The State Assembly has declared January 12, 2012, “California Massage Therapy Awareness Day!”

Just over two years ago, state-recognized certification began through the California Massage Therapy Council.  With over 27,000 CAMTC-certified massage professionals to date, the California State Assembly is recognizing the strength of the massage therapy profession by naming a whole day in our honor.

California Assemblyman Bill Berryhill, Vice Chairman of the Assembly Business & Professions Committee, is arranging the resolution (Assemblymembers Hayashi, Ma and Butler signed/co-authored). He will present a framed copy of the resolution to Melissa Colburn, California Chapter President of the American Massage Therapy Association, and Patricia Rusert Gillette, AMTA-CA Greater Sacramento Area Unit President, on the Floor of the Assembly on Thursday, January 12^th, during Assembly Session.

Professional members of the AMTA-CA chapter from the area who are CAMTC-certified will be providing complimentary chair massages to the public.  John Lambert, an NHI teacher and graduate, will be among them.

National Holistic Institute is proud to take part and see our profession officially honored by the State of California!

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

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.

First, Massage Today reports the breaking news that Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed AB1822.  Sponsored by the California Police Chiefs Association, this bill originally would have eliminated state-recognized certification.  In its diluted final draft, it would have added two law enforcement officials to the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) Board, an unprecedented act for a professional board in the state of California.  The bill will need 2/3 vote to pass now, a bar it’s unlikely to achieve.  The governor’s veto recognizes the size, voice and respectability of the massage therapy profession.  Click Here for the full article.

Also in the news, the Los Angeles Times ran a story about how a single massage can boost the immune system.  This story appeared in several media outlets and highlighted research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.  Click Here for the full article.

Thanks to the many individuals and organizations whose support of research and lobbying help make better working conditions for all massage therapists.

A vote could come any day, so we must ACT NOW!

• An email can be sent to all Senators through this link – http://www.massagetoday.com/bill1822/stop_ab1822.php
• Here is the latest news story about what’s going on – http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=14280

 In writing to the Senators, please highlight the following points: 

• Vote NO on AB 1822!
• Legitimate massage therapists have a right to work without being looked upon as criminals.
• State certification protects the public better than the previous patchwork of local ordinances.

Everyone, please write in; tell a hundred of your closest friends to write in; and let’s keep state certification alive and strong!!

Neal Delaporta, NCTMB Chair (left) and Paul Lindamood, NCTMB CEO after the CAMTC meeting on April 27, 2009

Neal Delaporta, the Chair of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, graduated from National Holistic Institute Group 3 in 2001.  He moved from Connecticut to California to attend NHI.  “I didn’t undertake that move lightly because there were good massage schools nearby in Connecticut,” said Delaporta.  “I pretty much knew when I walked through the door that NHI was the place for me.  I saw the way the program was set-up – it was perfectly balanced – and it was a great decision for me.”

Neal was in California on Monday, April 27, 2009, to attend a meeting of the newly formed California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) implementing California statewide certification.  The CAMTC is considering the NCTMB’s national certification exam as one of the methods by which a massage therapist could receive a certification in California.

The NCTMB provides a national certification that is held by 91,000 therapists across the U.S., including 5,000 in California.  Overall, the national and California exam passing rates are in the high 60 percent range, but over 80% of NHI graduates pass the national exam on the first attempt.  Excellent work NHI graduates!

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.