DENVER, July 20, 2010 – In April 2009, a law requiring registration of massage therapists in Colorado went into effect. As of July 19, 2010, more than 10,000 massage therapists have been registered in the state.
“This legislation is especially important for the consumer, and we worked long and hard to get it passed,” said Kathryn Stewart, 3rd Vice-President of the Colorado Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association. “By working with a registered professional, clients can be sure their therapist meets critical requirements including education from an approved school.”
“Massage therapy is a growing profession and it’s very exciting to have so many therapists in Colorado who meet these qualifications,” Stewart added. “I encourage all massage therapy clients to confirm their therapist is properly registered before treatment.”
The registration process is performed by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). Key elements of Colorado’s massage therapy registration requirements include the following:
· Graduation from an accredited or approved massage therapy school with a minimum of 500 hours of massage therapy training.
· Passage of an examination administered by one of two national organizations – The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork or the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.
· Completion of a background check, including fingerprinting, conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.
· Proof of current liability insurance.
A list massage therapists registered to practice in Colorado can be found by visiting www.dora.state.co.us
About the American Massage Therapy Association
The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is the largest nonprofit, professional association for massage therapists with more than 57,000 massage therapist and massage school members. AMTA is directed by volunteer leadership and fosters ongoing, direct member-involvement through its 51 chapters. AMTA works to advance the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists in all states, and public education on the benefits of massage.
