A Commitment to Community and Excellence
A Commitment to Community and Excellence
This article is written by Dolly Wallace, BCTMB, LMT, for the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
I’ve told this story before, but sharing my start in the massage therapy profession, i think, helps people better understand my love and commitment to massage. The massage therapy school I attended in Michigan was a big red barn. Yes, you read that right. I went to school and got my entry-level massage education in a barn.
Why is that an important detail? After graduating, I wondered if people would respect me if they knew I studied and trained in a barn. I knew that the education I received was excellent, but how would I convey that excellence to my peers in the profession and, most importantly, my clients?
Finding Credibility in Community
Finding a way to build trust and credibility was particularly important for me early in my massage therapy career because at the time, Michigan did not regulate the practice of massage. So, I decided to get involved with organizations that could lend me their credibility. I joined the American Massage Therapy Association as a student member knowing they were focusing on building a solid foundation for the massage therapy profession that centered on evidence-based practice. When the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) was developed, I applied for that credential, too.
I wanted people in my community, my clients and potential clients, to know that I was a qualified professional and, too, I wanted to be respected. To this day, I am still an active member of both of these organizations.
Renewing Commitment: NCBTMB’s Strategic Plan
Board certification has opened many more doors in my career than I would have ever imagined. From clients who come to me to better manage stress to health care providers who feel confident referring their patients to me because I am board certified. This credential has been an important part of my establishing myself within the profession. In short: Board certification means something to consumers, health care practitioners, employers and massage therapists.
As President of NCBTMB, I was honored to be a part of NCBTMB’s renewed commitment to the massage therapy profession.
We recently approved a three-year strategic plan that focuses on elevating the massage therapy profession by establishing and advancing the highest credentials and standards of excellence. This strategic direction is aligned around three key goals:
Board certification: Grow the community of board certified massage therapists by actively creating awareness around the value certification brings to both massage therapists and stakeholders in the profession.
Approved provider program: Continue to ensure this program upholds the highest standards of continuing education in the massage therapy profession.
Infrastructure: Build a strong infrastructure that can both sustain growth of our essential programs and allow the organization to take advantage of new opportunities.
You might be wondering how we’ll achieve these goals. My answer leads us back to where I started: Community! NCBTMB is committed to the full massage therapy community, from individual massage therapists to educators to employers to stakeholders and, finally, to the clients we know value the benefits offered by massage.
We are committed to NCBTMB’s examination and requirements reflecting the highest level of professional standards. We are committed to offering high quality courses taught by excellent educators. We are committed to building a community invested in elevating the massage profession and promoting the safest, most ethical and highest quality massage experience for health and wellness.
I have been lucky enough to call myself part of this community for many years, and it’s my hope that you will be part of this community that recommends and encourages certification, too.