As a massage therapist, you’re a healthcare professional. It takes knowledge of human anatomy—as well as skill—to provide top care for your clients. To keep up with your ever-changing field, it’s critical to attend massage therapist continuing education courses and seminars. In fact, depending on where you live, it may even be a state requirement in order to keep your license.

So take a minute to pause, roll up your sleeves, and learn why you should sign up for continuing massage education courses now. Plus, find out one of the best ways to get the additional education you need.

The Importance of Continuing Education for Massage Therapists

Here are a few reasons you should keep your massage therapy education credits up to date:

Continuing education (CE) can help keep you at the top of your field. Massage therapy can be a competitive profession, but not everyone understands how to tackle their clients’ unique needs. Courses and seminars cover massage techniques for cancer patients, athletes with sports injuries, and for clients who are pregnant or postpartum. You’ll learn how to provide massages to put yourself in a better position to provide the best possible outcomes for a wide variety of health needs.
It may be required, depending on your state. Many massage therapists in the U.S. must enroll in continuing education courses in order to renew their licenses. For example, massage therapists in North Carolina are required to take a certain number of courses every two years in order to keep their licenses current. Check your state’s requirements and make sure you’re keeping up to date with your education.
Your clients benefit from your knowledge. It’s likely there are a few massage therapists in your area. How will you stand out? With more knowledge and skills, you are in a better position to serve your clients and carve out a place in the market. For example, let’s say you complete courses in prenatal and postnatal massage, or in massage for cancer patients. People with unique health issues could start to seek you out for treatments. Plus, physicians in your area may refer clientele to you as well.

The bottom line: In whatever job you do, including massage therapy, it’s important to do your best. Completing continuing education courses can help you stay at the top of your field. In the end, your business can reap the rewards.

Where to Find Massage Therapy Continuing Education

Are you convinced it’s time to enroll in a few courses? Great! The first step is to find high-quality courses that meet industry standards and are worth your time. Fortunately, the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) makes it easy to find massage therapy continuing education online, whether at the national level or in your state’s chapter.

You also can check out the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) association. Both organizations set the standards for your profession and offer important seminars that can keep you updated in the latest massage therapy trends. Both the AMTA and ABMP make it easy to find courses and sign up right away.

Massage therapy continuing education online.

Sometimes it’s easiest to take courses in the comfort of your own home and on your own time. AMTA and ABMP both offer continuing education credits through online courses via its website. Explore courses on every topic related to your business, from marketing and promotional strategies to ethics to massage techniques for specific conditions, like osteoarthritis, diabetes, pregnancy, and more.

If you’re a member of the AMTA, you may be eligible for a discount on online continuing education courses. When you explore and enroll in these courses online, you can see the cost for members and non-members, as well as the number of CE credits you’ll earn.

Massage continuing education retreats and cruises.

Do you learn better out in the world than you do in your home? Pair your continuing education courses with a cruise at sea or a retreat in a tropical country. It’s a win-win. Not only will you advance your career, but you could have the experience of a lifetime. Massage continuing education retreats are offered in Las Vegas, Orlando, and even the mountains of Costa Rica. Prefer a cruise? With the link above, you can find seminars offered at sea. Take an educational cruise to enjoy the perfect combination of professional development and vacation.

Check out more massage education retreats here.

Massage therapy continuing education seminars.

Perhaps you’re more focused during in-person seminars. An intensive in-person seminar format might be best for you where you can learn techniques to make you a better massage therapist with others in your profession. AMTA hosts a yearly national convention with an array of seminars to earn CE credits. Be on the lookout for the next national convention and enroll early.

Check out your state’s licensure program too. Often your state’s professional association can point you in the right direction. You may be able to enroll in state-approved seminars that are closer to home.

Free massage continuing education.

Good news! Some CE courses are available at no cost to you. AMTA offers two online CE courses free of charge:

These two courses can help you develop and enhance your skills to help prevent injuries to your own body. After all, being a massage therapist can take its toll, not only on your hands and feet, but also on your back. Self-care is critical to keeping your career going for years to come.

Other organizations, such as Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, offer free CE courses with the purchase of a professional membership. You can learn more about these webinars here and consider whether a membership is right for you.

Today it’s easier than ever to find massage therapy CE courses and stay up to date in your profession. If you’re short on time and resources, consider enrolling in online continuing education for massage therapy. However, if you’d like to combine a top-notch vacation and professional development, consider one of the many retreats and cruises offered worldwide. You may get the inspiration you need and go home feeling reinvigorated.

Why Massage Therapy Insurance is Important

As you enroll in CE courses and seminars, remember to consider purchasing massage therapy insurance too. Depending on where you live, having business insurance may be required in order to renew your license. Even if it’s not required, the benefits of massage therapy insurance can far outweigh the risks of going without a policy.

Let’s look at an example. If you rent space in a medical spa and one of your employees accidentally damages an expensive sculpture. You’re likely liable to cover the costs of replacement. This could mean thousands of dollars depending on the piece. In fact, the average claim for property damage or accidents for small businesses is approximately $30,000. Could your small business pay that amount out of pocket? For most massage therapists, the answer is most likely no. That’s why it’s so important to purchase general liability (GL) insurance ahead of time.

A solid massage therapy insurance policy can help cover:

Bodily injury to another person
Third-party property damage
Personal and advertising injury
Medical expenses
And more!

In general, massage therapy insurance doesn’t cover:

Damage to your own property
Professional services
Workers’ compensation or injury to your employees
Damage to your work
Automobiles while in business use
Expected or intentional injury or damage

If you have employees, even just one, it’s also important to consider purchasing workers’ compensation insurance. Not only is this type of insurance required by most states, it also can help protect you in the event of a lawsuit. If one of your employees gets injured on the job, you may be liable to pay for their medical bills, physical therapy, tests and imaging, and more. This could be financially devastating to your business, costing you thousands of dollars.

At Simply Business®, we can help you protect your small business. We make it easy to find the right general liability and workers’ compensation insurance policies. It takes just minutes to fill out our online quote form and compare policy options that meet your business’s needs. Get your free quote today.

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Massage Therapy Continuing Education Requirements

You’ve enrolled in CE courses. Check. You’ve purchased business insurance. Check. What’s next? It’s time to ensure you’ve signed up for enough CE courses to obtain the required number of hours for licensure in your state.

How many hours of continuing education hours are required?

Depending on where you live, the required number of CE hours varies. It’s important to find out your state’s regulations to ensure you meet the requirements. You can learn more about your state’s requirements by visiting these websites:

Arizona massage therapy continuing education requirements

Massage Therapist Continuing Education