I'm thrilled that headquarters has worked so hard in becoming approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider.

HOWEVER (and see what a big HOWEVER that is?!) I received a call today from a massage therapist who would like to take my workshop but wants to know if we're certified with Florida Board of Massage Therapy. I told her surely it was good enough because it's a national certification. She says that sometimes Florida doesn't accept them. Can any of you massage therapists from Florida comment and hopefully clarify. I'd hate to think that this national certification isn't going to help here in Florida.

I'll contact headquarters as well but it's the weekend so I shouldn't expect any response before Monday though I'm often pleasantly surprised. I think those people love their jobs.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cris,

Florida requirements

This has made it clear as mud. Still needing help in translating. Just when I think I've got it, it takes me around another bend. Argh!Anyone?

I read through Chapter 1 and 2 from your link Chris. I interpret it as: in order to get licensed, the new person passed the national NCBTMB test (national). But for renewals, the massage therapist must take courses approved by the Florida Board OR take courses relavant to massage. Relevant to massage coursework would not include QT i.e.
*12 hours must be relevant to massage. This means that the course must focus on massage therapy techniques, which may include the history of massage, human anatomy & physiology, kinesiology and/or pathology.

The other 12 hours must be approved by the Florida Board: (following quote is from Chap 2)

'When I called to the Florida Board today, their representative said this:

"If you need more than 12 contact hours, take the 2 contact hours of medical errors, and the rest of the hours need to be relevant to massage. Plus the AIDS course."
“If you need less than 12 contact hours, take the 2 contact hours of medical errors, and the rest need to be Board approved contact hours. Plus the AIDS course."
=============
end of quote

QT has been approved at the national level - but I doubt that it has been approved at the local level. Only the Florida Board could answer your question for certain.

Jen
www.LiveByTheGulf.com

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LiveByTheGulf.com,

Hi Cris,

I got really excited, too, when I heard that the NCBTMB approved QT for Continuing Education Hours (CEH). I thought, "This is going to attract more massage therapists to my Live Basic Workshops for sure!"

But then I wondered about the same thing as you, so I went to The Core Institute (massage school) here in Tallahassee and asked 2 of their staff about it. Turns out that the CEH's are good ONLY for the NCBTMB, and NOT towards the State of Florida's license renewal requirements.

We'd actually have to jump through all the hoops to become a CEU Provider (through cebroker.com), fill out all their forms, answer all their questions, provide our experience and credentials, and GIVE them a $250 "non-refundable" application fee. I guess they feel that's what it costs for them to read all the forms, questions, experience, and credentials they dreamed up for US to complete.

Lord knows I can't afford to take a chance on sending $250 that I don't have to an organization that might turn down my application for whatever reason, then simply KEEP my 250 bucks for making the attempt.

One of the 2 therapists I spoke to was in my massage class in '87. He said he did not renew his NCBTMB certification because the benefits were no longer worth the effort.

Also, the sentence below the italicized statement in the announcement from QT states "Please note that Continuing Education Hours or CE Hours is used by NCBTMB. They do not refer to CEU's or credits." That pretty well sums it up right there - in fact, that's what got me wondering about it in the first place.

So, the 12 CEH's have yet to benefit me at all. I got licensed long before the National Certification Board was invented, and I never bothered to get Nationally Certified. But, I still include the announcement in my workshop e-mails, flyers, and website, hoping that somebody out there might need the CEH's.

Peace,
Rick Garzaniti
Practitioner and Instructor

"You have to be honest. If you can fake that, you've got it made." - George Burns

This is a great question and I think you should contact the office and ask if there is anyway that they could get certification for all of Florida for the classes. It would certainly make things simpler.

I've read further and it seems that the requirements of NCBTMB and Florida are the same. The time frames and dates don't match but the requirements do. (Florida recertifies biannually on August 31 with 24 contact hours required. NCBTMB recertifies every 4 years with 48 CEUs on your anniversary date.) It would seem more advantageous for massage therapists to take a workshop that was Florida board certified, unless they just want the additional letters after their name.

I think Alain is right. Headquarters needs to do this if it's going to get done for us here in Florida. I will contact headquarters with this request. Wouldn't hurt for others to do the same -- especially Florida QT instructors and most especially instructors who are also massage therapists.

Seems rather arrogant of Florida not to accept national certification especially when the requirements are the same. Seems political power and fees might be the incentive for that.

PS: I was hoping you'd answer, Rick. Thanks!

Well the Florida board has a bit or a reputation to uphold for being draconian about massage... (I know I will never move there... for that reason and the hurricanes, and the humidity, and the pythons )

Aw come on John. Hurricanes are nothing -- at least you know they're coming -- unlike earthquakes or tornadoes. Humidity is easy to avoid, stay in the AC during the summer -- at least you don't get stuck in it when you do go out like you do in the snow and it doesn't cause accidents. Clothes are cheaper -- there are fewer of them and laundry's easily cut in half. Pythons? I think that's South America. Alligators are another story -- no swimming in the lakes -- especially at dinner time or mating season.

Florida massage board? Draconian, for sure....

To become a Licensed Massage Therapist in Florida, you must pass the NCBTMB exam, adopted by the Florida Board of Massage as the state exam. So, it seems strange that the Florida Board did not also adopt NCBTMB's requirements for license renewal. A good example of politics, defined as "poly (many) tics (blood sucking insects)".

BTW, after fleeing Michigan in '72, I remember my first hot and humid August afternoon here. It was like breathing water and sweatin' air

Peace,
Rick Garzaniti
Practitioner and Instructor

"What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?" - Steven Wright

Jennifer has responded to my email. She'll have Elizabeth look into it. See how responsive Headquarters is?!

Awesome! I've been following this thread today myself.

Wonder why FL wouldn't recognize QT for CEU's, but KY does???

And I thought WE were the last state on the bandwagon with CAM approaches! hahaha

Cris, I'd definitely say something will get done about this, pretty quickly. There's too many of us LMTs out there in other states who are certified practitioners of QT and use it regularly in bodywork sessions. Louisa has said there's an article coming out in the ABMP magazine, this summer, concerning QT - that's going to get attention, for sure.

Something else to work on manifesting for FL! Count me in.