UPDATED February 2019
Those who have held the credential of National Certification through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) who are looking to renew their certification this year have been speaking out about their confusion over the new Board Certification credential. Here at the Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies we have worked with the NCBTMB to get answers and hope to alleviate some of the common questions that are stumping NCBTMB members.
Let’s Start from the Beginning
Prior to January 1, 2013 a person held the credential of National Certification through the NCBTMB. Members holding this credential were provided with two options for renewal:
- Renew early, prior to January 1, 2013, and maintain your current credential – National Certification. This would allow you to continue with the National Certification credential for another four years. When your four years are up, you can only renew to the Board Certification credential if you meet the requirements.
OR
- Don’t renew early and wait until your renewal is due. When you are due to renew your National Certification you would, instead, renew under the Board Certification credential if you meet the requirements.
For therapists who did not renew their National Certification prior to January 1, 2013, you can only now renew as Board Certified. But, Board Certification comes with additional caveats in order to be in compliance with the standards.
Becoming Board Certified
If you previously held National Certification and now need to renew, your only option for retaining a credential through the NCBTMB is to become Board Certified. To renew to Board Certification you must:
- Show proof that you have completed a minimum of 750 hours of education, which would include the NCBTMB’s core program requirements and any continuing education
- Show proof that you have completed 250 hours of professional hands-on experience over a specified period of time. The NCBTMB indicates that this proof could be in the form of a date book or a letter from your employer. (If you have other documentation or require other options for documentation we recommend contacting the NCBTMB directly for your specific needs.)
- Maintain and show proof of current CPR certification
- Complete the Board Certification application
- Consent to a criminal background check on your application
- Indicate in your application that you are committed to the NCBTMB Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
- Indicate in your application that you are committed to opposing Human Trafficking
- Pay a fee of $85
The Board Certification Exam – Does Everyone Need to Take It?
One very important area of puzzlement pertains to taking the Board Certification Exam. If you hold a National Certification credential and now need to renew to Board Certification you do NOT need to take the Board Certification Exam. The Board Certification Exam is only required for those people who have not held a credential with the NCBTMB and are now looking to become Board Certified. Those who have held no NCBTMB certification and want to become Board Certified need to meet the requirements above, in addition to taking the Board Certification Exam – and also pay a fee of $225-$250 instead of $85. (More information regarding this can be found at the NCBTMB’s website.)
If you wish to upgrade your National Certification credential to the Board Certification, and your current certification does not expire for two or more years, the NCBTMB recommends on their site: “…please email info@ncbtmb.org. Type ‘Upgrade to Board Certification’ in the subject line and give us your name and certification number. An NCBTMB representative will return your email with directions explaining this process.”
What If I Don’t Meet the Board Certification Requirements?
Since many states with licensure legislation require a minimum of 500 hours of training to sit for a licensing exam, there are quite a number of therapists who currently hold National Certification but do not have the 750 hours of total education required for the new Board Certification. Therefore, many massage therapists are wondering what will happen to their National Certification when it comes due for renewal.
The answer is quite simple – either you obtain the additional hours you need through continuing education to obtain the 750 hours of education – or you will no longer have a credential through the NCBTMB.
There are some massage therapists who wish to obtain the Board Certification credential, but are a few educational hours shy of doing so. When we spoke with our contact at the NCBTMB we were told that these therapists should contact the NCBTMB directly to discuss their options. It appears that the NCBTMB will work with you on the best course of action to obtain those few remaining hours. On the other hand, if a massage therapist needs many hours in order to meet the 750 hour standard, they must begin courses right away so they can complete this supplemental education before it’s time to renew to Board Certification.
Why Did the NCBTMB Change the Credentials and Requirements?
There is a lot of speculation as to why the NCBTMB went forth with the new Board Certification credential, thereby eliminating the National Certification credential. The definitive answer obtained from the NCBTMB states:
“NCBTMB originally created a certification to support therapists in achieving excellence through licensure. Today, as we continue our mission to define and advance the highest standards in the massage therapy and bodywork profession, we are going beyond basic certification to allow you to demonstrate a much higher level of achievement. NCBTMB and other stakeholders in the profession recognize the massage industry is at an interesting crossroads. Many therapists are practicing under stringent standards similar to other health care providers. However, there also has been a deterioration of standards necessary to uphold quality programs. In addition, fraudulent and illegal activity, such as human trafficking also exists, undermining our efforts. We believe the best way to establish greater credibility for therapists is to raise standards.”
Should I Become Board Certified?
This is a question that many in the profession will debate. Some states may require that you maintain a credential with the NCBTMB along with your state license. Some employers might insist that you obtain and maintain Board Certification. Keep in mind that Board Certification for massage therapy, similar to other healthcare fields, demonstrates to others that a specific level of training/competency has been met. With the Board Certification credential you are setting yourself apart from your colleagues as having met a more stringent standard in the field of massage therapy.
The NCBTMB provides the following Board Certification benefits:
- Represents the highest standard in the field
- Communicates a commitment to safe, ethical practice
- Reinforces and underscores practitioners as healthcare providers on par with other professionals requiring certification
- Reassures clients and employers that you are committed to excellence in your professional development and conduct
- Requirements for this credential were established by practitioners within the field to uphold a high standard of excellence
- Gains visibility and credibility
- Provides a competitive edge
- Increases employment opportunities within/between states
- Will be highly promoted and publicized – at the individual and collective levels – by NCBTMB
Renewing Your Board Certification
The following are the requirements for renewing your Board Certification:
- Consent to a criminal background check – even if you had to complete one for your state license renewal, you will need to have another check done through the NCBTMB, too. This is completely simply by signing the agreement portion of the application
- Maintain and show proof of current CPR certification
- Confirm your commitment to the NCBTMB Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
- Indicate that you are committed to opposing Human Trafficking
- Complete 100 hours of documented hands-on experience which can be in the following areas:
- Massage therapy and/or bodywork (all types, including energy work)
- Volunteerism
- Administration
- Teaching/teaching assistant
- Curriculum development
- Writing/publishing
- Research
- Complete 24 CE hours:
- 3 CE hours must be in research* (The Institute offers courses pertaining to research, or you can search the NCBTMB’s website.) UPDATE! This requirement has been eliminated as of February 2019.
- You cannot take more than 4 hours in courses on self-care
You cannot take more than 4 hours in courses less than 2 credits.UPDATE! This restriction has been eliminated as of October 2013.- The CPR training cannot be used toward the required CE hours
- UPDATE! The NCBTMB reinstated the ethics requirement. 3 CE hours out of the 24 must be in ethics.
* To be clear, this research education is NOT required to become Board Certified. The research requirement is only for those who are already Board Certified and will need to renew their Board Certification every two years.
In Conclusion
We hope that this information has helped to eliminate some of the confusion surrounding the credential changes at the NCBTMB. If you have any questions regarding the Board Certification requirements or your renewal, please add a comment below this article, call the Institute at 800-364-5722 or send us an email through our contact form.
If you need additional hours to meet the 750-hour educational requirement you can take any of the Institute’s courses to fulfill this requirement.
If you need CE hours for your Board Certification renewal, our courses can also satisfy these requirements. Simply visit our NCBTMB page to review the requirements and browse our home study course offerings.
For assistance with questions pertaining to your specific recertification needs we recommend contacting the NCBTMB directly at 800-296-0664 or by email at info@ncbtmb.org. If you have a Facebook account you might also consider contacting the NCBTMB through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NCBTMB.
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I renewed March 2013 and NCBTMB sent me the normal certificate without any issues even though it was after Jan. 1, 2013. I qualify for Board Certification though. Is the $85 in addition to the normal fee? If it isn’t why did NCBTMB that my higher payment without telling me?
Jeannine, could you clarify if you are saying that you renewed in March under National Certification or did you renew to the Board Certification?
I renewed under the National and I was incorrect before… I renewed March 2012.
Did you have the 750 hours?
Sorry, I was wrong. I renewed March 2012. 🙂
Thank you for this informative and succinct article. I am in the midst of renewing as board certified and I had to navigate the process on my own with a lot of questions. NCBTMB answered them but I wish I had had this article when I started.
I also just renewed as board certified and would have loved to have had this info! NCBTMB helped me but I had to email them everyday sometimes twice a day with questions! I started the process in January and had sent them everything by Feb 1st and it took them about a month and a half to approve everything! I was freaking because my nation cert was to expire March 22 but everything was approved March 15th! What a pain this was but should be much easier when I renew in 2015.
Marinna Elaine Hinkle
I agree that people who’ve carried the national certification with their 500 hour training, should definitely be grandfathered in. This happens in other professions. I feel disappointed in the NCBTMB’s decision not to allow it. This is our living and now they’re making a demand that will put a lot of therapists out and cause them unnecessary hardship. This is a sad state of affairs because we are hard-working and truly dedicated to helping others through massage, bodywork and energy work. This is sacred work. In many ways I appreciate the NCBTMB and have been certified with them for years. But I don’t agree with this!
Ridiculous!
“NCBTMB originally created a certification to support therapists in achieving excellence through licensure.” Really? the NCBTMB was founded in 1992, when there were only 17 states with licensure in place. Many therapists became certified in the nineties specifically because there wasn’t any state licensure in their area and it was one of the best ways to differentiate themselves from other MTs with little or no training. It had nothing to do with supporting therapists through licensure, in fact, the actions of the NCBTMB almost caused the PA licensure effort to fall through, triggering a large number of members protesting their actions at one of the AMTA national conventions. If you goal is to write an informative article, please check your facts prior to repeating in a public forum.
The statements are directly from the NCBTMB’s mission, not based on personal or public opinion.
I’ve been a licensed practicing massage therapist for over 15 years. Most states will now accept FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy) to recieve your massage license. With the FSMTB you apply and test one time and your done. NCBTMB is ridiculous and their test with all of their Asian modality questions is silly. I’m happy to have the choice to not deal with the NCBTMB. In all of my years doing massage, I have never been asked if I’m certified with that particular board – most people have never even heard of them (other than other massage therapists and people in the industry) and have no clue what the letters stand for. Save yourself the time and headache and go with FSMTB.
I am a firm believer in continuining education for massage therapists, learning new skill sets, growing as a therapist, and professionalism but I’m not OK with the hoop jumping and silliness you have to put up with when dealing with the NCBTMB.
The state I was originally licensed in required the NCBTMB. I never really thought about whether I could switch. I thought I had to keep my NCBTMB certification. I’m not in another state and will have to look into this but my certification is good till 2016.
I also believe in continuing education and agree that a lot of this has become over board and expensive! And you are correct that most clients have never heard of any of these boards and don’t really care.
The test you are referring to is a test to become licensed in your state. Yes, some states have a choice in test, some states still use the National Exam. However, by taking the National Exam to become state licensed does not mean that you are or have to be certified through the NCBTMB. Taking this test for state licensure and getting Board Certified are two separate things.
Who is certifying the “Board Certification”?
NCBTMB
If you mean who certifies the NCBTMB that would be the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). It’s my understanding that this is the organization that regulates the NCBTMB. But the NCBTMB is the organization providing the Board Certification credential discussed in this article – not to be confused with a state licensing board which provides the license to legally practice in a state with state license regulation.
I have been certified with NCBTMB since 2001 and was shocked to find out about the major changes through various outside publications. I have not found NCBTMB to be very helpful in this transition, nor do I understand why the changes are needed — and do not really see the benefit in continuing with the organization. There seems to be little interaction between it and the individual members. And my clients certainly have no idea what it is about.
Good article. I successfully transitioned to Board Certification with little difficulty, but great anxiety. I was somewhat confused, and it was not easy to contact someone for help. Once I did finally get a call back, my anxiety level decreased significantly as I organized all my paperwork and submitted it.
Despite my state new licensing requirements for MTs, I still believe that Board Certification is important and reflects positively on my level of education and many years of experience.
I had been Nationally Certified since 2007. In Florida, I had to take the exam to get my state license. However, now that their standards have changed, i still need 250 hours to do that and that is not a fee i can readily afford. I figured that if i did 250 hours, it would cost me roughly $2-3000. I did NOT re-certify and i really have no regrets. I also have had no employer ask for me to be Nationally Certified. As of March, i let it go. I have other certifications and that is all i need, for now. I am a firm believer in CEU training and that keeps us all up to date on the current changes and modalities in our field. I need 24 ceu’s for FL, but I always end up with more because i find other interests and I pursue that if it is something i like.
My National is still valid and so I have time to think things through. I have enough hours, and enough CEU’s I also take more than required. Uphold the standards, at this time I fail to see how these changes will be of any benefit to anyone, I have always taken pride in having a National Certification ,but now?
I have everything to transition to Board certified except for the 250 hrs. I live in a small town and can’t fulfill the hours. What do I do?
I find this completely confusing. I have been certified since 2007 & was re-certified 1/2011. I’ve been told by some therapist’s that I am “grandfathered in” and these are rules for new therapists. I’ve already completed 36 ceu hours. The old requirements were 40 hours every 4 years with 6 in ethics. I can’t seem to get a straight answer from anyone. In my opinion 200 hours is insane! CE Courses are expensive & this business is becoming more & more competitive. I personally can’t afford to pay for 200 hours. Ugh
Grandfathered in?
I never heard from NCTBMB or anyone that changes were coming prior to Jan. 2013. So I never even got an opportunity to keep my Nat’l Cert. for another 4yrs.
I’ve been Nat’l cert. for many years, I went through all the hoops when I thought I was going to move to another state. I’ve felt from the beginning that NCBTMB serves themselves, and are not a ‘unifying force’ for massage therapists as promised in the beginning.
I’ll keep working toward unifying our profession, but NCBTMB will no loner get my time, money and energy.
I have been Nationally Certified since 2005 and find this totally outrageous. I am 55 years old and do not have the time or money or young brains to acquire 150 more hours nor do research projects. We are trying to make a living here. The average MT, according to article in Massage Today Magazine by AMBP said that the average MT makes $12,000 a year. We are only physically able to perform so many massages each day. It also says most of us have another job as well. This is true for me. The credit hours before were reasonable. MA does not require it and NONE of my massage therapist associates are nationally certified. Here I try to do the right thing by getting the “highest credential” and we get hit with more hours and more cost and extreme confusion. I believe those who were previously Nationally Certified should be grandfathered in. None of my clients know what this certification is about. We were proving our dedication enough before. I may have to drop this certification. My husband said this is another scam for money. Nurses pay about $45 for a class to keep up their CEU’s and their employment pays for it, while we MT’s pay hundreds of dollars. I was proud to pass the board, and tell my clients that I was Nationally Certified. The board which my school did not prepare me for as most of the quesitons on the sample such as meridians,chakras etc. were not part of our studies, and I had to study on my own for a year. Now we are only going to be “board certified,” and pay more money to the organization and the cost of classes to keep up CEU’s. I am glad that I am not the only MT suffering from anxiety over this.
I am a Oncology nurse and a massage therapist. I don’t know where you get your facts on nursing CEU’s but your wrong. Most hospitals do not pay for our continuing education. It depends on the course for the cost and the number of CEU’s. Hospitals usually do offer some CEU classes taught by other nurses employed there. These classes are sometimes free or very inexpensive, but most nurses working can’t attend (they are working). If a nurse has a specialty certification that takes even more CEU’s and greater expense. I am Oncolgy certified and that requires 100 CEU’s every 4 years to renew.
I will probably not renew my National Certification. I am not wiling to pay to take over 150 ours of CE to keep my cert. I am very proud to have my cert, but I work as a nurse full time and do my massage for my Cancer patients on the side. I don’t have the time or money to do this. My client’s don’t care if I am Nationally cert. Only that I am a licensed MT.
I personally think its a scam by the NCBTMB to make more money and quite frankly get people to not get certified. I had no problem with the continuing education requirement or paying them money every 4 years but I will NOT spend a few thousand dollars to get another 150 hours to meet their new hours requirement. They should allow those of us that have been certified for years to be grandfathered in. Apparently, none of these people are therapists and have never had to spend the money to get CEUs. I’m going to study for my mblex and let this expensive certification go!
I have been a licensed therapist in Florida since 1989. The formal school requirement was 500 hours but in the last 24 years I have more than made up the difference in continuing education credits. The problem is finding all the credits to prove it. This is ridiculous. The time and energy it would take to try and find all the paperwork isn’t worth the certification any longer. Isn’t there a grandfather clause that would make this process for long time licensed therapists easier? Florida requires continuing education for every renewal. Anyone have an easy solution?
Thanks for hearing me out.
IMHO, It’s all about (more) money. I’ve been NYS licensed and NCTMB certified since 1997. I have passed NICS checks before and have electronic fingerprints on-file with State and Federal agencies.
I plan on dropping my NCTMB certification. After all, the majority of states have their own licensing boards to become massage therapists. What we really need is reciprocity of licensure to be able to practice in other states.
I also doubt that any state massage board would ever bow to FSMTB or NCTMB,…especially NYS
You article is a good one, but it still didn’t state how long the Board Certification is good for. Instead of our original four years of renewal, we have to do it more frequently. I believe it is every two years now. And how much is this going to cost ?
I “transitioned” to the Board Certification in June, paying the $85 and complying with all the requirements and still do not have a certificate to show for it. The bar of excellence keeps getting raised higher. My state says it is now the raised 500 hours, National raised theirs to 750. Where does it all stop ?
I just renewed my NCTMB just before the change, so will be looking into the transition or renewal info shortly. However, my big question, which I have not seen addressed anywhere, is once you are “Board Certified,” what do you put after your name? BCTMB? BCMT? BCM? Last time I asked the NCBTMB, they were still figuring it out. I think this is one of the reasons the public/clients/patients are so confused: not even massage therapist could get the NCTMB letters straight or what they stand for! Some massage therapists are so confused they even put AMTA after their name. Anyway, LMT is understandable; any credential w/an acronym over three or four letters is confusing! With all the changes, I hope the Board keeps it simple!
I feel cheated by NCBTMB. I did what was asked, and held the certification for years. I mean if you got your Doctorate degree, would you imagine that years later they would take it away if you didn’t jump through more hoops. A class action suit should be what NCBTMB deserves. I can’t see this being anything more than greed on NCBTMB’s part. By the way, NOBODY had EVER booked with me because I have these letters (NCBTMB) after my name. I wish they would just go after the prostitutes and ‘johns’ and leave us alone. We are just trying to make a living, and that is not easy in this business as it is.
Thanks for NOTHING NCBTMB, watch you numbers dwindle as everyone catches onto your carrot moving tricks. Shame on you!
If NCBTMB wants NEW applicants to have 750 hours then start Jan.2013 that way…Everyone else who has renewed and holds a certification should be held to their original contract. They will not have members any more if they treat their clients in this matter.
I belong to ABMP. Going on 22 years I have my State License for California.I am proud of my accomplishments. I went to school in 1973. I have been practicing (this year for 40 years). I agree with Kelly and all the rest of the practitioners that have put in their time! I lived in fear many years because of the rules always changing for me from city to city! It is obvious if you have given time to take 500 hours this is a serious business for a person. In my day schools did not even offer that many hours. I have had to take many hours and many CEU’s. This is great CEU’s are important and fun to stay on top of your profession. Who made NCBTMB the end all test?? I have not and will not be applying for anything from them. It seems unjust to change the rules after all these years.
You can imagine my surprise when I’m coming up to my 4 year renewal this November 2014. I was never notified so not given the chance to prepare prior to these new regulations.
I was the first group becoming a member since 1994. I was proud to be a member. I worked hard, did all that was required, paid my dues and upheld the highest standards. My degree program is Somatic Psychology, so I’ve put in plenty of time, work and money to comply with NCBTMB standards.
Someone said this very well. It’s like getting a 4 year degree, or a masters and then the rules change.
Grandfathering us in is the right/fair thing to do. Also, why didn’t I get notification when the shift was made?
Another good point is the amount of money we make annually. For the most part this healing profession is at Mother Theresa income. Come on, massage has become a production line. Now, add this. I’d love to take a positive route, but I see none. After all these years, money, training, I’m left with nothing.
I am licensed in 2 states, graduated from a school with 650 hrs and renewed my license in both states several times, have at least 24 CEU’s yearly, am a teacher/instructor for Upledger Institute in Cranio-Sacral Therapy and was a past professional member of NCBTMB and yet NCBTMB act as though Im not qualified. Like many others state in this feed. I am going with FSMTB also. Adios FSMTB. If you make this reasonable and fair in the future, I may reconsider.