Learning to Rub People The Right Way on Long Island
As I mentioned in my previous article, starting at the beginning is a good place to start most things.... sooooo.... let's talk a little about the education involved in becoming a New York licensed Massage Therapist.
There are a lot of people out there that still don't know that we are called
"Massage Therapists"
and not the old titles of
Masseuse
and
Masseur
, the first, indicating a female, the second, indicating a male. A long, hard legal road was navigated in order for us to use the word
"Therapist"
. I don't quite remember the year... it was in the late 80's or early 90's (not that long ago, really) that the legislation was written granting us the title. As a profession, we wanted it for several reasons; to elevate our profession so that it would be more medically recognized, to change the public's old thinking regarding massage and any sexual connotations, and also to legally be able to have an impersonator posing as a massage therapist charged with a "felony one" charge. That, my friends would be like passing yourself off as a nurse or a doctor...tsk, tsk, tsk, very bad thing to do! It was by passing this legislation that we were better able to shut down those nasty, illicit "Massage Parlors". Ugh! I hate to even use the term!
So here we are using the title "Therapist". What, you might ask, warrants that title? How does one acquire the title? Well allrighty then... As we speak, on Long Island, the school of choice is what was known as the "New Center". It's now the
New York College for Wholistic Health Education & Research
, located in Syosset, AND, it's the ONLY school for massage therapy on Long Island. Another "down state" choice is the Swedish Institute and it is in Manhattan. Those are your choices. But that's OK because either way you'll get a great education. The New Center offers an Associates Degree for massage therapy, so that's two years of education. Most of the classes, to uninitiated's surprise, are science classes! It's NOT rubbing and massages every day. Oh no no!
Ask any Massage student if they have a life while they're in school. I'll tell you...they don't. The schooling is VERY HARD! After graduation, you are then allowed to sit for the New York State Board Exam, and if you pass that, you get your license to practice. That's when the work (and the fun) really begins.
Next time we'll discuss the
PRACTICE
. So until next time, and as I learn more about HTML and how to allow for some interaction with all of you, I'll see you right here again real soon.
Love & Light,
Deirdre