| As with many health-based professions, the field of | | | | Massage License |
| massage therapy is heavily regulated. Although there | | | | Contrary to popular belief, massage therapy |
| is no national standard that prospective massage | | | | certification and licensing are actually two different |
| therapists must adhere to, most of the states in the | | | | things. Certification is the term used as an informal |
| U.S. require some sort of massage license or | | | | way of ensuring that a massage therapist has met a |
| certification before practitioners are allowed to work | | | | standard of excellence. It typically denotes that an |
| with patients. For states that don't require licensing, it | | | | individual has accomplished a certain level of education |
| is still a good idea for prospective candidates to | | | | and experience, and also that he or she has passed |
| consider certification, since it can go a long way in | | | | some sort of exam. However, the exact nature of |
| finding better jobs, bringing in new clients, and staying | | | | these qualifications is left up to the certifying |
| abreast of changes and continuing education. | | | | organization, which is almost always a private, |
| The Difference Between Massage Certification and a | | | | non-governmental entity that carries its own weight. |