Massage Therapy Certification in New Jersey
Massage therapists licensed in the state of New Jersey are referred to as Certified Massage Therapists or CMTs. Regardless of what certification you have received from a school or another licensing body, you cannot legally refer to yourself as a CMT in New Jersey until you have gone through the approved process.
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Certification By Education
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In order to become a certified massage therapist in New Jersey, you must have 500 hours of education that is approved by the Nursing Board for Massage Therapy. For this reason, it is important to go to an accredited school so that you are not wasting your time or money. In addition to actual massage techniques, these classes will normally include anatomy and physiology, pathology, kinesiology and business ethics.
Certification By Testing
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You can also become licensed as a massage therapist in New Jersey by showing proof of passing either the national massage exam administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, NCBTMB, or the NCCAOM, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine exam. Both tests require 500 hours of education. For the NCCAOM exam, the training needs to be in Asian Bodywork.
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Other Avenues For Certification
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You may be eligible for certification if you can show two years of full-time work experience or five years of part-time work experience along with 200 hours of training. If you are a currently licensed or certified massage therapist in another state, you may apply with proof of your good standing along with a copy of the regulations and statutes from that state.
New Jersey State Licensing
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To receive your state license and be able to market yourself as a certified massage therapist in New Jersey, you must fill out an application and provide the appropriate documentation depending on which avenue of certification you are applying for. The cost for the license is $195 plus $78 for a background check. You will need to check with your local city and county regulations to find out if additional fees apply. The state license will need to be renewed every two years. To do so, you will need to pay $120 and show proof of having taken 20 continuing education units.
Being Certified
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Note that your massage school may furnish you with a certification. This is not the same as being legally certified by the state and you may not refer to yourself as a certified massage therapist without state licensing. This is also true if you have passed the national exam but not applied for your license as well as if you have certification in another area of the country. If you do not have a New Jersey license, you must detail where the certification is from on any advertising.
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