An open letter
Dear Appropriations Committee Members:
Please let SB412 die and continue to oppose any bill governing massage or touch, for practitioners, at the state level. Govern "Massage Therapy," maybe. Taken directly from materials from an AMTA membership packet is this:
Massage Therapy is a "profession" in which the practitioner applies manual techniques and may apply adjunctive therapies, with the intention of positively affecting the health and well-being of the client.
"Massage Therapy is a "profession" created by the AMTA. Massage Therapist is a title yet to be completely defined as an occupation created by the AMTA. I believe it is a disservice to the people you serve to allow one part of an industry to have so much control. Imposing so restrictive a title for such a vast and diverse industry of touch/massage is wrong in my opinion.
In the realm of government our country has three distinct branches - the Legislative, Judicial and Executive. In the realm of massage and touch, there are at least three branches. There could be a "profession" which regulation could be placed in the hands of a group such as AMTA, their AMTA Council of Schools or COMTA the AMTA spawned Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, accredited by the Federal Department of Education for accrediting schools desiring to teach 'Massage Therapy'. Completing high numbered hours of training at one fell swoop at one of their schools would entitle those desiring to be referred to as a Massage Therapist the right to do so.
Beyond a "profession", there is the 2nd and 3rd branches of trade and service involving people who desire to do massage or touch or integrating a short massage training into other body oriented practices they may already be involved in. The three branches of massage/touch are understood to be "professional" as all are worthy of payment for services rendered. A title act written without interchanging the words massage or touch with Massage Therapy to satisfy those feeling the need for state recognition could be an option.
Words implying a Massage Therapist is anything more than a title in a realm with many optional titles not needing standards set for the title Massage Therapist or Massage Therapy is more damaging than good for the vast majority of givers and those receiving the work.
Licensing CPA's did not kill accountants and bookkeepers, freelance or employees. Skilled touch and massage should remain unscathed. Rubbing is also a profession. Massage Therapists would be allowed to rub.
By visitinghttp://hometown.aol.com/therubber01/myhomepage/index.html you will be lead to definitions of masseur, masseuse and rubber, long established and connected to massage. These definitions are being drawn from and placed into a "new" occupation of "Massage Therapist."
The major difference between masseur/masseuse and rubber trainings and "massage therapy" trainings is all the responsibilities of the masseur, masseuse and rubber titles are lumped into one very expensive training more beneficial to the schools and industry rather than taught in increments.Thank you for listening.
Robert Flammia
Holistic Bodywork Therapist and Health Educator and expired NCTMB
Berkeley CA
Dear Appropriations Committee Members:
Please let SB412 die and continue to oppose any bill governing massage or touch, for practitioners, at the state level. Govern "Massage Therapy," maybe. Taken directly from materials from an AMTA membership packet is this:
Massage Therapy is a "profession" in which the practitioner applies manual techniques and may apply adjunctive therapies, with the intention of positively affecting the health and well-being of the client.
"Massage Therapy is a "profession" created by the AMTA. Massage Therapist is a title yet to be completely defined as an occupation created by the AMTA. I believe it is a disservice to the people you serve to allow one part of an industry to have so much control. Imposing so restrictive a title for such a vast and diverse industry of touch/massage is wrong in my opinion.
In the realm of government our country has three distinct branches - the Legislative, Judicial and Executive. In the realm of massage and touch, there are at least three branches. There could be a "profession" which regulation could be placed in the hands of a group such as AMTA, their AMTA Council of Schools or COMTA the AMTA spawned Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, accredited by the Federal Department of Education for accrediting schools desiring to teach 'Massage Therapy'. Completing high numbered hours of training at one fell swoop at one of their schools would entitle those desiring to be referred to as a Massage Therapist the right to do so.
Beyond a "profession", there is the 2nd and 3rd branches of trade and service involving people who desire to do massage or touch or integrating a short massage training into other body oriented practices they may already be involved in. The three branches of massage/touch are understood to be "professional" as all are worthy of payment for services rendered. A title act written without interchanging the words massage or touch with Massage Therapy to satisfy those feeling the need for state recognition could be an option.
Words implying a Massage Therapist is anything more than a title in a realm with many optional titles not needing standards set for the title Massage Therapist or Massage Therapy is more damaging than good for the vast majority of givers and those receiving the work.
Licensing CPA's did not kill accountants and bookkeepers, freelance or employees. Skilled touch and massage should remain unscathed. Rubbing is also a profession. Massage Therapists would be allowed to rub.
By visitinghttp://hometown.aol.com/therubber01/myhomepage/index.html you will be lead to definitions of masseur, masseuse and rubber, long established and connected to massage. These definitions are being drawn from and placed into a "new" occupation of "Massage Therapist."
The major difference between masseur/masseuse and rubber trainings and "massage therapy" trainings is all the responsibilities of the masseur, masseuse and rubber titles are lumped into one very expensive training more beneficial to the schools and industry rather than taught in increments.Thank you for listening.
Robert Flammia
Holistic Bodywork Therapist and Health Educator and expired NCTMB
Berkeley CA
posted by Rob Flammia | 11:46 PM
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