“I don’t know why more massage therapists don’t take more classes.”
I had a client say something like this some years back. Here are a couple of reasons why more massage therapists [in California] don’t invest in continuing education:
1. We don’t have to. CE classes aren’t required to maintain a state certification (Florida requires 24 hours for every two years).
2. It costs money. A 2-day CE course can run upwards of $600+ not factoring in the loss of revenue and travel expenses.
Why am I taking CE classes?
There is always something to learn. I can’t know everything so I’m on this quest to find what interests me and how I can use acquired skills to benefit others. It’s also great to meet others in my field of work and visit other places, get out of Palm Springs and even just get out of California for a while. Lastly, if I’m not learning and trying different things I feel as if I get stale or bored. I would rather be excited and engaged because you can often tell by the touch of a massage therapist whether or not they are into what they are doing.
Did you know California certification is voluntary?
Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? It’s true. We don’t have to get certified in order to work. Most places employ only certified massage therapists because they meet minimum requirements.
”The California Massage Therapy Council issues voluntary certifications to massage professionals that meet the requirements in the California State Law. Certification is voluntary. CAMTC Certification is not required by State Law in order for a massage professional to practice their profession in the State. However, some cities and counties locally require CAMTC Certification for massage professionals.”
They go on to say local permits might be needed.
I met a guy locally who called himself a “therapist” and when I asked him about his education, he said the spa owner taught him. I was actually offended that he would call himself a “therapist” seeing how he has no formal education. That’s how some of these dinky, hole-in-the-wall places operate; they teach whoever some protocols and they can work under their massage establishment license. This is often why you get what you pay for.