I’m borrowing this title from an actual press release from the NCBTMB, dated August 21, 2007. I don’t have the space here to print the whole thing, so please follow this link and read it. If you’re unfamiliar with the past history of the NCB in recent years, it will give you some insight.
The rumor mill seems to be working overtime these days when it comes to the NCBTMB. While I’m certainly opinionated (who, me?) and sometimes speculate, I don’t want to get caught up in printing things that I can’t confirm as truth, so some of the sleeping dogs are going to have to lie for the time being.
One rumor I have confirmed is that Christopher Laxton, former CEO, is suing the NCB and Donna Feeley for $230,000 in civil court. There’s no little irony here, since Laxton was one of the signers of the document linked to above; at the time, Feeley was the Board Chair. The trial is scheduled for February. I personally contacted Mr. Laxton, and he informed me that he has requested a jury trial, and that it was necessary for him to withhold public comment at this time. History does seem to be repeating itself, as he’s not the first CEO to sue the NCB in recent years.
There are a lot of other rumors swirling. A number of people have parted ways with the NCB in recent months. Whitney Lowe left the task force; Chris Alvarado and Angela Palmier left their job as industry relations specialists after only 5 months on the job; Monica Reno resigned right after getting re-elected to serve another term, and four whole sentences were devoted to her departure; a long-standing outside vendor broke off the relationship last week; no confirmation on why that happened. The party line is usually well-wishes on both parts, when there’s any acknowledgment at all. Do people believe it? No, I don’t think so. But when no one is willing to talk on the record, rumors fly.
Other tidbits that are floating around are that the NCB is in a state of crisis, financially and otherwise, and that one or more of the other professional associations should, could, or would intervene before that reaches a boiling point. If that’s the case, none of them are talking publicly about it.
Believe me, when there’s something viable to report, I’ll report it, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I reported everything I hear without checking it out. When I hear something about one of the associations, I usually go right to the top for confirmation or denial. I’ve called on them all at one time or another, and the NCBTMB is no exception. They all usually give me a timely answer; maybe they think I’ll just make up something if they don’t. Do they tell me what they want me to hear? Maybe. I don’t know. I’m just a massage therapist with a blog.
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
January 26th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Laura,
I understand that NCBTMB has been the whipping boy for quite some time, but really, when is enough enough? Current leadership has admitted to past indiscretions, committed ourselves to transparency, invited input from the massage community on many initiatives, and pledged to tirelessly promote and protect our profession.
For a profession dedicated to helping the body heal itself and increase health and well-being, massage therapy seems plagued by a few individuals intent on attacking others and tearing down the very organizations that it is founded upon.
Please remember that, at the end of the day, NCBTMB is the 90,000 certificants we serve and the thousands of schools and continuing education providers we support. NCBTMB is also 35 individuals who spend between 8 and 15 hours a day answering questions, processing applications, listening to certificants’ stories of hardship, encouraging students, sharing ideas with educators and communicating with regulators, healthcare providers and employers on behalf of the profession. These are people who work late, come in early, spend weekends at tradeshows, make phone calls in the evening and answer emails when they are on vacation. They care passionately about this profession and everyone who is a part of it, and they deserve a break.
The other day a number of people in the office ordered Chinese take-out for lunch and one of the fortunes read, “It is easier to be critical than to be correct.” A great deal of wisdom for a little cookie.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Let me begin by saying thank you to the 35 hard working people at NCB who all I am sure earn a fine salary. I really did not expect that from the CEO of the company but okay therapists pay $225 to test and they have some expectations. What’s wrong so far? I expected them to have my records when I reached renewal but they didn’t so I didn’t. I have been a massage educator for many years and have seen lost records as a very consistent problem and when I have talked with some of those 35 people I have found them to be much less than helpful and sometimes even surly. Isn’t it the hard earned salaries of therapists that pays their salaries?
I would love to have heard some direct explanations as to what’s up with NCB personnel? Why do they keep leaving sometimes it seems in groups? What about the lawsuits, Mr. Lindamood? Can the NCB be that transparent? What is the money therapists send you funding and not funding, huh, Mr. Lindamood?
I only see one way for the NCB to survive and that is to get really, really, real and so far I have seen only glimpses of that. It could be said that the FSBTM has provided a great model for transparency a decade and a half after NCB started this little upstart organization came along and did it right, from the get go they have been transparent and have made great strides to move my profession forward. In the words of Janet Jackson, hey NCB “what have you done for me, lately”?
January 27th, 2010 at 8:51 am
I would first like to follow Susie B footsteps & start off by thanking any efforts by all ncbmt that result or will result in the organazation running smoothly & effeciently, as that will benifit massage therapists in so many ways now & in the future.
With that said, I truly hope that Mr. Lindamood was NOT reffering to Laura’s blog(s) in his 2nd paragraph of his reply, as that would imply that informing people of the truth, and or concerns would tear down an organazation. That is NOT a comforting thought to me, and I feel that comment should bring shame to yourself. I Truly hope it was implied to individuals within the organazation who are causing the confusion in the first place. If it is the later I hope that you will clarify & you would have my appologies.
What concerns me about the lawsuit from Mr. Laxton (aside from the fact that is alot of money) is that usually people sue when they feel like they they cannot recieve justice within their own working system. I dont know the details, and mabey he is just bieng difficult?
Things like this DOES CONCERN ME when it means that through the mishaps of MY organazation that it could ultimatley cause my COSTS to rise on the behalf of things not bieng handled correctly & lawsuits arising or whatever else may come into play that is not the “low mans” fault.
Every system or organazation has its weakness because PEOPLE run them & People make mistakes. But the VOICE of others provides motivation for a better tommorow & to keep past transgretions from repeating themselves. If members were “RED Flagging” behaviors or problems in the first place, the probelms might not have esculated to the point they are now with the NCB feeling like it has to defend itself.
If the organazation is doing everything it can to be all of what it is suppose to do & be then that is applaudable & I DESERVE one that will.
BUT if a concern or blog arises out of less than that, it should be addressed with understanding & proactive responses insteaed of misleading the point or placing blame to something or someone else.
January 27th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Two points, an observation, and a few questions:
Point 1: I echo both Paul and Susie’s recognition of the hard-working, dedicated employees of NCB and further to those who volunteer their service. As a former school owner, former association President and most recently as a consultant to NCB, I’ve witnessed first hand the work, dedication and even the frustrations of trying to do the “right thing.” Tenacity is a trait I value greatly.
Point 2: Paul’s statement “For a profession dedicated to helping the body heal itself and increase health and well-being, massage therapy seems to be plagued by a few individuals intent on attacking others and tearing down the very organizations that it is founded upon.”…..Of course the profession is dedicated to healing and well-being; I cannot speak to the intent of those who “attack” or “ask” as I don’t specifically know whom, or what is being addressed in that statement; I do however have a major issue with the statement “….tearing down the organizations that it is founded upon.” I could not disagree more, in fact I believe he has it backward. The organizations serve the professionals, were founded by the professionals, are led by the professionals and were present long before any of the organizations that exist today. The professionals which comprise this industry are the foundation—-not the other way around. I do not feel that it was Paul’s intent to disparage the professionals by that statement. I do however feel it is necessary to state very clearly that if this is the prevailing thought amongst organizations that do their work on behalf of the professionals, well, this needs to change——yesterday.
Observation: Before this conversation starts to go down the same slippery slope it has many times before, I’d suggest that perhaps we’re dealing with the wrong question, problem or issue. There are three big indicators that the wrong issue may be being confronted: 1) Emotions escalate; 2)You’re having the same conversation over and over again; and 3) You walk away dissatisfied (Crucial Confrontations). The fact that Paul stated in his opening sentence “when is enough enough” indicates that he too may recognize this. In order to move past this “Groundhog Day” feeling we all seem to be experiencing, perhaps it’s time to ask and answer some real questions….
1. What do we want? Do we want NCB to go quietly into the night? Do we want NCB to change the services? Do we want them to ___________ (fill in the blank)?
2. What is the issue, really? Is it that we have specific customer service issues? Is there a pattern of behavior that we’re uncomfortable with? Do we trust them to promote and protect our profession? Do we value the organization?
I don’t believe that the issue truly is customer service, a person answering the phone, or recognizing dedication of workers and volunteers, but rather a relationship issue. We, as professionals have had a long relationship with NCB and I’m sure many professionals as well as staff feel like they are part of the Groundhog Day cast. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll recall that it took Bill Murray several tries, but in the end, lessons were learned, voices were heard, and a promising relationship came out of it. The elephant in the room now is….can the relationship be salvaged, and what are we and they willing to do about it?
January 27th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
This is in response to Mr. Lindamood’s statement. I have devoted 14 yrs to this profession in many different avenues and I have been involved with alot of committees. I can not speak for the nation of massage therapist, but I can speak on the state of Georgia where I live and my personal opinion. We are in a time of building for our profession. Massage is exploding into many different directions and is a very exciting time for those of us that have watched it grow. For too long Georgia was not a licensed state and there wasn’t any distinction between those that were professional and those that were, well lets just say not. And now that we are a licensed state since 2007, we have new problems, like those that are not licensed still practicing, prostitutes hiding behind the name of massage therapy. We have far more pressing issues today than looking back at problems we use to have. We are in a time where we ALL, it doesn’t matter your affiliation, NCB or FSMB, AMTA or ABMP, to stand together and see how we can move forward in the profession we are suppose to love instead of tearing each other down. You can’t get to where you want to be if you are always looking behind you. Mistakes have been made by NCB as well as every organization in our field because these companies are made of all different people of different backgrounds all of which are imperfect and mistakes are bound to happen. What makes the difference is acknowledging those mistakes and doing what ever is possible to correct those problems. We need to be careful as me peer into a situation to gain all aspects and sides of the matter before casting stones. I would like to thank Mr. Lindamood for all his efforts for when he took office there was alot of cleaning to do. I have watched and listened over the last couple of years and to me it has been all uphill, granted all glitches are not fixed and because of human error all wont be, but I feel the NCB is striving to reach all the goals its members put on it.
January 27th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
In response to Mr. Knowles statement,”but I feel the NCB is striving to reach all the goals its members put on it”. That is one of the core problems I have seen historically with NCB, I have never, not once, felt they were striving for the goals of their members. It has always appeared to me that the NCB has their own agenda regardless of their members goals. That is for me one of the huge shortcomings of the organization. I was a state board member several years ago and we approached them about their test not helping us to prove beginning competency for beginning therapists and the response we got was in a nutshell, Too bad. Arkansas now only accepts the MBLEx exam for licensure not because we don’t like someone but because the NCB would not hear us and respond to our needs.
I also feel it important to point out NCB and FSMTB compared to the ABMP and AMTA are doing different things. AMTA and ABMP are professional membership organizations, The NCB is a credentialing organization and the Federation of State Massage Therapy is, well, state boards. They seem so apples and oranges to me.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Reporting on a lawsuit is not an attack. If AMTA, ABMP, FSMTB, COMTA, AFMTE, or my state board was getting sued, I’d be reporting on it.
Furthermore, ALL of the above-named organizations have wonderful, hard-working,dedicated staff members and volunteers, so that’s not unique to the NCB. I appreciate anyone who is working for our profession, especially those who do it for the love of massage and not because they’re getting paid.
I have acknowledged on this blog several times that Mr. Lindamood inherited a big fat mess, and cannot be held personally responsible for things that happened before he came on the job, nor do I expect that it could be fixed overnight. I have also acknowledged that there has been a perceptible increase in service.
Susie Byrd nailed it in her second comment: Apples and oranges.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
In response to Susie,
All opinions are important. Opinions are how great ideas come about. Like having a joining of all state boards like the Federation is trying to do. So all opinions should be heard. That was my point. Also I wasnt “comparing” any organization to another. I stated whether you were NCB or FSMTB (two ways to get a license), or you were AMTA or ABMP(two types of memberships) you should strive to do the best for our profession. I wasnt comparing them to one another.
January 30th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Let’s imagine this scenario:
May 2010
• MTBOK announces the final version of the MTBOK document.
• NCBTMB announces that it has completed work on the ‘advanced’ certification exam. At this time, the organization also announces a 12-month plan for exiting the licensing exam business and asks the massage community to support the MBLEx. NCBTMB also asks for support and guidance from AMTA and ABMP.
June 2010
• During its first convention, the Alliance For Massage Therapy Education applauds NCBTMB’s decision to exit the licensing exam business. Alliance educators pledge their support to NCBTMB and look forward to participating in NCBTMB’s new endeavors
• ABMP and AMTA, in response to NCBTMB’s announcement, pledge monetary support and resources to help NCBTMB through the 12-month transition process. Both organizations hail Mr. Lindamood and Mr. DeLaPorta for taking NCBTMB out of its self-destructive ways. Part of the financial support provided by AMTA and ABMP will be dedicated to upgrading the technical infrastructure of NCBTMB to ensure efficiencies of operation.
July 2010
• Several high level meetings between AMTA, ABMP, and NCTMB take place.
August 2010
• Everyone is on vacation so, nothing happens but there is a great deal of excitement in the air. Everyone is talking about an announcement from NCBTMB about the future of the organization
September 2010
• NCBTMB announces a commitment to the profession’s certification process which, in the foreseeable future consists of three certification paths: a) western therapeutic massage, b) therapeutic massage with energy work, and c) condition-specific massage (aka medical or clinical massage). Each path starts with a certification exam. This exam can be taken one year AFTER an individual has received their license.
The exams that are used to start the certification process are the NCETM, NCETMB, and NCECM. NCETM and NCETMB are the previous entry-level exams on steroids, as they have been adjusted/weighed differently to increase degree of difficulty – only 10% of first-time takers pass these exams on the first try. NCECM stands for Nat. Certification Exam in Condition-specific Massage (in its development phase, this exam was known as the ‘advanced certification’ exam).
• A big challenge is the integration of existing certificants and others who have taken the exams previously under the nesl option into the new schema.
October 2010
• A plan is developed for integrating existing certificants and others who took the NCETM and NCETMB exams under the nesl option into the new schema. The plan may involve a new exam or a grandfathering period for those therapists who have been practicing for a while.
• Laxton, NCBTMB, and Donna Feeley settle the lawsuit.
November 2010
• NCBTMB announces new CE provider criteria and much, much higher fees for both providers and therapists who take the exam. This pushes out of the process those providers who have been offering classes out of their living room and gives advantages to schools and larger, established organizations with a lot of overhead who previously could not compete with the little guys.
• Happy Thanksgiving!
December 2010
• With the changes of the previous months, NCBTMB is now uniquely positioned to start the new year right
• All 35 employees of NCBTMB realizing that these changes will help them keep their jobs, buy Christmas presents for Mr. Lindamood and for AMTA and ABMP upper management.
January 2011
• Happy New Year!
May 2011
• New certification process is in place
• All states that previously accepted the NCE now accept the MBLEx.
Could this scenario possibly work?
January 30th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Aloha mai e kakou (Loving greetings to all),
It is unusual for me to share a comment in this format so please forgive me if I make any mistakes in trying to share my manao (opinion). First of all, I wish to send my gratitude to Laura Allen for all of her hard work in creating this format for therapists to share their opinions and also for her diligence and dedication to our profession. Laura’s articles about getting through these challenging economic times and articles and postings regarding practice manangement are outstanding and a true benefit for our profession.
Having stated that, I feel compelled to also highlight the recent postings regarding NCBTMB and all of our various organizations in our profession. My mentor and beloved teacher, Aunty Margaret Machado always encouraged us to love one another, be kind to each other and never waste God’s healing love and energy with negative and strife provoking thoughts for we are born with divine gifts and these types of thoughts and actions are harmful to us as human beings. The true key to loving each other and bring healing to our world is through true unconditional love and forgiveness for all.
I have been proud to be associated with NCBTMB for over 10 years now and have lived through and been involved in some of the prior mistakes and misteps of the organization as it grew from a problem filled management company in Vienna, Virginia to a truly remarkable organization that is trying very hard to represent our profession with the best intentions and goals. NCBTMB under the direstion of Chair Neil Delaporta and a dedicated Board of Directors, as well as Paul Lindamood and his team in Oakbrook Terrace have worked very hard to turn this organization around to be consumer friendly, massively improved customer service, increased the rates of recertification of their membership, developed a volunteer structure that is effiecient and effective as well as rewarding, and they look to the future with advanced certification as the next step in gaining recognition for its members in the healthcare agenda and the also in the areas in which we serve our clients.
We must forgive the past and move forward. The past is the past, learn from our mistakes and concentrate on the future of our prfession as a whole. We have new problems facing us in our profession and all of our organizations should work together as one to combat the issues of school fraud, human trafficing, education, and national requirements for licensure, which will lead to true practice portability. The decision rearding which exams to use and the pathways to licensure and certification should be up to the State Boards and Legislatures and we need to stop beating our heads against the wall with trying to say MBLEx for Licensure and NCB for certification. Many states use certification exams for licensure in other healthcare related professions and feel that massage should be treated the same. It is 33+ states boards and legislatures of the who continue to choose NCBTMB as a one path to licensure and should be their prerogative to do so.
So please, let us forgive one another and heal these wounds and open ourselves to a brighter future for our profession and leave the past as the past… We will all be better human beings for it and we can concentrate on our gifts in bringing healing to our world who desperately need us. I wish to extend a mahalo nui loa to all of you have taken this time read these humble words from an elder who lives on an Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I hope they can help and encourage us to please take the time to self-reflect and think of one another as true children of our creator and treat each other with Respect, Unconditional Love and Forgiveness.
Aloha,
Pua
January 30th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I have actually recently received a similar, though less detailed, plan from someone else, well-known in this profession, who prefers to remain anonymous.
I don’t think the powers that be are going to go for it, but I appreciate the obvious amount of thought that Emmanuel put into his plan. And I thank you Pua, as a long-standing volunteer at the NCB, for weighing in here, especially in light of the fact that you have been one of my targets of my pen in the past.
People sometimes get the idea that I want the NCB to fold up and go away. I have never wanted that, and I have stated that on this blog on numerous occasions…that I have wanted the problems there to be cleared up, and that I want our organizations to play in the same sandbox. Or in a nod to Pua, all come to the same luau. I believe each of our organizations has a place, and a job to do.
With the exception of Elizabeth McEntyre, who personally responded to me when I was having service problems at the NCB,Lindamood is the first higher-up in years that has been willing to communicate with me. McEntyre’s ousting is just another fine example of the unethical behavior that went on there during that time.
I have copies of past correspondence that I have sent to Neal Delaporta, Donna Feeley, and others that went totally unacknowledged and unresponded to, so I appreciate the fact that Lindamood answers my questions and listens to my opinions.
I can assure you he doesn’t like hearing all my opinions, but he is still courteous enough to listen to them, which is more than I could say for the rest of them. He and I can agree to disagree, and we frequently do. It’s the willingness to have an open line of communication that I respect. I don’t have any problems in communicating with our other organizational heads, and never have. I send a letter, it gets answered. That’s the way it should always be, for any stakeholder, not just for me because I might blog about it.
Pua has actually hit one of my nails on the head, and that is that it is the perogative of the state boards which exam(s) to choose for licensure. And I don’t believe there should be any pressure applied, by the NCB, or by the Federation for that matter, for them to choose. It isn’t even a requirement for a state to accept the MBLEx to join the Federation. All state boards are welcomed to the Federation, whether they choose to accept the MBLEx, keep the NCB exams, use both, or neither. NY is a member. They have their own exam.
I would like to see mutual respect, cooperation, and reconciliation among all the organizations. I personally think that means all of them sitting down at the table together and having some serious talks about the future. I believe they all have a place. I don’t see that happening. There is distrust that will take more than an Aloha to dispel. Perhaps Rick Rosen could pull that off at the first meeting of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education. If the President of the United States can have a beer summit, why can’t we have one too?
And I must say, I will feel much better about the NCBTMB when Mr. Delaporta has departed. You’ve been there, Pua, and seen firsthand a lot of the things that never should have happened…like the limousine to and from the dinner at the Epcot Center for a meal that cost 150. per person…the Board meeting in Hawaii…$400 a night hotel rooms…where was the rest of the Board when all that was going on? Mama Mia!
Who protested that kind of excessive behavior and reckless spending? John Page did, and look what happened to him. Liz McEntyre did, and look what happened to her. Two disgraceful travesties that never should have occurred.
When the Chair of a Board goes on what seems to be a personal mission to bankrupt a national organization, shouldn’t the rest of the Board stand up and holler? Shouldn’t the treasurer say, “We can’t afford to have a board meeting in Hawaii?” Shouldn’t the rest of them say “How does that appear to our stakeholders?”
I’m telling you now, when something happens on the state Board I serve on that I disagree with, I’m a big fat pain in the butt, and the rest of them can attest to it. There is absolutely no chance whatsoever that I am going to sit there with my mouth shut.
As I have said, a lot of this preceded Lindamood and some of the present newer board members and volunteers coming on the scene. And I don’t think any of them could garner much past history from reading the past board meeting minutes, because they look like a bad joke. At least the ones that didn’t get “lost,” according to Feeley’s “setting the record straight.”
My stance is that Delaporta supported all that,and I don’t feel a bit out of line for thinking he should be out of there. Can I forgive him, and Feeley? Certainly I can, and I will,just as soon as they put out a truthful statement saying “here’s what I did to bring the NCB to the brink of ruin, I was wrong, and I regret my actions.” If either of them does, I’ll blog it to the four corners of the earth. Why should you and Lindamood apologize for them? I appreciate your capacity for healing and the spirit of mahalo, but they should own it themselves.
In fact, I might send Mr. Delaporta flowers when he retires. Maybe a nice lei.
January 30th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Dear Laura,
Let me begin by saying proudly and without reservation I love being an American. I think that the very thing that makes this country great is the voices of Americans coming together to discuss what needs to be fixed and working together to make it better.
I think that is what has started happening in our profession and you are a true massage patriot,Laura! Without voices like yours singing the wrongs you perceive our profession and all associated organizations could not grow and fit the needs of all of us. At some point I think we all have to work together to make it better and that requires a starting point. Without our voices pointing out the perceived wrong doings we don’t even have a place to start.
I have dealt for many years with what I call the alphabet soup crew, you know there are some A’s, B’s, C’s, N’s and a bunch of other letters. They are US for the most part or at least those who we choose to represent us, and they should represent US. By pointing out when the Emperor has forgotten his clothes we are really just “self-correcting”. My issue really begins when the Alphabet soup crew does not respond in a real way to the issues uncovered by the community whose very duty it is to watch and report.
Unchecked power leads to corruption. It is almost an absolute, not quite always but almost always. All I have ever expected of any of our organizations is to let us report back and you respond. Sometimes we do and sometimes they do and sometimes there is a failure to communicate or respond. If we don’t watch and respond we are not doing our professional duty. In my state to get a license you agree by accepting it to report wrongdoing and in my opinion the state has done a good job in responding to these situations as they have developed.
That’s what we need and want, dialogue and then appropriate action. Without voices like yours, Laura how would the dialogue even begin?
Thank you for everything,
Susie Byrd
January 30th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Here’s the rub- when transgressions have occured,it takes time to heal,if healing can be done at all. The question at hand is- has the NCB “brand” been sullied to the point of no repair? It’s a little hard to swallow reports of Chairpersons receiving $100,000 + in compensation. Pair that with outstandingly poor customer service (yes- customers), and you get a lot of outraged individuals who wonder what purpose is being served here. For those of us in the trenches- the working therapists, educators and their support people, it all reeks of an entrenched system in the process of a slow, painful, and prolonged death. Lindamond’s defensive response is somewhat understandable, yet inexcusable. Remember,as Angela said, WE CREATED YOU. I agree with Laura- no one wants to see the NCB fold, yet on the other hand…
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I will limit my comments to the issue of the licensing exam situation. I agree that it is the prerogative of the States to do what they deem best for their citizens. That is what happened in Florida when they opted for the MBLEx and NCBTMB sued them and the same in Oregon where they also threatened to file suit for choosing the MBLEx. As for forgiving sins of the past, these are present day antics, not from a previous regime. It is the job of the FSMTB to advise the member boards of best practices – and now that this profession has a true licensing exam, governed by the regulatory boards, using the MBLEx reflects best practices in the regulaotry arena. Other professions that have to use certificaiton exams are not as evolved as the massage and bodywork profession now is. Where a licensing exam exists under the auspices of a regulatory body, that is the exam of choice. It is neither necessary nor appropriate to hold therapists to a different standard as they seek to legally practice. I often hear of the analogy that people should be able to choose to drive a Toyota or a Cadillac or a Honda if they want to but with licensing we are not talking about the plethora of modes of transport, we are talking about the actual license to drive the car. The licensing standard should be uniform; everyone should be held to the same entry-level standard of safety and core competencies. The area of expertise or advanced level of expertise in any given massage or bodywork modality is a matter for certification. I agree with Pua about respect and forgiveness, but forgiveness doesn’t mean one condones the behaviors or allows them to perpetuate. Thanks for indulging my candid stream of consciousness today.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Wow, so much to comment on. Most of you have done a great job and expressed similar concerns/feelings.
Thank you Laura as always, without you on top of things many of us would not have the time or patience as you do, to figure this all out. Gratitude. Pua beautifully expressed.
Here’s my concern – on this part of the post concerning CE providers:
“NCBTMB announces new CE provider criteria and much, much higher fees for both providers and therapists who take the exam. This pushes out of the process those providers who have been offering classes out of their living room and gives advantages to schools and larger, established organizations with a lot of overhead who previously could not compete with the little guys.”
CE Providers aka Small guys how do you feel about this?
Here is a response from Laura’s FB page from Emmanuel:
“Hi, I think that if NCB gives up the licensing market it will need to somehow find revenues elsewhere. I think a prime market for its revenues could be certificants who (assuming certification would be meaningful) would be willing to spend more money for the recognition; money could also could come from larger entities, such as schools. Given … See More the current model many schools find it difficult to compete with individual practitioners. My scenario was bringing several entities together: associations, organizations, etc. The schools are another big part of the picture. The current business model would definitely change; of course I could be totally wrong.”
My concern: Massage schools aka large organizations are already making good money. Geez the price of tuition alone is stiffling. Many already hosts Ce providers and make a %. They need more? Many CE providers that have been around for over 20 years offer fabulous workshops at reasonable prices to therapist who would otherwise struggle to get their Ce’s. Is there not enough room for all of us? Do we have to keep making everything about greed and politics?
What has happened to this industry? Ahhh, I answered my own questions it became and Industry.
If fees rise it will certainly put the smaller provider out of business. This is terrible!
Concerned LMT’s have replied to my FB post and have misgivings about this possible change.
I hope everyone is paying attention to what is happening here.
PS I am not willing to spend any more money on anything, just because organizations can’t run their business properly
February 4th, 2010 at 4:51 am
I consider myself a “small guy” and I have plenty of overhead. The rent on my building, which includes my classroom, is very high. Until the point I got that, I had rented hotel banquet rooms. I can only ever recall doing one class out of my home, years ago, for about 6-8 people, and if anyone was distressed about the location, they didn’t say. I pay for organizational approval, which was 450. the last time I renewed. I think that’s reasonable for the time period.
But Emmanuel is right, if they give up that income, they’ll need to replace it somewhere. If they put the advanced certification exam(s) out there, they may take a while to gain popularity. However, I don’t think we should shut out individuals in favor of schools and famous people who get always get big classes. I’ve been to classes in people’s homes when their homes were much bigger and more grandiose than my facility. It didn’t matter to me that they lived there and I don’t think it affected the quality of the class. If the teacher is competent, and has the space, equipment and supplies needed for the class, the room it’s held in isn’t that big a deal.
That being said, CE facilities are supposed to be handicapped accessible; that’s a rule that is plainly stated on the provider application. If that doesn’t apply to your home or office, you’re not supposed to be teaching there.
This is a prime example of the reason I am always nagging people to quit sitting on their hands and make your voice heard when it comes to the professional associations and organizations. Prior to and since I’ve been blogging about them, I was writing to them and calling them on the phone. I vote for the leaders, and that’s after I’ve researched them. I may not get my way, but I won’t go quietly!
about a minute ago ·
February 4th, 2010 at 7:39 am
My thoughts above were only a hypothetical scenario. It started with a question that Angie asked above ‘what do we want NCBTMB to do’? Personally, I do not want NCB to go away. I would like to see it change to what it once was – a certification body. I think certification can add tremendous value to the profession if done right. So, I created a hypothetical scenario that has all stakeholders play a role.
We have all been asking NCB to change, but do we really think that any change will have no impact on everything that the organization touches right now? If NCB gives up the licensing exam market, how is it going to make it? Some people may say “I don’t care, not my problem, let them go away”. I think it is everyone’s problem. We should be looking for ways to strengthen the profession, and certification is a way to accomplish that. If board certification becomes more meaningful than it is now, certificants would be willing to pay more for it because of its inherent value. The process of approving CEU providers would also need to be strengthened, with more controls in place to protect the value of certification. That is an expensive proposition. CEU providers would end up bearing some of the costs of a stronger certification process. The ones willing to pay the higher fees would stay in the process, some would be pushed out. It is just the reality of the numbers, isn’t it?
I cannot even imagine what the people at NCBTMB must be going through. We have a lot of people yelling at them (myself included at times), but they are human beings after all. Let’s not start accusing them of pushing out the little guys now based on a hypothetical scenario. I really feel for Mr. Lindamood, DeLaPorta and the others, I never met them in my life, but I understand the burden of steering an organization and I just hope they make the right decisions.
What are some other possible hypothetical scenarios that can help NCBTMB and the profession?
February 4th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I contacted NCB myself and spoke directly with a representative that is sincerely trying to work “for” the providers. She assured me they are not trying to push anyone out, especially the small guy. She is an LMT and appreciates those of us who do offer smaller affordable trainings. I was advised they are trying to make the process simpler. That … See Morethey are looking for ways to promote CE providers more.
While I do appreciate opinions that are out there, I caution our power in words, that others will assume is “real” news.
By the way, this is the first time in the history of NCB that someone personally contacted me and with great concern. I was quite impressed that she took the time to reach me personally and not via email.
February 4th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Good thing I left the alien invasion out of the plan
But seriously now, there are now other suggestions?
February 7th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Give Me a Raspberry Beret!
I know what we resist persists. Perhaps it is time to cease the resisting and start a real revolution. Give me a raspberry beret! I still find it amazing that a simply stated blog can bring about so many tangents. I do appreciate everyone’s input but, to me the input seems to miss the mark. Once again the focus is huge, the organization grandiose, the intentions good- however, it is all meaningless. It is all meaningless unless it serves the majority of the profession and in turn, the consumers.
The profession is made up of people that are passionate about what they do and they do it one client at a time, in a small room. So forgive us, the average MTs that do not translate well to large concepts, organizations, meetings or politics. The greatest majority of MTs do not vote in national elections, do not attend national conventions, and do not have time or motivation to stay abreast of these politics. They are too busy trying to make a living.
Being a full time Massage Therapist for over 20 years, and a certificant for many years (’92-’07) I had an opportunity to experience the benefit of being Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Having been an educational provider for a number of years (’95 – ’04) I had an opportunity to experience the benefit of that as well. Unfortunately, I cannot say that there was any benefit. Now that I have tossed off that burden of paperwork, cost, and unnecessary initials after my name, I feel like the slow kid in class that just got the joke.
You would think that with all the brain power and advanced-degreed individuals involved that they could have looked at history and learned from other professions. You would not have been surprised or offended if they had modeled themselves after those that were successful. I and many others appreciated the beginning of the NCB and the potential it had. We could only see it getting better and better. Unfortunately it did not. It got worse and worse. It became a monster. I am not a degreed scientist but I can find little to no comparison to any other professional healthcare organization when I look at the NCB.
When NCB began, they made great statements that the average MT thought were promises (We were not skilled at reading doublespeak spin yet). We believed that they would set the standard for education. I would have never believed that they would (this many years later) still be accepting a certificate from, not a licensed school, but a community education class that meets in class for 36 hours and does everything else as homework to get a 250 hour certificate, (then does it twice to get a 500 hour certificate).
We were told the grandfathering was going to be offered for only 2 years, then it was 4 years, then they just renamed it. In spite of there being licensed schools available in every state, and there being an apparent availability of student loans for students, they still continue to offer a portfolio option. This not only devalues the certificants but also the schools.
We believed that the leadership would be Massage Therapists like us, people who had at least for a significant amount of time, had lived by their hands, and would understand us and our needs. These leaders we envisioned would be passionate and progressive, not overpaid, egotistical, disconnected, talking heads.
We were told it would matter. We thought it would be meaningful. What is meaningful to the average Massage Therapist is that they can do their work and pay their bills. So, of course, I foolishly thought that this credential could help with creating actual jobs and strengthening the profession. It also seemed follow that the certificants would benefit from the massage consumers preference for credentialed professionals. Was I the only one that thought that?
Many people just pay for things without thinking about them. When we pay an organization or credentialing body, we are doing that because they in turn must do us a service. In that vein, they work for us. No one at the NCB in recent years seems to have grasped that concept. Instead they have forged ahead as if they were invincible. They are only invincible if we give them that power. How could it have shifted so subtly and yet so dramatically? How is it that the very organization that was so supportive of massage legislation could turn like a mad dog and dump huge sums of money (that we paid them) to work against legislation? Can we fire them now?
A credential is only as good as its governing body. At this point the value is highly questionable. In spite of their horrible customer service, negligent management, selfish leadership, irresponsible stewardship, and blatant avarice, they managed to create a monster. Not a gentle, misunderstood Frankenstein – a very expensive monster, who quickly forgot who created it, why it existed, and for what purpose it was created. It became a purposeful, malicious, greed-driven monster. The answer, at this point, is not to give the monster more legs and make it more expensive, nor is it to continue to monetarily reward the monster’s keepers for not doing their jobs.
We need to grasp the revolutionary concept that we are not just a lowly mass of practitioners; we are more powerful than we realize. As a profession, we have more control than we ever imagined, if we can just stand together. The monster is actually in our employ, it works for us, we feed it (pay it) and give it the power. Some of the keepers may be power mad, but I don’t think they really understand the potential that could weigh in here. It may be time to fire the monster. I know that is very difficult to think about. How many states are still ONLY requiring the NCB? How many will have to go through lengthy, expensive legislative action to change that? I have no idea, but I know people that read this blog do. I can only hope it is really easier than it seems. Most things are.
Things can change. The average MTs need to come out of their small rooms and stand together. They need to vote, show up to meetings and let their voice be heard. When they do, I seriously doubt you will hear any of them say they cannot do their next massage, (or any session in the future) without the NCB. When it comes to credentialing or a governing body, we have to look at what is truly necessary, essential, and functional. We have to look to the future and stop paying others to pretend to while they line their own pockets and ignore us.
Let’s get clear – the sky is not falling. One organization gone bad and going away will not stop a single practitioner from continuing to practice in the future. It might save us all some money. It will open new doors of opportunity. It will create new ways of doing things.
When I check the date on the milk carton, if it is bad, I pour it out!
February 7th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Xerlan, Laura and all who have responded here, I thank you for helping me to come out from under a cloud of despondency. As Xerlan says, the sky need not fall in when ‘a credential is only as good as its governing body’. I hope a positive shift is afoot.
I have been practicing bodywork for over 15 years and have the fortune of a UK biological science degree (Genetics) behind me. When I moved to MO from CA(where I received the majority of my advanced training and was licenced), the MO licencing board was unable to approve my qualifications. I was stunned.
Finally, after much effort on my part, they ruled that I should go back to basic training AFTER which I could sit for the NCTMB. I haven’t been able to stomach that and I haven’t been practicing since. Instead, I write about what I love but it’s not the same!
I shall follow this story and continue to believe that I can and will get back to legal practice of the work that I am passionate about and truly thoroughly qualified to do, in the place that I enjoy living.