Massage standards vary significantly from state to state. Massage schools in Michigan face different standards than those in our home state of Oregon. As of March of 2014, twenty-six states required fingerprinting and background checks for massage licensure or certification. On July 1^st, Florida joined this group, passing a law to set up fingerprinting for massage therapists. Today we’re taking a look at which states require criminal background checks.

Our home state of Oregon requires fingerprints for first-time licensure applicants, but it does not currently require additional rounds of fingerprinting for renewals. The exception is coming back from inactive status—then the state […]

When it comes to selecting continuing education for massage therapy, different therapists have different goals. Some take CE classes simply because they must to renew their license. (Here in Oregon, the state board of massage therapists requires 25 hours of continuing education at the time of license renewal.) Others enjoy the support and camaraderie of learning with other LMTs. Today we’re examining a third motivation for massage therapy continuing education: Building your massage business.

For those with stable positions in spas, hospitals, or chiropractic offices, managers will likely recommend CE classes that will suit the position. Therefore, freelance massage therapists with […]

If you’re shopping west coast massage schools, we recommend checking out each institution’s anatomy and physiology classes. These courses are the backbone of any strong massage certification program. Together, Anatomy and Physiology inform therapists on how the body is structured (anatomy), and how it functions (physiology). When working as a massage therapist, Anatomy and Physiology is a must-have. Otherwise you can’t have a good map of the body, nor an understanding of how different parts work together.

One reason why we’re consistently chosen as the best massage school in Oregon—and one of the top schools in the nation—is that our anatomy and […]