Sunday, April 27, 2008
A lot has been happening with the massage curriculum here in Texas. Two hundred additional hours have been added to the 300 hr. curriculum raising it to a 500 hr. program. And, not just more hours, but new subjects of study are now required; Pathology and Kinesiology just to mention two. Some school owners and students are unhappy about this change, wanting things to stay just like it is, while others feel it is necessary and long overdue. Is it necessary? Well, that’s the big question.
For a long time, Texas has been lagging far behind the rest of the country in required number of hours and subjects of study. The skill and knowledge level of therapists in Texas has not kept up with its counterparts in other states, especially in the eastern and northern states. This has made it difficult for Texas-based therapists to transfer to other states through reciprocity. This has produced an image of therapists here in Texas as being substandard in comparison to other states requiring 500, 1000, or 1200 hours of study. Why has this happened here in Texas? I believe there are a few specific reasons as to why this is so.
First, there doesn’t seem to be any clear idea as to “What is the field of Massage Therapy?” The question is: “Is Massage Therapy a Vocation or a Profession?” The definition of vocation is: “a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation; a job, employment, trade, craft, business, or line of work. The definition of profession is: “a paid occupation, esp. one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.” When I’ve asked massage therapists, instructors, massage students, and school owners what they feel the field of Massage Therapy is, most have told me that massage therapy is a “Profession.” But, they only want to put forth the effort, self discipline, and study to attain and maintain the level of a “Vocation.” This places them on a much lower level of performance than someone who has 2-3 times the number of hours of study. It’s easy to say, “My school is great, and I got a great education there.” when comparing your school to other schools that offer the same curriculum. Try comparing your school to one that requires 1,000+ hours of study, including subjects that your school didn’t require you to learn. You can’t compare apples to peanuts and have your argument stand. And, no one wants to tell the world that they graduated from a substandard school with poorly qualified instructors. That would make them look bad as well.
Speaking of the quality of our schools and the instructors teaching there brings me to my second point. I have found that many therapists chose their school based upon convenience, and not on quality. When that becomes your measurement of deciding on what school to attend for your base education into the field of massage, then the result is often an experience that is less than what you thought it would be and needed. I often hear graduates say that they have no idea how to set up a business, advertise, keep files and records, or work on a client that presents real physical problems, like tight Scalenes, Rhomboids, or Piriformis. They appear frightened and at a loss as what to do. You get the exact kind of education that you go looking for. No more; no less. If you want a top education from a school, check out the school before you sign the contract and put down your money. Remember, this is going to be the foundation that all other techniques you’ll learn will be built upon. It needs to be strong and secure.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that there are instructors out there that have a passion to teach their students in the highest quality possible, and approach their job responsibility with a full heart. The results are students that are filled with the proper knowledge and skill to become a fine therapist, and help many people to obtain a level of health and wellness that they might not have achieved otherwise. I’m speaking more of the general level of education students in Texas receive, and the quality of therapist that are produced.
Third, and perhaps the most important, is Continuing Education. It appears that most of the therapists here in Texas seem to only be looking for the easiest, cheapest, 6 hr. class to get their required CEU’s, making sure not to take a class in something that may take time and practice to develop new skills in order to enhance their over-all performance. They seem content to just keep doing the same old routine. Continuing Education is there for you to increase your knowledge and skill base in order for you to be able to deal with a larger variety of disorders you may encounter throughout your career, and allows you to help more of your clients and future clients in easing their pain and suffering. When you look at it as a needless and irritating requirement you must do to keep your license, you reduce yourself to no more than a “body-rubber”, and should consider finding another line of work. In the long run, you aren’t helping yourself or your clients, and you’re reducing the industry’s standards to a lower level that those of us who have come before you have worked long and hard to raise. This hurts our image as well, and brings us all down far below what the public now expects.........and desires.
So, as long as schools are in the business to make a quick buck, and students are not wanting to study very hard, or put out much of an effort, looking for the “easy way”, the quality of massage therapy in Texas will remain below what schools in other states require from their graduates. A higher level of professionalism and pride! No matter how many hours are added to the curriculum, the result will be the same as long as the attitude remains.
If you want the rest of the Health Care professionals to respect you as a Health Care Professional, then you must see yourself as one, and develop yourself into one. That means never stop reaching for that higher level of expertise in your profession through more and better forms of education, with highly educated and experienced teachers. Continue to acquire more and more experience in the field of massage and bodywork.
As of last count, there are about 120 different types of bodywork modalities practiced in this country. Go out and find them. You may just find that magical technique that will spark your spirit to reach that higher level of therapist......professional......artist.....and you just might accomplish things you never thought possible.
