massage and bodywork professionals
a community of practitioners
Against NCBTMB's proposed Advanced Certification Exam
Dear Fellow Bodyworkers, Massage Educators and Affiliated Industry Members,
After reading this email, if you are in agreement, please email this letter to everyone you know who is involved in the massage and bodywork field. I ask you and those, to whom you forward this, to email Elizabeth Langston at NCBTMB and let them know where you stand on this important issue - ELangston@ncbtmb.org.
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Open Letter and Call to Action for the Massage Therapy Field
8 Reasons Why National Certification Board should NOT Proceed with Advanced Certification Exam
By David Lauterstein, Co-Director, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in Austin
The more I think about the NCBTMB’s proposed Advanced Certification Exam, the more I believe it is ill-conceived. With the MBLEx (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards’ exam) now having cut into NCBTMB's market, the proposed advanced certification exam seems to be more necessitated as an income stream for NCBTMB, than as a mandated credential. One organization's bottom line should not rule the decisions made affecting our whole field – especially if those decisions will have a negative effect on the field as a whole.
1. From the response I’ve gotten from everyone except NCBTMB, I believe I’m in the majority in believing that the proposed Advanced Certification exam and credential proposed by NCBTMB is not a good idea at this time. The majority of therapists are not nationally certified and the majority of advanced therapists certainly are not nationally certified. And I believe the NCBTMB surveys in 1997 and onward did not include the majority of practitioners. Many therapists, teachers and school owners have serious reservations about the flawed psychometrics on which NCBTMB is claiming to base their decisions.
2. I never received the initial survey in 1997 or any others - was it completed only by Nationally Certified therapists? If the primary school owners in the U.S. were not consulted, who else was left out of the surveying process?
3. NCBTMB should not be the arbiter of who is advanced and who is not. Their track record of problematic service and self-interest is a source of discredit and suspicion with most of the therapists I talk with. That they should be trusted to handle this well is presumptuous.
4. Requiring to be certified as advanced that one be already Nationally Certified, arbitrarily, dramatically and unnaturally limits who can qualify for advanced certification to people who are currently Nationally Certified.
5. If we end up with a group of advanced practitioners who are not eligible - due to the arbitrary requirement of National Certification - vs. a group who are eligible - NCB would be putting a dysfunctional division in our field. A split between advanced practitioners not recognized by NCB and those who are will be divisive and deleterious to our field.
6. There is basically no way in such exams to demonstrate practical skills. Qualifying someone as advanced without any way to demonstrate advanced skill level is problematic to say the least.
7. Who is considered advanced may be more appropriately decided by the individual organizations that oversee and/or train the specialties in our field - such as the Rolf Institute, AOBTA, Feldenkrais Guild, and other education institutions or organizations that can responsibly verify advanced skill levels. Only they can look closely enough at the individual practitioners to genuinely assess whether their knowledge and skills are advanced.
8. NCBTMB has not demonstrated thorough research nor industry backing for how to define the advanced knowledge an advanced practitioner should have. The emphasis of the proposed exam apparently would be orthopedic massage. While I appreciate orthopedic massage specialists, the majority of advanced practitioners practice holistically, that is they have excellent skills to resolve physical problems, while also utilizing advanced skills to prevent disease and to augment the health of their clients. Advanced Massage therapists largely are complementary health-care practitioners, not just allopathic disease-treatment specialists. Any advanced exam MUST reflect that fact.
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In sum, NCBTMB is proposing to make a bad decision, which would negatively affect the whole field, apparently on the basis of their own needs as an organization and the opinions of a minority whom they have preferred to survey. Additionally, to do this at the expense of the field which supports them is extremely unfortunate. We must all do what we can to prevent this.
I again encourage you to respond by emailing everyone you know who practices or is involved in the massage field, and other key people, organizations and massage magazines. I ask you and those to whom you forward this, to email Elizabeth Langston, Director of Exam Development at NCBTMB and let her know where you stand on this important issue - ELangston@ncbtmb.org.
I love our field, as I know you all do. And I am protective of its highest aspirations which I do believe we all want to see respected in the decisions made affecting our field.
Sincerely,
David Lauterstein
Co-Director, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School
4701-B Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
DavidL@TLCschool.com
http://www.tlcschool.com/
512.374.9222 ext. 20
After reading this email, if you are in agreement, please email this letter to everyone you know who is involved in the massage and bodywork field. I ask you and those, to whom you forward this, to email Elizabeth Langston at NCBTMB and let them know where you stand on this important issue - ELangston@ncbtmb.org.
* * *
Open Letter and Call to Action for the Massage Therapy Field
8 Reasons Why National Certification Board should NOT Proceed with Advanced Certification Exam
By David Lauterstein, Co-Director, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School in Austin
The more I think about the NCBTMB’s proposed Advanced Certification Exam, the more I believe it is ill-conceived. With the MBLEx (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards’ exam) now having cut into NCBTMB's market, the proposed advanced certification exam seems to be more necessitated as an income stream for NCBTMB, than as a mandated credential. One organization's bottom line should not rule the decisions made affecting our whole field – especially if those decisions will have a negative effect on the field as a whole.
1. From the response I’ve gotten from everyone except NCBTMB, I believe I’m in the majority in believing that the proposed Advanced Certification exam and credential proposed by NCBTMB is not a good idea at this time. The majority of therapists are not nationally certified and the majority of advanced therapists certainly are not nationally certified. And I believe the NCBTMB surveys in 1997 and onward did not include the majority of practitioners. Many therapists, teachers and school owners have serious reservations about the flawed psychometrics on which NCBTMB is claiming to base their decisions.
2. I never received the initial survey in 1997 or any others - was it completed only by Nationally Certified therapists? If the primary school owners in the U.S. were not consulted, who else was left out of the surveying process?
3. NCBTMB should not be the arbiter of who is advanced and who is not. Their track record of problematic service and self-interest is a source of discredit and suspicion with most of the therapists I talk with. That they should be trusted to handle this well is presumptuous.
4. Requiring to be certified as advanced that one be already Nationally Certified, arbitrarily, dramatically and unnaturally limits who can qualify for advanced certification to people who are currently Nationally Certified.
5. If we end up with a group of advanced practitioners who are not eligible - due to the arbitrary requirement of National Certification - vs. a group who are eligible - NCB would be putting a dysfunctional division in our field. A split between advanced practitioners not recognized by NCB and those who are will be divisive and deleterious to our field.
6. There is basically no way in such exams to demonstrate practical skills. Qualifying someone as advanced without any way to demonstrate advanced skill level is problematic to say the least.
7. Who is considered advanced may be more appropriately decided by the individual organizations that oversee and/or train the specialties in our field - such as the Rolf Institute, AOBTA, Feldenkrais Guild, and other education institutions or organizations that can responsibly verify advanced skill levels. Only they can look closely enough at the individual practitioners to genuinely assess whether their knowledge and skills are advanced.
8. NCBTMB has not demonstrated thorough research nor industry backing for how to define the advanced knowledge an advanced practitioner should have. The emphasis of the proposed exam apparently would be orthopedic massage. While I appreciate orthopedic massage specialists, the majority of advanced practitioners practice holistically, that is they have excellent skills to resolve physical problems, while also utilizing advanced skills to prevent disease and to augment the health of their clients. Advanced Massage therapists largely are complementary health-care practitioners, not just allopathic disease-treatment specialists. Any advanced exam MUST reflect that fact.
* * *
In sum, NCBTMB is proposing to make a bad decision, which would negatively affect the whole field, apparently on the basis of their own needs as an organization and the opinions of a minority whom they have preferred to survey. Additionally, to do this at the expense of the field which supports them is extremely unfortunate. We must all do what we can to prevent this.
I again encourage you to respond by emailing everyone you know who practices or is involved in the massage field, and other key people, organizations and massage magazines. I ask you and those to whom you forward this, to email Elizabeth Langston, Director of Exam Development at NCBTMB and let her know where you stand on this important issue - ELangston@ncbtmb.org.
I love our field, as I know you all do. And I am protective of its highest aspirations which I do believe we all want to see respected in the decisions made affecting our field.
Sincerely,
David Lauterstein
Co-Director, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School
4701-B Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
DavidL@TLCschool.com
http://www.tlcschool.com/
512.374.9222 ext. 20
Views: 190
Comment
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Comment by Brian Day on December 2, 2009 at 3:27pm
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Hi Patricia,
I'm new on the site too. I don't think I could have expressed it any better! Thank you for speaking up. I feel like so many people are saying everyone is for it. But, so far I am seeing those people as being on NCTMB's payroll! I feel like it is all about the money...When people were upset about higher standards with CEU;s and that it needed a practical, they stopped doing it? I hear NCTMB as being a thing of the past, or something like that, does that mean lower standards as well?
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Comment by Patricia Holcomb on December 2, 2009 at 8:30am
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Hello David, first time on your site and I'm very excited. I've been practicing since 1992. At the time of graduation from Educating Hands School of massage in Miami our director Iris Burman encouraged us to get Nationally certified as well as state. I was top of the class in every subject and thought wow, this is going to b easy. Little did I know , at that time there was a 2 hour written and then a video taped practical with 3 interviewers. The entire thing took about 3 hours. I in fact became the #3,000 to be certified in the nation,I was so darn proud.
I now have in upwards of 5,000 hour acumulated in CEUs and carry 3 state licenses .I work with top athletes in the world and along side their sergeons. I sub-ed for a class in the local massage scool here and found out since then the test is almost idiot proof. No more practical and the written is a joke.
I'm not sure how in the heck they plan on devideing this thing up, but your right it's all about money. I can't say one thing is better in the NCBTMB only worse. I use to b so proud that I qualified to be called Nationally Certified, now well, What have they done for me lately.TAKE MY MONEY. And I'll tell everyone something....I can't afford one more charge all in the name of being certified.
Thanks for being here Patricia
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Comment by Emmanuel Bistas on December 1, 2009 at 3:00pm
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Hi Rick,
Someone can take the NCE without having completed a 500-hour program. All you need to do is select the "NESL" option on the application, then you are not required to submit a transcript. The 500 hours come into play if someone who passes the exam under the NESL option pays the additional $50 to become 'certified'. At that point you need to provide proof of completing an 'approved' program but my finding is that getting a program 'approved' is not very difficult. Strange, but true.
Emmanuel
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Hi Angie, I think we are in agreement about the semantics.
I want to explain what I meant about the MBLEx. Neither the NCE nor the MBLEx require that a person has completed a massage training program to take the exam.
The MBLEx application form asks the applicant for their education and has a field where the applicant enters the name of the school they are attending and it says "In signing the application, you are required to verify that you have read the Examination Content Outline and that you have education and training in the content subject areas.". Similarly, the NCE application has a field in which an applicant is required to enter a school code and the school must be approved by NCBTMB, however, there are two issues with that: a) anyone can copy a school code off NCBTMB's website and enter it on their application even if that person has never enrolled at any school (which, by the way, would throw off a school's pass/fail rates) and b) the school 'approval' process is rather minimal (whole other topic, would rather not get into it here) and, in essence, only amounts to the school being approved by the state.
I think that people unfamiliar with the NESL option of the NCE are probably reading the above paragraph and scratching their heads, and that's why I mentioned earlier about the certification exam that isn't a certification exam - it goes back to semantics.
I understand the topic here is "advanced" credential and not necessarily the metrics and all, but my point has been (in other writings) that the existing process of using a single exam for both licensing and 'certification' is flawed. Anything else that is added to it can only make things worse. And if you add to the mix that other initiatives are under way (MTBOK), the sensible thing to do is to delay these discussions until we have determined even what the body of knowledge in massage therapy is. The need for advanced certification would not be there if certification was meaningful.
About the online processing, I guess my point is that the feeling that I am getting from working with NCBTMB as a customer is that NCBTMB is having a hard time keeping up with the normal day-to-day processes (delays in application processing, delays in credentialing CE providers). This is how things used to be few years back (which led to the creation of the MBLEx, by the way). Failure to keep up with certification needs or coming up with an unwanted advanced certification process can also lead other entities to enter the picture and offer their own certifications.
Emmanuel
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Comment by Angela Palmier on December 1, 2009 at 1:28pm
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Hi Emmanuel,
I think what Rick was referring to is the fact that in order to take the MBLEx exam, a person does not have to have any educational requirements. However, if that person is using the MBLEx for licensure purposes, then they would need to meet the educational requirements of the state. MBLEX does not require any, but most of the states do. Can we get a model practice act???? ;)
As far as the semantics is concerned, I couldn't agree more. Our industry has many people who currently sell courses of instruction titled "Advanced Certification", etc. It certainly does lend to confusion and I'm hoping that while it was not the intent, the very conversations that we are having here will start the beginning of some common language. It is truly important that if we are going to grow as a profession, we need to share common language....otherwise, no one truly knows what the other person is talking about!
As far as the "NCBTMB of the past...." statement...... I have to say that the research lover in me is thrilled that you are asking to see metrics! That being said---the only metrics I can offer is my experiences both past and present with the organization. I can remember a time in the not so distant past where it certainly felt as though the leaders of that organization did not listen, hear, heed, care or act on the concerns, issues or desires of the profession. To me, it felt as though they were acting as if they were on an island and had everything they needed to sustain themselves----no need for us piddly therapists. The NCB staff and Board, which I have spoke with, worked with and communicate with each and every day (nights and weekends as well, most of the time) are truly listening and taking steps, actions, and changing things that we've been screaming about for years. I'm a blunt, direct, no-nonsense person and I call it like I see it. Chris is the same way. There may be reasons---but there are no excuses---no more. The attitude there is so different-the desire for outreach, communcation, creation of opportunity and growth is palpable and they are truly listening AND acting. It will take time, effort, and help from people like you to help us get there. Please email me the specifics regarding the situation with the online expectations. I'll look into that. apalmier@ncbtmb.org
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It's been quiet on the NCBTMB Advanced Certification blog; now I understand, the discussion has been moved here :)
Just a couple comments ...
On Rick's statement "...but many are also adopting the Mblex which has lower educational requirements then the NCB to take...". The MBLEx does not have lower educational requirements.
My comment on Angie's "I'm also wondering, if perhaps the word and/or generalization of "advanced" is really the problem here. Advanced, at this point is a bit subjective, however I'm wondering if this doesn't support the fact that it does need some definition? " I think much of the issue is with semantics, so the word "advanced" adds to confusion. We have a certification exam that isn't a certification exam, a school approval process that isn't quite an approval process, and now "advanced" is to mean what? I think it is very important to call things what they are.
Related to Angie's comment that "the NCBTMB of the past is missing in action...".. I hear that a lot, but do you define that? It has been taking 2-3 weeks to process online applications, which is more or less the amount of time it was taking in 2005, so I don't understand, on what metrics is this statement based?
Emmanuel
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Comment by Noel Norwick on December 1, 2009 at 12:21pm
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Angela Palmier: I greatly appreciate you willingness to address these issues directly! That said, I question NCBTMB's current ability to develop a credible/professionally useful advanced certification exam and wonder how the you/NCBTMB plan to address/overcome the following issues:
1. How can one credibly claim to have established a legitimate and useful advanced certification exam before the MTBOK task force and the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (eventually) succeed in building upon what the FSMTB initiated (with its development of the MBLEx test that seeks to protect the public welfare) by creating a national consensus regarding what additional knowledge & skills an entry level massage practitioner (regardless of modality) needs to know?
2. How can NCBTMB hope to convince the myriad existing trademarked and self-certifying massage modalities to relinquish their power to establish and continually update their standards regarding whom they consider/certify to be beginner, intermediate or advanced practitioners?
3. In light of the apparent current public consensus that the medical mainstream model is overly expensive, unresponsive to patient needs and in need of significant reform, what leads you/NCBTMB to believe it necessary or helpful to impose similar credentialling/scope of practice restrictions on the myriad major massage modalities and their already certified/credentialed practitioners?
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Comment by David Lauterstein on November 30, 2009 at 1:01pm
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Hi Everybody,
I needed to edit something from an earlier post - so I've done that am reposting the edited version. Thanks for your important attention to these issues!
Hi Angela,
I, like all of us, am passionate about the directions I would like our profession to go in.
Thanks for your passion too.
Reflections on the points you raise:
I, like many, assume that at least some of the rush to offer this exam is economic in origin.
I may be wrong.
There is now enough controversy, among many school owners and therapists, that I and others hope NCBTMB would slow down and listen.
The concerns have received mostly come from school owners, veteran teachers, and others in our industry - among them Iris Burman, Alex Matthews, Les Sweeney, Whitney Lowe, Nancy Dail, and others.
I assume that most advanced practitioners are not nationally certified because most therapists are not nationally certified. I still think that's a safe assumption.
It is my explicit opinion that advanced massage includes but is not limited to medical competency. I think we are being presented with a fantastic opportunity to course-correct our profession that has been hell-bent on medical recognition at the expense of the full-range of practices that we can treasure - from orthopedic approaches, to somatic educative approaches to mind-body approaches. I believe we can and ideally should honor the full scope of the massage and bodywork field when we approach talking about or instituting an advanced credential.
Re psychometrics: I can only say my concerns are shared by people who have been involved in the NCBTMB - I have to keep their names confidential.
I am concerned that National Certification will be required as prerequisite to Advanced Certification. I do not know whether this is the decision they will make.
At this point, I trust more that educational institutions or certifying organizations assess advanced skill levels and issue advanced credentials on that basis. And certainly sensitivity, art and practical skill are almost impossible to assess through a written exam,
As we look at testing to establish an advanced credential, there is a natural and understandable tendency to continue to ignore the art of massage and test only for the science. This keeps on, in my opinion, creating a unbalanced emphasis in our field and in many trainings.
As for the orthopedic emphasis, again can only say I have been talking with people who have been involved in the NCBTMB.
It is an assumption of mine that most practitioners practice holistically. This may just be wishful thinking! :)
I do believe that it is even more scientific to take the whole into account - body, mind and spirit - rather than just body.
"Do you think that it would be helpful for the public, legislators, employers, etc., to know that if they want to utilize massage therapy services as a tool for treating a specific problem there would be a way to clearly identify them?"
Of course, - establish a medical massage specialty. But let's not identify that as encompassing the entirety of what constitutes advanced massage therapy.
I believe an advanced generalist exam which includes both medical massage and bodywork knowledge could support unity in our field. And I again question whether we can assess advanced knowledge without checking in re actual hands-on skill.
All the best,
David Lauterstein, Co-Director
Lauterstein-Conway Massage School & Clinic
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Hi there David!
The main question you felt was missing from the survey was "Is there a need for Advanced Certification", is that correct?
Not only is NCB encouraging the conversation, as comments are coming through both in internal and external mediums such as this one, those comments are captured and reviewed---they've had a significant impact and in response to the your "big question" #2, there is an absolute desire, willingness and quite frankly, need expressed by NCB to listen to the profession in depth. Question 1: "What criteria shall be used in deciding who is advanced, and who is not" has yet to be determined, but I'd encourage you to send your specific thoughts to NCB so that they can be forwarded to the group working on that question.
Adding another comment to the statement of "NCBTMB shown a real willingness to list to the profession in depth?"......While we are doing our absolute best to monitor sites and comments---it would be extremely helpful for those comments to be sent directly to NCB to ensure that those who need to listen are given the chance to hear. Feel free to forward them to elangston@ncbtmb.org. Of course, you could also forward them to us----Chris Alvarado (calvarado@ncbtmb.org) or Angela Palmier (apalmier@ncbtmb.org) and will we make sure that they are delivered.
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Hello Les and All,
As a matter of fact, Les, it was also my reaction to that survey that also spurred me becoming more active in opposition to this particular way of going about the proposed Advanced Certification. I couldn't BELIEVE that there was no option to question the need for Advanced Cert. - it was presented entirely as a fete accompli.
This is a debate the profession is actively engaging it - this is great. It is important -now that it is beginning in truth - that the NCBTMB doesn't precipitously try to cut the conversation short. Angela, I never have questioned the need and usefulness of National Certification - especially as an exam that facilitated therapists' portability between states and also a possible marketing feather in one's cap. The big questions are - 1) What criteria shall be used in deciding who is "advanced" and who not? 2) Should we have Advanced Certification and has NCBTMB shown a real willingness to listen to the profession in depth?
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