| Many people are confused about massage therapy | | | | year. By taking one or both of our certification |
| licensing in California. Much of this confusion comes | | | | programs plus some of our continuing education |
| from massage therapists that advertise their state | | | | classes, graduates are able to get enough hours to |
| certification. This is simply not true; There is no such | | | | satisfy the licensing requirements of Auburn or |
| thing as state licensing or state certification for | | | | Sacramento.One strategy some Sacramento students |
| massage therapists in California.First of all, some | | | | pursue is to take our 126 hour massage certification |
| terms:Licensing versus Certification. Students obtain a | | | | program and then get licensed to do massage in |
| certificate when they complete a Massage Training | | | | Sacramento County (Orangevale, Citrus Heights, Fair |
| program from a state approved school and then use | | | | Oaks, etc.). Then they can practice outside |
| the title of "Certified Massage Therapist." Licensed | | | | Sacramento city limits until they complete enough |
| means the massage therapist holds a business license | | | | training to qualify for a Sacramento city license. Once |
| in the local entity (city or county) that they do business | | | | they are working in the field any continuing education |
| in.Another area of confusion is the different titles and | | | | may be tax deductible.Future licensing requirements |
| abbreviations used by massage therapists.CMT - | | | | may change in California though. Currently there is |
| Certified Massage Therapist - it means you have a | | | | legislation (SB 412) under discussion that would license |
| certificate as a massage therapistLMT - Licensed | | | | massage therapists at the state level and require 500 |
| Massage Therapist - used in some states where there | | | | hours of initial education. There is a provision for a 250 |
| is state licensing of massage therapistsRMT - | | | | hour level of certification that will be phased out by |
| Registered Massage Therapist - used in some | | | | 2013. In another article "Shorter Training Can Be |
| Canadian provinces where therapists are registered | | | | Better", I outline why I believe the high initial hours aren't |
| with the provinceAll licensing of massage therapists in | | | | necessarily better and have a chilling effect on many |
| California is done by the city or the county due to the | | | | who are just starting out and cannot afford the |
| fact that California currently has no state certification. | | | | increased time and cost to start a new business. The |
| The majority of cities and/or counties in California | | | | outcome of the legislation is uncertain and the earliest it |
| require that you graduate from an approved program | | | | would take effect is Jan. 1, 2009. The legislation also |
| in massage therapy. Hence why some therapists | | | | has grandfathering provisions to protect therapists that |
| advertise being a "state certified massage | | | | are licensed or certified before the law would take |
| therapist."Licensing requirements vary greatly from city | | | | effect.Now you are an expert on licensing and |
| to city and county to county. In Southern California, | | | | certification in the state of California!Dr. James Mally |
| various communities require 500 hours of training. Here | | | | runs the Healing Arts Institute, a Sacramento massage |
| in Northern California most municipalities require a | | | | therapy school that offers a Massage Certification |
| minimum of 100 hours of training so that our 126 hour | | | | Program and Acupressure Certification Program plus |
| massage certification program or our 120 hour | | | | continuing education classes in subjects such as Deep |
| acupressure certification program will satisfy their | | | | Tissue Massage, and Sports Massage. The website |
| requirements. Two main exceptions in our area are the | | | | offers massage continuing education training videos or |
| city of Auburn, which requires 200 hours of training, | | | | DVDs for sale in Swedish massage, sport massage |
| and the city of Sacramento which requires 250 hours | | | | techniques, deep tissue massage and a |
| of training, plus 12 hours of continuing education per | | | | musculoskeletal anatomy audio CD. |