The California Massage Therapy Council has existed for just 2 short years. Within that time over 20,000 massage therapists have reaped the benefits the CAMTC certification has offered. The best benefit in my opinion is the flexibility to work in more than one city or county and not have to get multiple permits to do so.

At one time I would have had to get 3 permits to work in 3 cities that were 5 minutes from my door step. The cost would have been in the thousands, and would cut into my profit margin severely.  Since I’ve been CAMTC certified I have gladly only paid for my certification and business license and been perfectly happy spending the extra money on myself!

So why am I writing about this now? It’s time to recertify! I just received my notice in the mail. In the 2 years since I received my certification over 30,000 therapists have applied for CAMTC certification.

Another reason is that Assembly Bill 619 just passed and was signed into law by the Governor of California. There are several changes implemented with this bill, but one of most importance to CAMTC certified therapists is that you are now required to use the name on your certificate and your certification number on any and all advertisements you use. You must also display your name and certification number at your place of business.

For more information on AB 619 go to www.amta-ca.org and click on the State Legislation tab. If you are interested in recertification or want to get more information on being CAMTC certified; go to www.camtc.org . Now I’m off to fill out my application and continue to utilize the benefits of my CAMTC certification!

John Lambert, CAMTC #278

Photo by Manny Crisostomo of the Sacramento Bee

As a positive energy fills the air surrounding NHI’s brand new campus in Sacramento, CA, the Sacramento Bee and the Press Democrat both put the massage therapy profession into a new perspective.  The Bee article covers the growing demand for massage in the state’s capitol even through a rough economy.  Steve Pierce of Massage Envy Spas told the Bee,

“I’ll tell you how things are. If  NHI Sacramento had 20 or 30 massage therapists ready to graduate, I’d hire them all right now,”

Check out the article here:  

The Press Democrat featured a similar story:

“The industry’s growth has been prompted by several factors, she said, including a greater acceptance by medical professionals of the value of massage therapy and new state certification standards.”

Check out the article here:  

Despite a growing industry, we feel it is more important than ever for every massage therapist to be interconnected and get the best education possible.  With a focus on community and personal development, NHI staff and mentors strive to give each individual student the tools that they need to succeed.

Left to Right: Beth McNeill, Linda Rikli, Tiahna Skye, Jen Jhanda, Raquel Rodriguez and Ron Peat. AMTA Schools Summit NHI Panel

Several audience members expressed difficulties trying to place graduates while dealing with often slow state licensing processes.  NHI representative and California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) Board Member Joe Bob Smith explained how this wasn’t a problem in California since programs like NHI could help students apply for certification to work while they were still in school.  Michael McGillicuddy from Florida and Sally Hacking from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) shared their perspectives on the matter and encouraged everyone in attendance to get involved in their local legislation.  It was agreed that many lawmakers still need to be educated about the massage profession and the role of schools.

Some attendees raised the issue of training students with English as a second language.  Cynthia Ribeiro, NHI’s Advanced Curriculum Coordinator and AMTA President-Elect, shared her story of coming to America from Brazil and succeeding as a massage therapist.  Most all schools, like NHI, welcomed the challenge of training a diverse student body.

The purpose of the panel was to encourage all schools to share their best practices as a way of raising the bar for massage therapy education as a whole.  In addition to some of NHI’s wisdom, participants also got to experience a couple of NHI rituals including the chi pat and the infamous “Whoosh!”.  Ron Peat closed the two-hour session with words of wisdom that he often shares with students: 1) the only failure is the failure to participate, and 2) if you can’t be on time, be early.

This annual summit, held this year in San Francisco, gathers massage school owners, directors, and personnel from across the country to discuss their challenges and successes as well as the future of massage therapy education.

NHI has been exclusively focused on teaching massage therapy since 1979. NHI is expanding in terms of geography and curriculum as the massage therapy industry evolves. For instance, demand is increasing for massage therapists with the skills to assist clients who have specific medical issues that massage therapy can treat. NHI’s newly-created 400 Hour Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program gives students the unique knowledge and training that they need to carry out massage therapy for a variety of medical needs.

 As NHI prepares to open its Sacramento location, the mission statement of “helping people have work they love” is one of our primary motivators. To check out our five current campuses or to learn more about NHI, please visit our website.

On September 1, 2009, California joined 42 other states in providing state-wide regulations for the massage therapy profession.  National Holistic Institute celebrated this tremendous achievement by hosting a series of Grad Nights at all of our campuses.  The purpose of these events was to help our graduates understand and apply for the new California State Certification.  Over 230 grads attended – and we’re only 1 month into State Certification!

Thanks to Placement Manager Allison McLeod Budlong and her amazing Placement Team, attendees were able to complete their applications, get their Livescan fingerprints taken, and obtain their school transcripts all on-site.  Some even got a complimentary chair massage!  A wide range of graduates turned out, spanning from the beginning of this month all the way back to 1990.  It thrilled the staff to re-connect with so many former students and, for newer staff, to put faces with all the names from emails and phone calls.

Seeing so many grads come together brought life to NHI’s motto of “Helping People Have Work They Love.”

For information on the new California State Massage Therapy Certification, please visit http://www.camtc.org/.

NHI Owners Mason Myers & Tim Veitzer

Mason Myers, co-owner of the National Holistic Institute, hopes his new role on the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) will help cut through the governmental red tape that has plagued professional massage therapists in California.

Appointed by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) to voice massage education issues, Mr. Myers was elected treasurer during the Council’s inaugural meeting on February 19, 2009.  He will work alongside appointees from the California chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association, (AMTA-CA); Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP); California counties, cities, colleges, and Department of Consumer Affairs; as well as other affiliated parties.

“State certification will provide California massage therapists a more practical and affordable solution than the current patchwork of local licensing.  Ensuring the same standards for all therapists across the state will further elevate the reputation of the massage profession and improve consumer confidence,” declares Mr. Myers.

The California Massage Therapy Council is a non-profit organization ordained by the State of California to oversee the issuance of state-wide massage therapist certifications.  State certifications will begin being issued sometime after September 1, 2009.  Stay tuned to this blog for more information as that time approaches.