Who Does What
No opinions from me today, just clarifications. I’m constantly meeting people who are confused at the difference in certification and licensure, and others who don’t know what our professional associations do, other than provide them with insurance. I hope this will clear up the confusion.
ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals) is the largest professional membership association serving the profession, with over 70,000 members. ABMP offers insurance, a member magazine, lots of free marketing tools, webinars for continuing education, member websites, and is also the owner of www.massageprofessionals.com, a forum open to all therapists that currently has around 5000 practitioners sharing information. ABMP is a privately owned company with several owners. ABMP also tracks legislation and acts as an advocate for the profession.
AFMTE (Alliance for Massage Therapy Education) is the newest entity on the scene, having just formed last year, and was formed to act as a resource and advocate for massage schools, administrators, instructors, and providers of continuing education. The Alliance will be holding it’s inaugural annual meeting in Park City, Utah, June 3-5. Industry partners are also welcome to join.
AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) is the oldest membership association, and currently has over 50,000 members. AMTA is a non-profit organization, with chapters in each state. AMTA also offers insurance, marketing tools, and member listings, and in addition, an annual national convention. State chapters usually hold two meetings per year that are geared toward continuing education, and many states have regional units that offer further education opportunities. AMTA also tracks legislation, and in many states, has helped to sponsor it.
COMTA (Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation) is, as the name implies, an accrediting body for massage therapy institutions and programs. Getting COMTA approval is a voluntary and rigorous peer-review process to insure high standards and quality education. Of the thousands of massage schools and programs in the US, less than 100 are COMTA-accredited.
FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards) is a collaborative organization with membership open to any state or territory with a regulatory board. There are currently 32 member states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The FSMTB member boards are the owners of the MBLEx, an exam supported by both ABMP and AMTA as the licensure exam of choice for entry-level massage therapists.
MTF (Massage Therapy Foundation) is a non-profit organization that advances the knowledge and practice of massage therapy through support of advances in scientific research, education, and community service. Although the MTF was initially established by visionary leaders of AMTA, the Foundation is supported by all the organizations and many individuals and industry partners as well.
NCBTMB (National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork) is a certification organization that approves providers of continuing education, and also offers several different exams. Some states currently accept the NCB exams for licensing purposes instead of, or in addition to, the MBLEx. The NCBTMB is also currently in the process of developing an advanced certification exam.
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
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I did not include AOBTA for the same reason I did not include the Guild for Structural Integrators, the American Medical Massage Association, and all the other smaller practice-specific organizations (and yes, I do realize the AOBTA represents quite a few modalities). Their memberships are very small compared to the national organizations that I did mention. However, now that you’ve brought it up, maybe I’ll do another one on some of the smaller associations.
One of the largest privately organizations gives membership to people with out basic (500 hours) massage therapy school education (as their literature claims) in states that rewuire the minimum of 500 hrs. What exactly does this do for our profession other than make it a laughing stock?They are in the business of having huge #’s of members, not quality of therapy offered or public safety considered.
It’s disappointing that the American Organization of Bodywork Therapies of Asia(AOBTA) was not included in your listing. Please remember us Asian bodyworkers in the future.
Thanks for your usual dose of clarity!!