior can bring a complaint to the committee. The concept of “harm” can be as specific as an injury as a result of a failure by the therapist to provide and abide by an informed consent. Or it can be as broad as a perceived “harm” to the profession when sexual boundaries are violated. This is not, however, a committee that reviews professional competence. If a consumer is looking for a deep tissue massage and makes an appointment with a therapist who specializes in relaxation, for example, and if the client is dissatisfied because he or she did not receive deep tissue work, that is not an ethical violation and does not come under the Ethics and Standards Committee’s scope. In this situation, if the therapist is advertising his or her credentials, certificates and specialties accurately, there is no ethical violation.

You do not need to be an NCBTMB certificant in order to file an ethics complaint, but the person against whom you are filing it must be a current certificant. It’s easy to check the certification status of any massage therapist on the NCBTMB Web site at http://www.ncbtmb.com/database/query.html.

If you or someone you know wants to file a complaint, you can request a complaint package via phone (800-296-0664, ext. 239) or mail:

National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300
McLean, VA 22102

This package will contain the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice to which the certificant must adhere and instructions for the format of your complaint. This will help the Ethics and Standards Committee determine whether or not a complaint is valid.

If the Ethics and Standards Committee agrees to accept the complaint, both the complainant and the respondent will be notified in a letter from the committee chair.

If no further information is required, as in cases of self-reporting of ethical lapses or when there is sufficient valid documentation accompanying a complaint, the committee can make a determination about whether or not there has been a violation of standards and, if necessary, assign appropriate sanctions.

If the committee needs further information about the complaint, the Investigative Panel will appoint a three-member investigative team to look into the complaint. Both the complainant and the respondent may be asked for additional information during this process and both may be interviewed by members of the Investigative Panel.

The Investigative Panel will give the Ethics and Standards Committee the results of its inquiries and the committee will determine, based on this information, whether there has been a violation or not.

Both the complainant and the respondent will be notified about the results of the investigation. If the committee determines that there has been an ethical violation, several things could happen. In very severe cases, certification can be revoked. In the majority of cases, however, the committee attempts to remedy the ethical lapse through probation and education.

Finally, any adverse findings and disciplines will be published on the NCBTMB Web site and in this newsletter. Notification will also be published when the terms of the discipline have been completed and the sanction lifted.

No profession can advance and be successful without a Code of Ethics. No profession can be successful unless its Code of Ethics is followed as a guideline for all members of the profession. Having a committee that oversees and helps the profession maintain high ethical standards is a benefit to you and to the whole massage therapy profession.

Committee Chair: Judith McDaniel, Ph.D.
Staff Liaisons: Sayeh Nikfar/Susan Nicolais, CAE

Examination Committee
July’s examination committee meeting in Chicago solidified processes for certification development and formed a literature search task force.

The committee members developed a flow chart to graphically illustrate the processes of certification development, which will be used for future certification development efforts.

The task force formed during the meeting will be charged with conducting a literature search to report the current trends in the massage and bodywork field to the NCBTMB board. Monica Reno, the appointed chair of the task force, will appoint members and commence work through review of research published in periodicals and credible Internet sources including Medline. The culmination of the task force’s work will be a report to the NCBTMB board of directors at the May 2005 board meeting.

Exam committee members present at this meeting included chair Sandra K. Anderson (Ariz.), Monica Reno (Fla.), Georgia Martin (Colo.), Beverley Giroud (Ariz.), Jill Bielawski (Ariz.), Terry Norman (Texas), Tama Hader (Mont.) and Joe Muscolino (Conn.).

Also present were NCBTMB Chair Judy Dean and Bob Lehnberg, NCBTMB Board of Director’s liaison to the examination committee.

This October, the committee met again, this time in Princeton, N.J., to conduct an review of test questions on the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM), the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB) and the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage - Advanced (NCETM-A).

Committee Chair: Sandra K. Anderson
Staff Liaison: Paul Parker

School Outreach Program
Many schools are currently working with their course curriculum to accommodate changes in the NCBTMB eligibility criteria and content outlines for future exams. The school outreach program has been there to assist with questions and concerns relative to those changes, as well as support new schools with the application procedures for graduates on their way to becoming Nationally Certified.

The School Outreach Coordinator also assembled data from calls made to school directors and submitted a report to the Board of Directors at their meeting in September.

School Outreach Coordinator: Susan Scoboria
Staff Liaison: Susan Nicolais

NCBTMB Chair Judy Dean presides at the National Certification booth at the Florida State Massage Therapy Association meeting in June.

[top]

The following continuing education providers are the most recent to become new or renewed NCBTMB Approved Providers.

A complete list of NCBTMB Approved Providers can be found online at www.ncbtmb.com. Click on the “Continuing Education” link and select “List of Approved Providers” from the options.

Remember to ask any continuing education provider to include their NCBTMB provider number on certificates of completion.

ARIZONA
Winifred J Cain
8053 East Edgemont Ave
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
480-644-8817
winnie@massagethai.com

BRITISH COLUMBIA
(CANADA)
Linda Leeson
Onsen International
#10 - 270 Harvey Ave
Kelowna, BC V1Y 8P8
877-717-1210
info@onsentherapy.com

CALIFORNIA
Therese Silva
12460 Ladd Ln
Auburn, CA 95603
530-823-8615
silvat@jps.net

COLORADO
Linda Smith
Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry, Inc.
PO Box 741239
Arvada, CO 80006
303-467-7829
lindasmith@htspiritualministry.com
www.htspiritualministry.com

IDAHO
Carmen R Latina
2501 Anderson St, #17
Boise, ID 83702
208-343-5993
mcmbyclatina@hotmail.com

NEW MEXICO
Bhanu Joy Harrison
457 Washington St Ste O
Albuquerque, NM 87108
505-255-0373
bhanu@cybermesa.com

Eden Kark
908 Lorenzo St
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-660-8802
edenkark@hotmail.com

NORTH CAROLINA
Bob Haddad
812 Mountain Creek Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919-932-9700
thaimassage@mindspring.com

Randi Eaton
Stillpoint Center for Integrative Therapy
3634 Vest Mill Rd
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
336-768-3900
info@stillpointcenter.org
www.stillpointcenter.org

NEW JERSEY
Gretel Seham
7 Clyde Rd #101
Somerset, NJ 08873
732-266-8078
gseham@comcast.net

VIRGINIA
Avis L Barry, CMT
3026-A West Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
804-355-5546
avismt@earthlink.net [top]

Practitioner Focus: On-site Massage for Businesses and Special Events

Pamela Fisher, NCTMB

Fast Facts:

Date Certified: 1999

Specialty Area of Practice: On-site chair massage, Swedish massage and acupressure for relaxation and de-stressing

Practice Location: Private Practice, Moline, Ill., and the Quad Cities

Therapeutic Philosophy: To improve clients’ quality of life through relaxation and stress relief, adhering to the mantra, “Relax, refresh, rejuvenate.”

Fate may have played a part in Pamela Fisher’s entrance into the field of therapeutic massage and bodywork, but it was a life-altering accident that brought her home to the Midwest, where she would build her practice and enrich the lives of others with the techniques that had changed hers.

In 1998 Fisher was living in Alaska, her home for almost 20 years, when she realized the stress of her demanding job in the airline industry and the darkness of the Alaskan winter were wearing her down. Fisher decided she needed something to soothe her soul and found Jin Shin Do Acupressure.

Fisher firmly believes the regular treatments she began receiving changed her life for the better. She was not only more relaxed and less stress-ridden, she felt invigorated and at peace. Fortuitously, the clinic where Fisher was receiving acupressure treatments offered classes in acupressure and holistic healing. Fisher registered for the next session, which led her to apply for acceptance into the massage program at the University of Alaska.

An ardent motorcycle enthusiast, having toured more than 10,000 miles solo across seven states, Fisher was injured in a motorcycle accident 10 days after she graduated from massage school. With a broken arm, she was not able to jump right into her new career as she had hoped, but her recovery time did allow her the opportunity to reflect on the direction she wanted to go and just how she would utilize her newfound skill set.

After much introspective consideration, Fisher determined it was time to move back to Illinois to be closer to her family and that there she would open her own practice.

“I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” explains Fisher when talking about why she decided to go into business for herself. “I am an active thinker, a productive doer and, as I have always said, I have more guts than I have brains.”

Being a risk taker, Fisher jumped in with both feet and did everything she could to ensure her practice would be a success, even using her beloved Harley Davidson Road King as collateral. Finally in 2003, with business booming, Fisher allowed herself to have weekends and holidays off.

Fisher credits her status as a Nationally Certified practitioner as a key factor in the success of her practice. National Certification is not a current requirement for licensure in Illinois, but it is in Iowa, were Fisher also practices. Having seen first hand the value of being Nationally Certified, Fisher has maintained her status since 1999.

“I quickly realized the added credibility and validation National Certification provides,” said Fisher. “I feel as though it helps me and my business to stand apart from the rest of the massage therapists in town.”

Another factor at the root of Fisher’s success is her practice’s on-site chair massage program. “There are plenty of massage therapists who snub chair massage, but I can only tell them how much faster I was able to establish myself by getting out there and doing chair massage as much as possible,” Fisher said.

Fisher knew she needed to be visible and to have her name and face associated with chair massage. Her hard work paid off and Fisher’s practice now boasts a client roster full of well-respected area businesses, including John Deere.

“The on-site program has been an incredible educational tool for the citizens of our community,” said Fisher. “They now realize they can receive massages regularly and conveniently, but the most rewarding part of the on-site program is the thanks I receive from other massage therapists. It is not about competition, but about getting people on the massage chair or table.”

Fisher also finds the practice of massage and bodywork very rewarding and enjoys being able to help others find that something to soothe their souls as she did.

“It is so incredible to introduce people to their own spirituality and show them how our mind, body and spirit all work together,” Fisher says. “Providing a person with an hour of a nurturing, relaxing and healing touch is the best job anyone could ask for.” [top]

vol·un·teer (val’en tir’)
n. one who chooses freely to do something, as entering military service
vt. To offer or give of one’s own free will

Webster’s definition of a volunteer may be as described above, but NCBTMB’s definition is simply Elliot Greene, MA, NCTMB, author, counselor and 31-year veteran of the massage and bodywork profession. Greene serves as the current chair of NCBTMB’s strategic planning committee, a position he felt qualified to serve having led the original steering committee that directed National Certification and eventually formed the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

“I was one of three people who in 1988 advocated that the profession needed broader acceptance and the benefits of National Certification,” Greene says. He began studying other professions most similar to massage therapy and the justification behind the reputation each had achieved. “I wanted to attain status for our profession and that required National Certification rather than just an exam.”

Greene and others petitioned the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), the largest professional association in the massage therapy field, to fund the development of a national certification for massage therapists. It did and Greene was named project manager. Leading the process through three phases of transition from committee to council and finally to the current NCBTMB in 1992, Greene was committed to achieving the highest possible standards for certification.

“I insisted on doing the right things from the beginning so that our certification would meet the highest possible standards,” Greene says. “It was an accomplishment to get our certification accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an outside objective source that sets rigorous standards for certification. It was critical that we have a respected group outside of massage therapy vouch for the credential and our merit as professionals.”

Credentialing, combined with cultural and social trends, has contributed to the growth of the profession, according to Greene. “A very quiet renaissance has taken place in the history of massage. Since its arrival from Europe in the late 1800s, massage has been an integral part of healthcare and evolved from a natural health movement to a type of health promotion that’s become mainstream and popular as part of personal improvement. Certification has helped that transformation to ensure professional standards and assure the public that massage is serious therapy.”

Once the credential was created, Greene took a break from his involvement with NCBTMB, but not for long. “I volunteer because it allows me to be involved in something that is meaningful to my profession and I can impact change by being part of the planning and decision-making process,” said Greene. “It’s a chance to make a difference, learn about yourself and our profession, gain new skills, interact with other professionals and spread your wings,” he says of volunteering for NCBTMB. “An organization needs to have a blend of volunteers with different levels of experience.

“If volunteers hadn’t committed to the organization years ago, it wouldn’t be the same profession and NCBTMB may not have existed today. Just imagine if National Certification didn’t exist – the number of therapists and body workers would be lower, public acceptance would be lower, therapists would have a harder time sustaining their businesses. Volunteers are critical to the success of NCBTMB.”

While you may not feel comfortable chairing a committee, Greene notes, there are many positions to be filled. Please consider volunteering for NCBTMB and helping the organization shape the future of the profession. Visit the NCBTMB Web site at www.ncbtmb.com for a volunteer form if you are interested in more information on volunteer opportunities. [top]

Recertification Options 9 & 10

Through December 31, 2006, Nationally Certified practitioners may elect to recertify through the program described in the June 2003 Requirements for Recertification handbook (this program will be phased out by January 2007) or through the new program, outlined in the handbook dated January 2003, which gives a choice of ten options for recertification.

In this issue of Connection, NCBTMB’s series outlining the various options for recertification concludes with detailed information outlining Option 9, Publications, and Option 10, Self-Directed Learning Project.

Option 9 - Publications
Attention all authors!

Nationally Certified practitioners recertifying through Option 9 must be the primary author or primary co-author of an article related to the practice of therapeutic massage and bodywork published in a peer-reviewed journal. In order to receive credit, the author must:

• Submit a letter of acceptance from the journal that includes the date the article was published
• Submit a copy of the article
• Submit a list including the members of the editorial board who reviewed the article

This option is not based on classroom contact hours and 10 credits will be awarded for completing this activity. Please see page 19 of the January 2003 edition of NCBTMB’s Requirements for Recertification handbook for a form to help track your progress in completing Option 9.

Certificants may also use articles published in a peer-reviewed journal to complete Option 10, Self-Directed Learning Project (read on for a full description of this option).

Option 10 – Self-Directed Learning Project
Option 10 is NCBTMB’s self-assessment tool. It is a good fit for practitioners who would like to direct and assess their own performance throughout the process of recertification.

Upon NCBTMB’s approval of the documents outlined below, practitioners may begin to complete the self-directed learning process. Please note that these documents must be submitted for pre-approval one year prior to the expiration of certification:

• Self-assessment tool – This form should be completed first and is designed to have practitioners evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses against criteria outlined by NCBTMB.
• Learning Plan – This form includes areas for practitioners to list the learning objectives and learning activities that are based on the areas of weakness revealed by the self-assessment tool. Once the learning objectives are outlined, at least three learning activities (projects) must be identified to help achieve the outlined learning objectives. For examples of learning activities, please refer to the 2003 Requirements for Recertification handbook.

Once the initial documents are approved, practitioners may begin to complete the learning project. The following documentation must be submitted to NCBTMB upon completion of Option 10:

• When and where the learning activity occurred
• Record of what was learned
• Resources that were used in completing the learning activities
• Documentation of time spent on learning activities and overall objectives
• A follow-up self-assessment tool and comparison with the initial tool that was approved by NCBTMB
• Examples of how the practitioner’s work in the massage therapy/bodywork profession has improved because of the learning activities completed through this option

A maximum of 48 credits will be awarded for Option 10. The required six hours of ethics may be integrated within this option or achieved separately.

Please refer to the January 2003 Requirements for Recertification handbook for full details on the various options for keeping your certification current. [top]

REINSTATEMENT NOTICE
Rachel Marcus
The National Certification status of Rachel Marcus has been reinstated. Mrs. Marcus has complied with all NCBTMB certification reinstatement requirements and is currently in good standing with NCBTMB.

SANCTION CLARIFICATION
The sanction posted within the summer 2004 issue of Connection relates to Doreen Miller of Essex, Conn.; not the certificant of the same name located in Collingswood, N.J. Ms. Miller of Collingswood, N.J., is currently active and in good standing with NCBTMB. [top]

EVENT DATE LOCATION National League of Cities (NLC) Congress of Cities and Exposition November 30- December 4, 2004 Indianapolis 6th Annual Alternative Complementary Medical Therapies Conference December 10-12, 2004 Chicago AOBTA National Convention January 14-17, 2005 San Francisco AMTA Council of Schools 2005: Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting January 20-24, 2005 Newport Beach, Calif. NCBTMB Board of Directors Meeting January 26-30, 2005 Naples, Fla. 29th Annual Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards (FARB) Forum February 4-6, 2005 Scottsdale, Ariz. Spa & Resort Conference & Show & MediSpa Expo February 27-28, 2005 Los Angeles

Progressing Toward the NCBTMB Strategic Plan

Practitioner Focus: On-site Massage for Businesses and Special Events

vol·un·teer (val'en tir')
n. one who choooses freely to do something, as entering military service; vt. To offer or give of one's own free will

Recertification Options 9 & 10