At Your Service

I received an email in my inbox today soliciting for a webinar. It got me thinking about the resources available to massage and bodywork professionals. One of the things I love and will fiercely defend about our members and the massage and bodywork profession is that people work in this field because of love—love of healing, love of helping others, love of flexibility, among others. People in this field know that you shouldn’t go into massage for a fast buck; massage is slow—an hour is still an hour. No shortcuts there. So those in the field practice it because it feeds their soul. If performed with a proper business mindset, and some willingness to roll up your sleeves and work hard on not just the art but the business of massage, it can also feed your family. What’s nice about this is that if you have that interest and desire, you can take advantage of a cornucopia of resources created with you in mind. It is a good time to be a massage therapist—organizations, publications, and resource providers are working very hard on your behalf. These groups want your time and attention, and they’re doing something about it. A good example is textbooks. When I first joined ABMP in the mid-90s, I heard about the “Mark Beck book.” That was the resource available to massage students. Now, my goodness—there are approximately 300,000 massage therapists, and approximately 298,000 textbooks. Okay, I made that last number up—but there are a lot. A long time ago, ABMP stood out from the crowd because we were doing things no one else was—in particular, providing a level of service that was (and still is) unparalleled in our field. Well guess what? People paid attention. We started providing free webinars for our members; others followed suit. We have provided a free website for our members for 10 years; now others are doing the same. Frankly, we’re flattered (thanks guys!). And that “flattery” makes us double down on our efforts to continue to provide the best and most comprehensive resources—and service—available to our members. You love your work; we love helping you succeed. Massage and bodywork professionals (especially ABMP members) have a lot of resources available to help them be successful. Many of these tools are free, are included with membership, or are available at low cost. There is a lot of low-hanging fruit out there. Don’t be afraid to grab it. (And let us know how we can help.) Follow Les at twitter.com/abmp_les.
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News

Ohio Adopts Interstate Massage Compact

The Ohio legislature adopted Senate Bill 56 on June 21, becoming the second state to enact the Interstate Massage Compact. Massage therapists will soon be able to obtain a multistate license that will reduce holdups and delays that often occur when moving to a different state.

US Department of Education 150% Rule Update

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that halts the enforcement of the US Department of Education’s new Bare Minimum Rule, also known as the “100% rule,” until the court takes further action. This is the first step in what could be a lengthy battle to ultimately delay enforcement of the rule, providing schools more time to adjust their programmatic standards, or overturn the rule altogether. Find out more and what your school needs to do to prepare.

Colorado Bill Requires Local Background Checks

Governor Jared Polis signed into law House Bill 24-1371, requiring local government (counties, cities, or municipalities) to conduct periodic criminal background checks for massage establishment operators, owners, and employees.

Blog

Perform Your Best with MassageBook

Illustration of computer and phones displaying MassageBook sites.

MassageBook wants to help you focus on delivering exceptional care to your clients and building the practice of your dreams.

Julie Plachta: Serving the Underserved

Woman massages a client who is lying facedown on a massage table.

As we get closer to celebrating Massage Is for EveryBody, July 14–20, 2024, we wanted to share more of Julie Plachta’s story, which exemplifies the inclusive values of this campaign.

Benefits

Featured ABMP Discount Partner: Hyperice

ABMP members save 10% on all Hyperice percussive and heat/ice technology massage devices, including the Hypervolt, Vyper Vibrating Fitness Roller, and Ice Compression.

Featured ABMP Discount Partner: Yomassage

ABMP members receive 20% off Signature Yomassage, Mindful Touch by Yomassage, Barefoot Yomassage, Table Yomassage, and Yomassage Facials certifications.

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