National Certification For Massage Therapy

Some state require massage therapists to pass the test for national certification for massage therapy before they will give them a state license.

Other states do not require this. Texas is one of the states where this test is not necessary.

I have read many articles on the internet and in massage trade magazines. Some people feel that this so-called national test is just a way for a group of people to make money. This is not a government-given test as implied by the name.

So what exactly is it? I went to ncbtmb.org to find out. NCBTMB stands for National Certification Board For Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. This board was put together in 1992 so that a national standard for massage therapy could be established in the USA.

But the national certification for massage therapy board is a private, non-government entity and a non-profit organization that has certified over 90,000 massage therapists and other body workers.

In order to get certified by the NCBTMB, a body worker has to have a minimum of 500 hours of school, show that he/she has mastered massage skills, pass the NCBTMB standardized test, and uphold their practice standards code of ethics.

Their headquarters is in Illinois. Their website states that 32 out of 50 states, along with the District of Columbia use NCBTMB tests. There are actually two tests. One is for massage therapists only and the other is for massage therapists and body workers.

The cost to take the test is $150.

The NCBTMB has their own study guide available for purchase for $39.95, either in print or on CD. As of today, July 15, 2008, the print study guides are out of stock. Now how can that be when they want to be taken seriously by all 50 states in the USA. How can so many states require this exam and yet they have no study guides? Interesting.....

In order to take the test, you need to complete an application, send in your testing fee and then they will let you know when and where you will take the national certification for massage therapy test.

If states cannot agree on their own licensing requirements for massage therapists, I don't believe they should put licensing in the hands of a board that is not associated with the United States government and yet call it a national test.

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