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Where Does Energy Work Belong?
The comment period for the second draft of the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge ended a week ago. I’ve made comments on both drafts, and I hope you have too.
A number of my own comments were in regard to the amount of energy work-related statements that were included. I don’t think most of it belongs there. Before anyone gets their chakras in a twist at me, let
me state that Healing Touch was the very first class I ever took, back
in 1993. I went on to follow that up with classes in Reiki, polarity,
and a few other energy modalities. I’ve also studied and used Shiatsu
for years. I have in fact in the past taught a lot of Reiki classes
myself, but I’ve decided not to teach it anymore. I blogged that
decision on my FB page a few months ago. Some of these scientific minds
around here are rubbing off on me.
I honor anyone who lays their hands on another, or directs energy at another, with the intent for the highest good to take place, whether that’s to heal, to comfort, or to ease someone’s passing. I don’t have
any objections to energy work, either giving or receiving. I just think
it’s a separate body of knowledge.
Yes, I know that plenty of massage therapists use energy work, not only from my own past experience, but also from spending a few hours surfing through the approved provider pages on the NCB’s website
recently. It appears that there’s more energy-related classes than
hardcore bodywork and/or evidence-based classes. Obviously there’s a
demand, or that wouldn’t be the case. READ MORE.....
Views: 277
Comment
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Comment by Laura Allen on March 21, 2010 at 11:31am
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I don't think energy workers have to worry about speaking here. If you really want to get kicked in the teeth a little, go on over to Bodhi's EBP website. No one that I am aware of, including me, has suggested that energy workers need to get off this website.
Frankly Mike, I learned a lot of total crap in massage school. Just because some teacher says it, in spite of the best of intentions, doesn't mean it's so; particularly when the teachers are all graduates of the same massage school and all were educated hearing the same misinformation and perpetuating that, and I'm not just talking about energy work.
I just had a discussion with some of the folks at the NCBTMB a few days ago about some of the classes that are being taught under the approvals there. Should "Channeling" be approved for CE credit? It is. I don't care who uses channeling to contact the spirits of Elvis, Michael Jackson or the dead ascended masters, if that's what they want to do, but I don't think it has anything to do with massage and shouldn't be offered for CE credit. I really don't think that's helping the credibility of massage at all.
The issue is that the NCBTMB doesn't approve of individual classes the way they used to; they just approve providers, and since new classes can be added on without any in-cycle reporting (in other words, they're not sent in until after the fact, at renewal time), some instructors have taken advantage of that fact to slide some real doozies in there. There is a prohibition from the NCB on classes that are based on religion or spirituality, and yet there are some of those on there too. There is a prohibition against classes that are built around a product you have to buy in order to do the technique, and yet, there are also some of those. I think we can look for the NCB to address some of those issues in the near future. They are aware that it's a serious issue, and I expect they are going to be doing a little overhauling down the road.
There are several associations for energy workers. I personally belonged to the International Association of Reiki Practitioners for years. Healing Touch practitioners have a non-profit organization, and the Polarity people have an association, too. I don't know what they're doing anymore or whether or not they are funding any research because I haven't been keeping up with them, but the energy work associations charge membership fees; the IARP also sells liability insurance for Reiki practitioners the same way ABMP and AMTA sell it to us. There are numerous energy work organizations that can fund research in that area, if they will.
The Massage Therapy Foundation is in the business of conducting massage research, not energy work research, and that's the way it should be. It isn't the Massage Therapy and Energy Work Foundation.
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Comment by Mike Hinkle on March 21, 2010 at 10:31am
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That is the thing. We (therapist, energy workers and not) fund this research, directly or through our associations. We should be watching those making key decisions about what is being researched, to make sure funds are being divided accordingly.
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Comment by Emma Torsey on March 21, 2010 at 9:51am
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I have often wondered if who FUNDS the testing may have alterer motives,ya think?
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I think the real question is, "Where does Massage Belong?" We are a very unique profession. As with all professions, we have our fringes that each demand recognition. We have the "medical only (EBP) groups" and we have our, as Laura put it, "woo-woo" practitioners." Somewhere in the middle is massage.
It is the same with the medical profession itself. They've had phrenologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and even the nutcase that helped kill Michael Jackson. They have by far done and still do more damage and harm than us. Yet, they are all still called "Doctors." Shouldn't they have to do away with these parts of the medical field for us to recognize them as legit? Is it not the same as, "You have to do away with energyworkers, to be, "possibly considered legit!"?
We find ourselves in the "infancy of massage organization." I do not see the need to shun anyone to be accepted by the medical profession. The medical profession has and will accept those that attain the accreditation to work within the medical arena. There are specific classes and steps to acceptance. Each person is considered individually for these positions, not as the whole of the profession.
This, "if we don't get rid of energyworkers, we'll never be accepted", is a hoax. It is a "lark" that a very small amount of people even saying this. We all want organization in the massage profession and they are using this to control funding and research.
My feelings are: If you learn it in massage school, it is part of massage. The states approved these programs. NCB certifies the instructors and acknowledges the continuing education credits given by the instructors. This issue will stay on the front burner, as those that wish to force out energy workers, continue on their plight.
Another aspect of this is "dollars". In this case "research dollars." There is a fear of any funds going to research anything except "EBP modalities." The same folks that are leading the charge, to separate the two, are EBP and research folks. Some in the medical and physical therapist fields fear the unknown healing that comes with massage and wish to dither the massage field by reducing our numbers.
All professions go through these "growing pains." But we should focus on growing our ranks and educating the public about massage, not internal strife being caused by a few. We will find our way. Keep the Faith!!!
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So , should we not allow "energy" workers on this web site anymore? It seems they are becoming fearful of speaking here.
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Emma, I went to a "woo-woo" school myself. There was a big focus on energy work and Eastern philosophy. I am not trying to be critical of energy work; as I said, I was doing it for five years before I started doing massage. The Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge project is supposed to be about defining massage therapy, not energy work. As Johnathon says, this is not a negative. It is a separation of two differing bodies of knowledge. And sometimes the twain shall meet, in practice. My two cents, as you say, is that in order to gain more credibility for our profession with the other health professions, we need to be careful of how we define the MTBOK, and not give the medical establishment the impression that we all believe we're resurrected Atlanteans who can't do our work without bringing woo-woo into it. I don't want energy work to go away. I just want it to be separated in the official BOK. I think it belongs in its own BOK.
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Could it be how you are trained in school helps you develop how you feel about this subject?
I was trained with a lot of Eastern Philosophies...a bit different from western.I have said all along the answer is to combine Eastern and Western and to not eliminate one for the other.
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Comment by Suzanne H Eller on March 20, 2010 at 8:34am
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I use energy work a lot, and like you, I learned that and used it first. It's wahat got me interested in massage school. I do see results with it, especially with Reiki although I suspect that the "energy" is the same pretty much across the board with whatever technique you learn. Some Reiki teachers are expensive, but the cost of classes has come down drastically, so Reiki is a good way to start if the teacher really teaches you something. Mine (Gina Asriel) did. Some don't. That said, I agree that we need more CEs in the "hard" modalities. Sometimes it seems the ones offered are taught by the "big names", cost a lot in comparison to energy work classes, and are only taught in bigger cities. I took that Bob King neck class at the last NCAMTA conference, and I use something I learned from it on nearly every massage I give. It was affordable and informative and close to where I live so I didn't have to get a motel room or board my dog. That's what I'd like to see. I'm thinkg of taking a home-study just to learn something I can't find nearby. Also, some of the modality certification folks are trademarked and territorial. I understand taking a test to show you are qualified to be certified, but should it really cost hundreds of dollars to take the test?
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I don't know why it has to be eliminated ,It's no more "Woo Woo" than sprinkling your door mat with essential oils !.
If you give a scientist a test,when it is completed the only thing he wants is another test.
The proof is in the pudding,I see results ,not the kind some scientist want to see,but most are never satisfied
with testing anyway. My goal is to make my clients happy not your scientist.
As lisa would say,"Just my two cents"
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Sorry Folks! The link is fixed. I failed to erase the "http" which caused an extra one to be in there!
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