Massage Collage

Yes, it’s true! Soon the certificants of the NCBTMB will be entitled to a discount on everything from a pizza pie to an oil change at the Jiffy Lube!

On June 9, Paul Lindamood, CEO, registered the domain name www.usamra.org (usaMassageResourceAssociation). This new professional association will be partnering with companies to provide “member benefits” in the form of discounts.  Although the website isn’t up yet, according to my sources the list of potential discount offers would include those from massage-related companies and what the NCB’s memo referred to as “quality of life/enhancement.” While I enjoy a good pizza, I don’t know that I would go so far as to say it enhances the quality of my life.

Before I get carried away about pizza or discounts at the Jiffy Lube, I should explain that this appears to be part of the master plan to turn the NCB from a certifying body to a membership organization, like our other major professional organizations, AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) and ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals). What’s the point here? How will the services be different or better than those professional organizations that already exist (and incidentally, they co-exist peacefully)? Why do we need another professional association? I have no idea.

I only know that in spite of rumblings about forthcoming advanced certifications, which myself and numerous other people think the NCB should be focusing their efforts on, this little project seems to be taking precedence. One reason, and this is only my opinion, is that with 91,000 certificants, they will automatically give “membership” to certificants, allowing them to make the claim of the “largest massage association in the country.” Look for that statement to be the resounding cry on all upcoming publicity. “Largest” doesn’t automatically mean “best,” but it appears the leadership of the NCB is looking at it that way.

Speaking of advanced certifications, the NCB just lost a very valuable staff member with the departure of Paul Parker after 12 years of service. Parker was Director of Examination Development, known for his professionalism and staying above the fray. I’m sure he’ll be missed, particularly if development of advanced certifications is indeed on the horizon. And in another about-face, Betty Ward, who was announced as the new Director of School Outreach in a press release dated April 27, has already left the position, a short two months later. No official word on why that happened.

Another observation: The June 8 press release sent out by the NCB announcing that their certification programs have received accreditation from the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) contains reference to a remark made by US Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare (HEW), Elliott Richardson, recommending that states adopt certification exams for licensure purposes.

What is wrong with this picture? Nothing, except that Elliott Richardson was Secretary of HEW in 1971 during the Nixon administration when he made that comment.

Times have changed. The profession has changed. The political atmosphere of the profession has changed. The needs of massage therapists have changed. We need advanced certifications. We need cooperation between state boards, such as the cooperation that is happening with the FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards).  It is my opinion that this latest move is in direct response to both AMTA and ABMP endorsing the MBLEx as the path to licensure.

I don’t really think we need another professional association, especially one that is being created just to try and trump the other two.  However, I am a certificant myself, so I’m really looking forward to my pizza discount, and I’ll let you know what the other benefits are as they are revealed.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on June 25th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | 1 Comment »

As a member of AMTA, I feel that I, and all members, have a vested interest in their affairs. Just because I am a member doesn’t mean I agree with every move they make, and I don’t mind calling them on the carpet when I have a concern. One thing I’ll say for them, and that is that they can be counted on to give a response.

Back when Leena Guptha was the president of the organization, I wrote her a blistering letter about AMTA’s endorsement of the NCB exams as the sole path to licensure. My beef, and what I said to Dr. Guptha at the time, was that AMTA frequently sends out surveys to the membership on various issues, and that I didn’t recall receiving any survey that asked my opinion on that particular issue. I was furious about the organization speaking for the membership when they hadn’t asked the membership, and that came across in the letter. A short while later I did in fact receive a personal response from her. A few months later I was attending the national convention and saw her walking down the hall. I chased her down and introduced myself, and reminded her of the letter. She immediately grabbed me in a bear hug and told me she admired my passion. Now that the AMTA has had a change of heart and endorsed the MBLEx as the path to licensure, I certainly won’t take any credit for it, but I do have the satisfaction of knowing that I had let them know how I feel about it.

I have also written to MK Brennan when she was President, and received a quick response from her as well, and an encouragement to ask any time I had a concern.

Earlier this week, I had a few more issues I wanted some answers to, mainly about fiscal responsibility in the organization, and I sent an e-mail to current AMTA President Judy Stahl. I am pleased to say that she responded in a timely manner, with a reminder to me that as a non-profit association, AMTA is obligated to make public its finances, and letting me know that the current form will be released in July. One of the issues I had questioned was the Executive Director’s compensation. I had heard the rumor that she received a one-third increase in salary, which I personally feel is an exorbitant increase when so many therapists are struggling to make it in this economy. The AMTA Board responded to me that I was misinformed on that. Of course, the tax return will tell. I’ll be looking that over with a fine-toothed comb and reporting the results right here.

Like most other entities that have stock market investments, AMTA took a major hit in the market this year. Stahl and the Board of Directors assured me, however, that the organization has adequate financial reserves, that 25% of the loss has already been recouped, and correctly pointed out that it has had no effect on operations or the services they provide. I had also questioned rumors of declining membership, and the Board’s response to that was that the membership has in fact increased from last year, although falling short of the projected goals.

Transparency in any membership organization is important, particularly so for one that operates as a non-profit, and furthermore, it is our right as members to expect exactly that. I don’t write this blog based on rumors, and I prefer to go to the top to get some answers. In fact, I sent an e-mail to both Neil Delaporta and Paul Lindamood of the NCBTMB questioning some of their recent moves about two months ago, but they haven’t replied. I guess their spam-blocker got me.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on June 19th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | No Comments »

When I was first asked to blog here, I chose the name “Massage Collage” for my blog because I intended to write about a number of different things pertaining to the massage profession…I didn’t want to limit myself to one subject, and I haven’t. I’ve written about road trips I’ve taken on the way to teach a class, given business and marketing advice, and shared personal experiences from my years in this profession.

If you’ve been a reader for long, you know that I’ve also written quite a few columns about the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. I’ve complained about their interference in state government, exposed what I perceive to be some of their financial excesses, and so forth. Now I would like to say that I am sure not all of you agree with my opinions, and I don’t expect you to; but I’m relatively certain that all of you would agree that I have a right to state my case, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States in which we live.

In reading back through past blogs, I also see that on a number of occasions, I have invited the officers of the NCB to make a response on this blog, an offer that they’ve never taken me up on.

I have been warned by quite a few people in our profession that the NCB intends to discredit me in some way. I’ve heard everything from “they’re going to sue you” to “they’ll take away your certification.” Earlier this week, I heard from someone who is involved with our state legislature that their lobbyist has actually complained about me to our legislators, in an attempt to shut me up. I’ve even heard some things that are funny, like the tale that my picture is on a dartboard in the NCB office.

In response to that, I would like to say that a) as I said above, freedom of speech is a right in this country, and 2) I have not printed any lies about the NCB.

Yes, I have complained about their holding meetings in Hawaii and other ritzy destinations. Yes, I’ve reported about their interference in state boards, the lawsuits they’ve filed against states who have joined the Federation and are accepting the MBLEx, and their attempts at discrediting that exam. Yes, I’ve complained about what I believe to be their lack of transparency.

I don’t want to be known as a one-subject writer, and to that end, I actually hold back a lot of things that I could write about them. And, I don’t pull this stuff out of thin air, either. I have sources in state boards all over the country, and other sources who are volunteers and staff members, past and present, of the NCB. Like any reporter worth his salt, I protect my sources, unless they give me permission to use their name.

So once again, I will make the offer to the officers of the NCB: Anytime I write something on this blog, or elsewhere, that you take exception to, please feel free to post a response and state your side of the argument. You have that right, and an open invitation.

And if I want to write a column complaining about President Obama, I’m relatively certain he would defend my right to do so.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on June 5th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | 1 Comment »

I’ve been a member of AMTA for a number of years, and recently felt called to join ABMP as well.  Both of these fine organizations serve our profession in their individual ways. I am also nationally certified, which people are sometimes surprised to hear if they have read some of my postings about the NCBTMB. I am currently serving on North Carolina’s state board.

I regularly disagree with other board members, and I’m not shy about voicing my opinion.  I have, in the past, written letters to the leadership of AMTA when I was upset with them about something.  I haven’t been a member of ABMP long enough to give them a hard time about anything, but I would feel free to do so if I was upset with them for some reason.  I also belong to a number of Internet networks and forums, most of which have a big community of massage therapists participating.

My last rant was about speaking up or losing out, and I want to expand on that, for a couple of reasons. One, I don’t get very many public comments on this blog.  I am frequently amazed at the number of emails I receive, and even phone calls, from people who don’t want to publicly post a response. While I am thrilled and flattered to hear from my readers, it’s distressing that people won’t voice their opinion for the rest of the world to see.  Some of them can’t because they are under a gag order from an entity I don’t have to name here; you can just take a wild guess.

Two, and I have been noticing this since I became a massage therapist, there is a core group who does indeed care about what goes on in our profession as far as our legislation, governance, and credentialing is concerned. I see those same dedicated people everywhere I go. They attend Board meetings and sign in for public comment time so they can offer their opinion.  They attend our state and national conventions, and yes, some come for the classes and the fellowship in general, but others are there so they can have a voice on top of the other perks of attendance.  They contact their legislators and association leaders, and send out e-mail blasts asking the rest of us to do the same. They run for office, they serve on committees, they participate in the Internet networks and forums, they share research and everyday concerns. They take the time to find out the facts. They step up to the plate.

I’ve watched while people cycled through every position in their professional association, and some continue to serve longer than they really want to because there is no one in the wings to take their place. Those same individuals serve on committee after committee  and task force after task force because of the lack of volunteers coming forward, and these folks have been good enough not to leave an organization hanging for lack of fresh volunteers.

I’d like to recognize those people, but I feel I would be remiss to name one or two and not name them all.  Some of them don’t want to see their name in my blog, lest people think they share my opinions! They know who they are, though most of them are too humble to say so. They are the ones who look beyond their personal space to the greater good of our profession. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

One more thing: On this Memorial Day, remember this is about those who served the rest of us for the greater good with the ultimate sacrifice, and not just an excuse for a weekend at the lake and a cookout.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on May 22nd, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | 3 Comments »

Regulation of massage therapy is at an all-time high on a state level. During 2009 alone, almost 30 states have already considered, or are currently considering, legislation that stands to impact our profession, according to the website of the American Massage Therapy Association. As usual, the various states are following their own agendas for regulation, and I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. What I am saying is that I think we’re missing the bigger picture here.

Reform of health care policies on a national level is imminent and long overdue; the system is broken. In 2007, the latest year that statistics are available for, over 46 million Americans were without health insurance, and 80% of those are people who are gainfully employed, not people on welfare. Health care costs are out of control; about 1.5 million people lose their homes to foreclosure in the average year due to overwhelming medical expenses, and in a recession economy, that figure goes up exponentially in proportion to unemployment figures.

What does this have to do with the massage profession? At this point in time, nothing, because we’re not making any sort of concerted effort to have any voice in national health care reform, and that’s a shame. Not only are we missing out by not speaking out en masse for our due recognition as a licensed health care profession; many of us are also self-employed people who can’t afford our own health insurance, and/or small business people who either can’t afford to provide benefits for our employees, or in some states, are being financially crippled by the laws directing us to do so.

Other legislation, such as the freedom to choose the health care the individual wants, is a huge issue that we, as united professionals, should be proactively committed to fighting the good fight for. Our profession has made a lot of strides in recent years, and we can’t stand idly by and backslide, or as private citizens, watch while our individual rights are taken away.

There’s real strength in our numbers. Associated Massage & Bodywork Professionals has over 67,000 members. The American Massage Therapy Association has over 58,000. 91,000 practitioners are nationally certified. That’s a lot of professionals who ought to make their voice heard. Add to that the 30 state boards that are members of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, all the AMTA leadership on both the state chapter and national levels, and the assistance that ABMP gives in state legislative efforts, and that could be an impressive show of force for participating in, and making a difference in, the substance and intent of the winds of change that are blowing on the national health care scene. If the National Certification Board would direct all the lobbyists and lawyers they’ve hired, and all the money they’re spending in trying to block the Federation and the MBLEx, and spend it instead on lobbying for national health care reform that would be fair and beneficial to massage therapists, that alone would be a huge amount of money and effort that would actually be of benefit to our profession and consumers alike.

The public is at the mercy of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies and unethical medical practitioners who gouge the system. Massage therapists are treated unfairly in most places by the insurance companies; for instance, in many states, massage therapy is not covered at all, and in others, is covered only when performed in an MD or chiropractic office under supervision. In the case of the latter, there are many chiropractors who hire untrained people at a cheap wage to be muscle-rubbers and bill the insurance company the same amount they would if the work were being performed by a professional therapist.

Another issue is Medicare, which won’t pay for massage at all. The big injustice with that are the many people who have a supplemental policy such as BCBS that would normally pay for their massage when performed under the MD or chiropractor, but because Medicare is considered the primary insurance and it won’t pay, neither will the secondary policy. It’s just another way the present system is screwing elderly and disabled people.

Our professional leadership, and we as individual citizens, must rise up and make a big noise on a national level. We are licensed health care professionals and we should not be discounted or left out of the decision-making loop. If you belong to one of the professional associations, contact the leadership and urge them to get more involved in health care reforms on a national level. They work for you, the membership. If you’re nationally certified, contact the leadership of the NCB and tell them to turn their efforts toward something productive. They work for you, the certificants.

As an individual massage therapist, and business person if that applies to you, make it a priority to keep abreast of the developments that have the potential to impact you. Both AMTA and ABMP websites maintain frequently updated sections with current legislative actions that are being considered. Contact your government representatives and speak your mind. They work for you, the taxpayer. The only thing louder than your voice is your silence.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on May 13th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | 1 Comment »

I attended the Florida Board of Massage Therapy meeting this week in order to observe the proceedings between the Board and the NCBTMB.  In April 2008, the FL Board had voted on a rule change allowing the state to replace the NCB examination with the MBLEx.  The NCB responded with a lawsuit, meant to force the state into continuing to accept their exam.  Florida is one of the 30 states that has joined the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), and the Board felt that they were acting within their rights to adopt the Federation’s exam as the path to licensure.

Unfortunately, Florida is just one of a long list of states that the NCB has felt compelled to interfere in.  Acting on the advice of Florida’s Assistant Attorney General, and after three calls for a vote, the Board agreed to bow to the demands of the NCB–for a period of two years.  The settlement also allows the MBLEx to be immediately implemented as an exam, giving applicants a choice, and specifically prohibits the Board from recommending one exam over another.  The first two votes were split, with several Board members speaking in defense of the MBLEx as the exam of choice.  The AAG pointed out that the possible outcome, if the settlement was not accepted, was that the FL Board could be held liable for all legal costs related to the appeals that the NCB would certainly file should they chance to lose.   Rather than taking a chance on bankrupting their Board, the Board members decided to take the advice of the AAG and accept the terms of the settlement on the third go-round.

I found it interesting that there was no public comment period allowed in this proceeding.  Debra Persinger was there to represent the FSMTB.  The NCB was there in force: Chairman Neal Delaporta, along with Paul Lindamood, CEO;  Board member Monica Reno, and two attorneys.  It was almost comical to see Ms. Persinger sitting alone at one table to give her statement to the Board, while the other table was filled with the posse from the NCB.  Persinger gave a brief statement, during which she was classy enough to say that she did not want this lawsuit to drag on to the detriment of the Board, and the the Florida Board should do whatever necessary to resolve the matter and move forward as soon as possible.

Lindamood, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to drone on and on, although in all fairness to him, he did acknowledge that the NCB has had many shortcomings in the area of service in the past few years, which was the main reason the FL Board was casting them aside to begin with.  He also deferred to Delaporta several times during the proceedings.  I sat there wondering why the Board chair allowed them to keep on singing their own praises for so long in light of the brevity of Ms. Persinger’s comments. It seemed very unbalanced to me, and it certainly did not go unnoticed by the other spectators in the room.

Lindamood and Delaporta seemed especially proud of the 3/5 policy that the NCB implemented last year, which in my humble opinion is one of the most fundamentally flawed policies I have ever seen.  The crux of it is that if a student fails an NCB exam three times, he must complete 100 additional hours of education.  If a student fails an NCB exam five times, he must complete an additional 500 hours of education.  However, there is nothing in that policy that stipulates what content area the education must be in.  If a student blows the exam on the massage theory part, for instance, 100 additional hours of ethics, business, and anatomy could be taken, which will be of no help to the student in the actual content area he was deficient in.  FL Board member Lorena Hayes pointed out that there are currently no programs 100 hours in length in FL schools, to which Delaporta replied that a student could take continuing education classes. Duh.

This issue can be revisited in two years, and since this Board had already voted once to cast aside the NCB, chances are that will still be the outcome two years from now, as filing a lawsuit against a Board does not usually have the effect of endearing the filing party to the party it was filed against.  During the meeting, numerous school owners and program directors approached Persinger, as well as the Federation’s GR liason, Sally Hacking, to ask questions about the MBLEx.  They all seemed very eager to set their students on the path towards the MBLEx, regardless of the outcome of the settlement. While the Board itself is prohibited from recommending one exam over another, school owners and program directors are free to do as they please when it comes to recommending an exam for their students, and the students ultimately have freedom of choice as to which exam they will take.

One more personal observation: I spent my short time in FL hanging out with Persinger, Sally Hacking, and some wonderful folks from ABMP and AMTA.  In spite of the seriousness of the matter at hand, we somehow managed to all have a wonderful visit with each other, short but sweet; we all laughed a lot and had a great time.  I couldn’t help but notice that the folks from the NCB, on the other hand, looked like they were there to attend a state funeral. I never saw any of them so much as crack a smile.  I’m relatively certain they weren’t too happy to see me there, either.  Oh well, you just can’t please everybody.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on April 25th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | 5 Comments »

A couple of years ago, there was a document, A Call to Action, that was widely circulated in the massage community; it was addressed to the American Massage Therapy Association, asking the AMTA Board to intervene in the affairs of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, as if they had any right to do so. Fully aware that no such right existed, the AMTA declined to get involved.

A Call to Action was written by AMTA members, some of whom were former volunteers and staff members at the NCBTMB. The concerns included numerous alleged violations of the bylaws and unethical behavior by the then-seated Board members, some of whom are now gone, and some who have gone on to bigger and better positions within the organization.

I would like to issue another Call to Action. I urge school owners, program directors, Approved Providers and other educators, and all certificants, to contact the leaders of the National Certification Board. Write a letter, send an e-mail, make a phone call or send a fax. Urge the directors of the NCB to move gracefully into the future, and to let go of the past. Express your distress at the strong-arm tactics, and huge amount of money, that they have used in their efforts to thwart the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. Urge them to embrace the formation of the Federation, and the existence of the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam, as a natural course of events that is serving the advancement of our profession. The 30 state boards who have joined the Federation wish they would.

Let us follow the example of our professional organizations. Both AMTA and ABMP have shown support for the Federation and the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam, while at the same time stressing their acknowledgment that National Certification is a cornerstone of the profession. Both AMTA and ABMP, and the Federation, support the NCBTMB moving forward with offering advanced certifications, an opportunity that they have recently acknowledged the intent to pursue.

Although the AMTA and ABMP operate on different business models, there is a mutual respect displayed by the leaders of these organizations. They both want the same thing: to represent the interests of, and offer resources to, those in the massage therapy profession. They don’t go around trying to discredit each other; neither has some whacky belief that they are somehow entitled to be the only game in town, and each, in its own way, is working for the common good of their stakeholders and the massage therapy profession as a whole. These organizations have publications that technically could be viewed as competitors, but each frequently quotes the other’s, and they know how to genuinely play nice.

Contact the NCBTMB and let the leadership know that moving forward with offering advanced certifications is the right thing to do, and let them know that spending the stakeholders’ money trying to bankrupt the Federation, going around to member states and trying to block them from accepting the MBLEx, conducting negative smear campaigns, and having their Board meetings in Honolulu, is the wrong thing to do.

Stand up and be counted! Urge the National Certification Board to get back on track. Remember, any organization is only as good as its leaders. When the leaders of a national organization are going the wrong way, it is up to the membership to step up and call them on it. No need to send nasty letters; just be honest and clear in expressing your hope for them to drop this campaign and move forward. Don’t be afraid to speak out. You cannot lose your certification for expressing your opinion. If everyone remains silent, we can’t sit and wonder what happened while the leaders remain on their present path to the destruction of our valued organization. You can send an e-mail to Neal Delaporta at info@ncbtmb.org

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on April 20th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | No Comments »

I was thrilled to hear from my accountant yesterday that I have paid enough estimated tax and don’t owe any additional money.  That wasn’t the case last year, when I had a big shock about the amount I owed.

I have independent contractors working in my clinic, self-employed folks, and I do try to reinforce the message that the money they make isn’t all theirs to keep.  Each quarter I print out a statement for them showing how much they’ve made so far, so they can keep on top of the amount of tax they need to be paying.  I’m sad to say that many of them ignore that until April 15 is looming, at which time panic usually sets in.

I am meticulous about keeping good records.  That’s due to a hard lesson I learned at the tender age of 19 when I opened my first restaurant, and got myself into trouble with the tax people.  Contrary to popular belief, the IRS will actually bend over backwards to work with you.  The state revenue folks here in North Carolina, on the other hand, will chase you to the grave if you owe them any money. The agent who dealt (severely) with me all those years ago had such an attitude, you’d have thought I owed it to him personally.  He went out of his way to make my life a living hell for several years until I had the debt paid off.  A few years ago, this same man came to me for a massage.  He had no memory of me whatsoever, no idea who I was, and the whole time I was massaging him, I was thinking of how rude and mean he had been to me all those years ago and fighting off the urge to just choke him on the table!

If you haven’t done your taxes yet, you can apply for an extension.  However, a lot of people are confused about that, too.  An extension doesn’t mean you get extra time to pay.  It just means you have extra time to file the return.  If you owe money, you are supposed to send that in when you request the extension.  Failure to do so can result in a whole lot of interest and penalties.

None of us like to hand over that tax money, but it’s one of those facts of life we just have to deal with.  Born free and taxed to death, as the saying goes.  If you’re not good at keeping records, ask someone who is to help you get organized.  It’s worth paying an accountant to set up your bookkeeping system and to keep you on task with paying your estimated taxes.  It can save you a lot of headaches and heartaches when the tax man cometh.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on April 10th, 2009 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General | No Comments »

We are in a time of massive financial upheaval, generated by the failure of those who are in key decision making positions to act in the best interests of their constituents. While most of the attention has been focused on Wall Street and the for-profit sector, we have our own nasty situation going on in the massage therapy profession.

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCB) is a tax-exempt non-profit organization; as such, its annual IRS returns are public record. I recently obtained NCB’s most recent Form 990, the official IRS statement that is filed by non-profits, and it is truly shocking.

The 2008 form has not yet been filed, and it has been NCB’s practice over the past several years to delay filing until the last legal date. These figures are from 2007, and to put them in perspective, I’ll compare it to previous years.

From 2005 to 2006, NCB ran a surplus of $1.4 million. However, from 2006 to 2007, the organization ran a deficit of $93,000. That’s a shift of $1.5 Million! Is business down? Heck, no. In fact, last year when my approved provider certificate was late in arriving, and I called the NCB to check on it, I was told that the organization had received four times as many provider applications as usual and that staff was overwhelmed. In 2006, NCB administered more than 22,500 exams, and that number increased to more than 24,500 in 2008. Since business wasn’t suffering, it must be that expenses are up, and how.

Here are some of the significant changes that occurred between 2006 and 2007 that caused this deficit:

• Legal fees increased by 331%. Hardly surprising, since the NCB has hired lawyers and lobbyists all over the country to interfere with the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and the states that have adopted, or are considering adopting the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam.
• Conference and meeting expenses increased by 273%. Gee whiz, apparently it costs more money to hold a Board meeting when you fly everyone to Honolulu or camp out in ritzy destination resorts with hotel rooms costing hundreds of dollars per night.
• Promotions, marketing, and exhibit booth expenses increased by a whopping 1363%! That’s called damage control, in my opinion. NCB has really pumped up its marketing efforts since the Federation introduced the MBLEx. The problem is that the campaign has been mostly negative, specifically aimed at undermining the Federation, as well as spreading false information about the MBLEx and the state boards that have chosen to use that new exam. The problem is, no amount of spin can overcome a fundamentally flawed position.
• Total compensation to the Board of Directors and key personnel increased by 80%, and CEO compensation increased by 72%. While that may seem like a big jump, it’s nothing compared to the whopping 260% increase that went to Board Chair Donna Feeley. A mere two years earlier, the Chair was given just $21,075 in compensation. How in the world could NCB Board of Directors justify paying Ms. Feeley $103,800/year plus more than $4,500 in expenses for a volunteer position that is officially listed on Form 990 as 10 hours per week? What is wrong with this picture? And let’s not forget that this is the same group of Directors that voted to DOUBLE their length of time in office.

Here’s the bottom line: NCB’s leadership is spending unsustainable amounts of money in a futile attempt to keep fighting a losing battle. As I mentioned previously, our two largest membership associations have spoken clearly, and have issued a ringing endorsement of the MBLEx as the single solution for our profession’s entry-level licensure exam.

The money that NCB is rapidly burning through is not their own, it belongs to you and me… the certificants. Outrage is an appropriate emotion when this kind of behavior is happening in plain view. Don’t be shy when expressing your feelings to NCB on this important subject.

I am betting my money that NCB’s 2008 financial picture is going to look even worse than what has been described here. I’ll be reporting on that as soon as I have the information. In the meantime, I’ll be waiting to hear if NCB is lining up behind the banks and the automakers to ask the Obama Administration for a bailout.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on March 26th, 2009 by Laura Allen
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The sordid story of the National Certification Board vs. the Rest of the Profession grinds painfully on. I am both amazed and distressed at the public relations claptrap the NCBTMB is continuing to manufacture, and distressed that the leadership of this organization is apparently unable to stop fighting what is most certainly a losing battle. NCB continues to base its campaign on distortions, innuendo, and wildly stated accusations directed at our two most respected professional organizations and the state massage regulatory boards that are members of FSMTB.

It took them long enough, but the powers that be at the NCB have finally responded to AMTA’s decision to endorse the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) as the best choice for the path to licensure and portability. The problem is that NCB has come forth with the ridiculous statements that AMTA’s decision was based on “passion rather than reason”, and that the MBLEx is a “threat to the viability of certification and the profession at large.”

On the first claim, it took AMTA a couple of years to finally get around to making this endorsement. Anyone who is familiar with that particular Board of Directors knows they are not prone to making impulsive or passion-based decisions. And NCB’s ongoing assertions that certification is superior to licensure is pure fiction. Each of these credentials have their place in a well-structured profession, and no one organization gets to have all the marbles.

In a separate email sent to certificants, NCB also makes accusations that the MBLEx is “easier” than their certification exams, a claim that is totally without merit. Along with that, NCB is making the bizarre suggestion that state massage therapy boards somehow stand to profit financially from accepting the MBLEx –– another statement that has no basis whatsoever in reality.

By the way, we’re seeing exactly what happens when a professional certification agency hires a “spin doctor” as its CEO: you get “all spin, all the time.”

When leaders sling this kind of mud, it’s called dirty politics. Now that our national election is over and the new president installed, it’s just the kind of thing we’re all sick of hearing. There’s an interesting aspect about this particular fight, however, and that is that the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards isn’t participating in it. They stand quietly by and attend to the business of administering exams like they were created to do, instead of responding by slinging more mud.

The press release sent out by the Federation in response to AMTA’s endorsement states, “Like AMTA, the Federation continues to see voluntary certification as a cornerstone of the profession,” and goes on to express hope that the NCB will realize that the profession has evolved, that their true mission rests in certification, and that they will support the Federation.

As a NCB certificant, it saddens me to see this organization resort to the same kind of strategy of truth-butchering and spreading of baseless claims that is typically practiced by mudslinging politicians.

The campaign is over, our two largest professional membership associations have spoken, and they support the Federation and its licensing exam. NCB should stand down and face the reality that the massage therapy landscape has fundamentally changed. This new era requires an atmosphere of communication and the spirit of collaboration to move our profession forward. Do NCB’s leaders really think the hostility they are cranking out is endearing them to the thirty state boards that have now joined the Federation? That’s thirty agencies that see the value of working together for the advancement of our profession, and for improving portability of licensure. If anyone can make an honest case for that being a bad thing, please post it here.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on March 15th, 2009 by Laura Allen
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