Gatherings: Notes and Contact List of LMTs

[Click here for a PDF about Gatherings that you can print out to share with others]

Topics for upcoming Gatherings:

Gatherings:
- Group pictures to add to this website
- Invite other bodyworkers to join the fun
- Do you have a contact in or information about any of the local massage schools?
- 2021-22 list of WV massage therapists by county
- May I add your name and contact info below?
- Info about Gatherings available on my website, Debbie Thompson's texts/emails
Make sure you come up on your national organization's "find a therapist" list! (Any other than ABMP and AMTA?)
October Breakfast Gathering will be Tuesday, 10/15/24, 8:am at a location to be determined
Bring stuff to give away, trade, or sell, or we can post it here or text it to colleagues.
Does anyone have or need office space, have positions available, or is anyone seeking employment?
Upcoming continuing ed opportunities
- Valarie Dunlevy's Reflexology class Sept 27-29 at the Conference Center (Bridgeport)
- Adult CPR classes (Red Cross) in Morgantown - (no CEUs, but are you interested?)
- ABMP Massage Magazine issue quizzes (does AMTA also offer this?)
- Any others to add?
Upcoming volunteer opportunities or assistance needed - do you know of any?
Anyone have specialists you like to refer clients to?? PT? Stretch? Doctors? Chiro? Dula? Other?
Does anyone have a difficult or unusual case you'd like to talk about?
Do you have a professional website, LinkedIn, or other social media?
IJTMB (peer-reviewed journal)
Massage Therapy Foundation
Black Massage Therapists Conference
Hands-on comparison of 3 new fleece facerest covers, including prices
Robotic massage is now in use in several locations (not locally)
"Non-therapeutic massage"
IMpact (Interstate Massage Compact)

Contact list of LMTs:

Ashcraft, Ricky * (304) 677-8100 * Ashcraft.Ricky1996@gmail.com
Dunlevy, Valarie * (304) 203-3535 * ValarieLMT@hotmail.com
Goodpasture, Nancy * (304) 365-1076 * SerenityNancy@gmail.com * Goodpasture.MassageTherapy.com
Heck, Dawn * (304) 629-9174
Kreiling, Autumn * (304) 695-6742 * Autumn13135@gmail.com
Liston, Brenda * (304) 641-6266 * BListon@ma.rr.com
Noss, Cassandra * (304) 290-5265 * TheWorkMassage@gmail.com
Rock, Melanie * (304) 203-9577 * MelRock2772@gmail.com
Thompson, Debbie * (304)677-3702 * Debbie52a@aol.com

Pertinent links:

WV Massage Therapy Licensure Board - WVMassage.org
ABMP - ABMP.com
AMTA - AMTAMassage.org
NCBTMB - NCBTMB.org
FSMTB - FSMTB.org

Notes from previous Gatherings:

July 15, 2024 Gathering notes being prepared at this time. Please check back shortly, thanks! There was no August Gathering this year.

June 14, 2024 Breakfast Gathering at IHOP in Jane Lew

Over 125 years of combined experience sat at the tables! We invite other massage therapists and bodyworkers to share this wealth of knowledge and experience.

Jobs/Office space -

Are you looking for a job/office space? Aura Spa in Weston may be looking for a massage therapist. ABMP has job listings here: Jobs.ABMP.com If AMTA has a similar listing, please let me know so I can share it with everyone.

Continuing Ed -

Continuing education is available free for ABMP members online (and simply by reading their magazine!). If AMTA also offers free CEUs to its members, please let me know so I can share that, too. The WV Massage Board's website has a list of CEU opportunities (click here). There will be details soon of upcoming, local, in-person CEU courses.

New laws/rule -

A lengthy discussion took place over a few points in the changes to WV Code Chapter 30, Article 37, and the massage Legislative Rules primarily regarding "massage establishments." [I encourage you to click on the link above and familiarize yourself with the exact language.]

A massage establishment is a business where "licensed massage therapists are employees, partners, or contractors." [See Series 7] If you fall into that category, you must now get an establishment license from the Massage Board. If you have an establishment but are not a licensed massage therapist yourself, then you must complete two hours of continuing ed regarding WV massage laws and rules every two years when you apply and renew your establishment license.

Establishments may hire only licensed massage therapists who are either US citizens or legal residents with valid work permits. They have to post the current establishment license as well as each therapist's current license in a publicly visible space.

Establishments must maintain a current, detailed list of all employees/contractors, as well as maintain all client intake documents, session notes, written consents, and billing records for every client.

No employees or contractors of the establishment are allowed to live at the establishment.

No employees or contractors of the establishment are allowed to work nude, partially nude, or in arousing clothing, or engage in any sexual contact.

Many of us are "sole practitioners" - a licensed massage therapist "who is not an employee or contractor of the sole practitioner or an establishment."

It is my understanding that if a sole practitioner uses a business name or an assumed name, they must also use either their full legal name and/or license number in every advertisement and every time their business name or assumed name appears in writing.

A few other items were mentioned, including -

The requirements for massage schools raised the minimum number of hours of "supervised academic instruction" from 500 to 625.

Does the legal definition of massage includes some types of bodywork such as Thai massage/yoga, stretching, and reflexology?

And the conversation ended with a laugh over the added statement, "The Board will not issue a license for the practice of telehealth for massage therapy due to being an in person and hands on profession."

As a side note, I had a few remaining questions that I've emailed to the Massage Board. I will share with you any pertinent information that I learn.

May 15, 2024 Gathering

Various conversations about Gatherings, including going to restaurants beyond Fairmont and Bridgeport,

Suggest that all therapists who belong to any of the national organizations confirm that their name comes up when a potential client does a "find a therapist" type of search.

I shared information about my very positive experience at Stretch Zone. The intake was impressively thorough. Katelyn, the bodyworker I met with, was extremely knowledgeable about anatomy. The specificity with which she was able to stretch particular portions of specific muscles was amazing (my own anatomy knowledge allowed me to identify exactly what was being stretched). I looked through their website, and it sounds like they hire people with existing bodywork backgrounds (massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers) and knowledge of anatomy who then undergo a 40-hour training period. I know that some of my clients would find it an extremely helpful type of bodywork, and I am suggesting those clients reach out to Stretch Zone. The only down-side I've heard from anyone is a sort of "hard-sell" approach by staff for packages of sessions. I didn't discuss any of the costs when I went there, so can't speak to that myself.

Do you have any non-massage healthcare practitioners that you refer clients to? Dulas, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc.? Tell us about them at the next Gathering!

If you have anything (books, supplies, CDs, t-shirts, linens, whatever massage-related items) that you'd like to give away, trade, or sell, bring it to a Gathering. If you have something larger, let me know and I'll post it here.

Volunteers needed: 6/8/24 massage therapists needed for Derek Hotsinpiller Fallen Stars Memorial 5K Race. Contact Brenda Liston (304)641-6266. And 6/15/24 massage therapists needed for Greater Clarksburg 10K. Contact Valarie Dunlevy (304)203-3535.

The topic of loss of muscle mass, strength, and function (sarcopenia) as a result of taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro came up, with personal stories as well as experiences with clients who have taken them.

Details of Senate Bill 665 were generally discussed, some of which apply to sole proprietors. I will add details below.

I answered a few questions about my recent trip to Bali for a month-long study of Esalen massage. I haven't quite finished a blog containing all my class notes, as well as random posts and photos of my trip. It's NancyInBali.blogspot.com if you're curious.

Continuing education: ABMP offers continuing education credits for reading its magazine (six issues/year, approximately 2 CEUs/issue = 12+ CEUs per year!). Does AMTA offer something similar for its magazine? Both organizations offer free online continuing education. I attempted to make the Gatherings eligible to award CEUs, but NCBTMB will not allow CEUs for "networking." I will be submitting other classes to NCBTMB for CEU approval and let you know when they are approved. Valarie Dunlevy is considering offering a Reflexology class. Details are not yet available.

Jobs/office space: Aura Spa in Weston may be looking for a massage therapist to work there. If you are looking for office space, a job, or trying to find another massage therapist to work with/for you, let me know and I'll post that here. ABMP has a page for massage jobs available (jobs.abmp.com). If AMTA has one, also, let me know and I'll add it here.