Massage Therapy Licensing in Washington is now simpler than ever for 2017! If you are interested in becoming a licensed massage therapist, Washington State is the place to see your dream come true. If you want to qualify as a licensed massage therapist in the state of Washington, you will need to successfully complete a massage licensing program from a school that is approved by the Washington State Board of Massage, a division of the Washington State Department of Health. Read on to find out how easy it is to get a massage therapy license.

Education: Program Requirements

A total of 500 hours of training is the minimum requirement set by the Washington State Board of Massage. These hours are broken up as follows:

• 130 hours of physiology and anatomy with at least 40 of these to be kinesiology.
• 50 hours of pathology, including training in indications and contraindications.
• 265 hours of practice and theory of massage, to include techniques, remedial movements, body mechanics of the practitioner and the impact of techniques on pathologies. A maximum of 50 of these hours may include time spent in a student clinic. To be included in these hours is hydrotherapy when relevant to the specific area of practice.
• 55 hours of business/clinical practices with minimal inclusion of record keeping, hygiene, professional ethics, medical terminology, client interaction, human behavior and local and state laws.

Apart from these 500 hours of training, you must also show proof of the following to attain your goal of becoming a licensed massage therapist in Washington:

• Certification in American Red Cross first aid and American Heart Association Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
• Four hours of training in HIV-AIDS, focused on the following topics:

Epidemiology and etiology, infection control and transmission, counseling and testing, clinical manifestations, as well as, their treatment, technical and legal issues, as well as, psychosocial issues. This training is provided by local community colleges and hospitals.

There’s some good news those who already hold a massage license from another state. A recently passed law (effective from March 11, 2016), states that those candidates who hold an out-of-state massage license, which has not been subject to any disciplinary action elsewhere, can apply for what is being termed “licensure by endorsement”. Read more about this here.

DiscoveryPoint School of Massage offers a 750 Professional Licensing Program that prepares graduates to take the Washington State Licensing Exam and National Certification for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork to begin their practice as a professional massage therapist. Their seasoned faculty helps to nurture and refine students’ clinical skills including communication, assessment, treatment, client education, and documentation.  A student / teacher ratio of 14 to 1 in all hands-on classes ensures students receive quality feedback on a regular basis.