What is the difference between a practitioner and a therapist?
Practitioners are at the beginning of their career and usually take this time to practice what they have been taught at school, including basic massage strokes. Swedish or Shiatsu massage is taught at this level. A statewide massage test is also required if the practitioner desires to upgrade his or her status to certified massage therapist without having to prove he or she has taken additional courses.
Therapists are generally more qualified than practitioners, and must have at least 500-1,000 hours of massage training both in theory and deep tissue modalities. Training requirements vary from state to state. The state of California, for example has a minimum requirement of 100 hours of massage training, while Colorado and New York require 500-1000 hours of training.
How many hours of training must a practitioner have in order to practice at spas?
This can vary widely depending on the spa. Many spas employ practitioners and usually require a minimum of between 100-350 hours of training. An upper-scale spa might elect to employ practitioners with a minimum of 500 hours and/or more years of experience.
Must practitioners and therapists be licensed?
This depends on the state and county ordinances. Each county requires practitioners and therapists to register with the local police department or health department but again this varies from state to state.
Why are the laws different between the states and counties?
Counties often aren't informed in exactly what massage therapists do. It would make a huge difference if the medical establishment would accept therapists as professionals. The other dilemma is that therapists and schools do not agree on the total amount of hours which should be mandated. In Canada, the minimum massage school education is 3,000 hours for certification. In Europe, massage therapy is a profession that works alongside the medical professions in both hospital settings and medical spas.
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