November 2007. States embrace new exam.

Nine of the thirty-eight states that currently regulate massage therapy have already adopted the new Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) as prerequisite for licensure and another number of states are currently considering it for adoption. The exam was initially released during a pilot phase in late August and became widely available in mid-October. MBLEx was created by the Federation of State Massage Licensing Boards (FSMTB) as a reliable, entry-level licensing and competency requirement. Twenty-six of the thirty-eight states regulating massage therapy have joined FSMTB. Please visit the Federation's website at www.fsmtb.org for additional information. The Illinois Massage Licensing Board has not met to discuss if MBLEx will be part of the Illinois licensing process.

Update 2/23/08: Fourteen states are now accepting the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam. Two states require the new exam exclusively. One of the states that in the past accepted the National Certification Exam has replaced it with MBLEx. One more state has joined FSMTB, bringing the number of FSMTB member states to twenty-seven. The Illinois Massage Licensing Board has not yet has not met to discuss if MBLEx will be part of the Illinois licensing process.

July 2007. New licensing exam is now available.

The licensing exam developed by the Federation of Massage Licensing Boards is now available. Please visit the Federation's website at www.fsmtb.org for additional information.

March 2007. Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards Survey finds educated, satisfied massage therapists.

50% of those who responded to FSMTB's Job Task Analysis survey attended some college or have an associate degree, and 43% have a bachelor's degree or higher. 99% of the survey respondents agreed with the following statements:

- I am happy to have entered the massage/bodywork/somatic profession.
- I am proud to be in the field of massage/bodywork/somatic therapy.
- I like being a massage/bodywork/somatic practitioner.
- I strongly identify with the massage/bodywork/somatic therapy occupation.
- I am enthusiastic about the massage/bodywork/somatic therapy occupation.

For the full text of FSBTM's press release, please visit:www.fsmtb.org/FSMTB_Press_Release_JTA_2.doc

October 29, 2006. National Certification Board distributes performance indices to schools .

In October 2006, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) started distributing to massage schools performance indices based on first-time testers who take either the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM) or the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). In the State of Illinois and in 35 other states the National Certification Exam is a requirement for massage licensure.

It is worth noting that, on the average, graduates of Illinois schools scored lower than schools nationwide during the first half of the year. At the same it is wonderful to see that New School for Massage Bodywork & Healing graduates continued to score consistently higher in all categories than both the state and the national level.

We believe that the reason for our continued success lies with the superior pool of students who are attracted to our program, as well as the nature and comprehensiveness of the program. Congratulations graduates!

July 15, 2006 . Career Training Loans available by SLM Financial, a Sallie Mae Company, to those interested in the Diploma program.

We are excited to announce that our school has been approved by SLM Financial, a Sallie Mae Company, for Career Training Loans. These loans make an excellent addition to the array of financing alternatives that we have available for our students.

Career Training Loans can cover tuition or tuition plus living expenses, and can be paid back in up to 15 years with low monthly payments and no prepayment penalties.

Please contact us at 312-654-0900 if you need additional information.

June 1, 2006 . The New School for Massage at The Taste of Chicago.

New School for Massage students will be providing chair massages at the Living Pavillion, on 6/30/06, 7/3/06, and 7/9/06, from 1PM to 2PM. We are pleased to be selected for this great event! Please stop by to say 'hello' and receive a complimentary mini-massage.

You can find the official Taste of Chicago website here.

March 27, 2006. AMTA: No Plans for Defining Medical Massage.

Over the years, several terms have popped-up in the massage industry. 'Medical Massage' and 'Clinical Massage' are two such marketing terms which mean "condition-specific massage", in other words application of massage therapy for medical conditions and using massage as part of a treatment plan determined by a licensed healthcare practitioner . The term was created by some schools and educators to distinguish massage that is intended to treat specific conditions from relaxation massage.

The American Massage Therapy Association in a press release dated March 27, 2006, announced that it has no plans to define "medical massage", as "all massage is therapeutic" and "empirical evidence hasn't been provided to support or refute the concept of medical massage as a distinct area of specialization within massage therapy practice."

You can read the press release here.

September 21, 2005. Federation of Massage Licensing Boards is formed.

In what can be described as one of the most important events in the history of massage therapy, 23 of the 34 state boards that currently regulate massage therapy have come together to form the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.

The association is intended to facilitate greater communication among massage licensing boards in different states, improve the standards of massage therapy education, and to take an active role in establishing compatible standards and cooperative procedures for the legal regulation of massage therapy.

One of the areas of concern for the newly formed association, as it has been for massage educators and students, is the current examination program that is offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). The NCBTMB, formed by AMTA in 1992, has marked with inefficiencies and suspicion a certification process that should be quick and transparent. While it is too soon to tell if this federation will come up with an alternative to the examination process, or if it will work to strengthen the National Certification Exam process, it will at a minimum allow state boards to own a process over which they currently have no control.

The New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing applauds the initiave and wishes the newly formed organization great success.

Additional information can be found at www.fsmtb.org.


October 15, 2004. The New School for Massage receives approval from government to accept international students.

The New School for Massage has been approved by The Student and Exchange Visitor Program of the Department of Homeland Security to accept international students (M1 visa) who wish to enroll in our Massage Therapy Diploma program. For additional information, please contact Emmanuel Bistas, at 312-654-0900, ext 701.


May 8, 2004. Telemundo news report promotes The New School for Massage.

In a news segment featuring self-employment and "being your own boss" in the field of massage therapy, Latin television station Telemundo promoted the New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing.

The news report was prepared in Los Angeles, California. When the local news crew customized it for the Chicago market, they searched for a local school with excellent reputation in massage therapy and entrepreneurship. They selected The New School for Massage. This was *not* a result of a public relations campaign on the part of the school, and proves the excellent reputation that we have earned in our community through our quality work in the past two years.

The staff, students, and graduates of The New School for Massage appreciate the honor and promise to keep up the good work!



April 21, 2004. Proposed massage therapy rules posted on Department of Regulations website.

The new massage licensing board has met three times since its appointment and has made significant progress in ironing out the implementation details of the Massage Licensing Act. It is expected that massage therapy applications will become available in July 2004.

The proposed massage therapy rules can be found at http://www.ildpr.com/who/ARpropsd/ProposedMassageTherapyRules.pdf. The document discusses qualification criteria, licensing fees, and further explanation of grandfathering requirements. The general public may submit written comments to the Department by May 31, 2004.

The New School for Massage stays abreast of all industry and regulatory developments that affect your career as a massage therapist and brings this information to you as it becomes available.



November 20, 2003. Senate voted to override Governor's reduction of ISBE appropriation.

The Illinois Senate voted 55-0 to restore $1.1 million to the Illinois State Board of Education budget for programs including the Private Business and Vocational School (PBVS) division which oversees massage therapy schools in Illinois.

The budget reduction and the elimination of PBVS interfered with the state approval and renewal process of massage therapy schools and would have a detrimental effect on massage therapy education in Illinois and the implementation of the new massage licensing law.

The New School for Massage stays abreast of all industry and regulatory developments that affect your career as a massage therapist and brings this information to you as it becomes available.



November 9, 2003. The New School for Massage featured in the "Quality of Life," section of the Sunday CHICAGO TRIBUNE.

The article alerted customers of the discounts available for bodywork and massage treatments in the Chicago land area. Comparing the cost of students massages, The New School for Massage, Bodywork and Healing topped the list of affordable therapeutic massage at only $28 for a one-hour treatments or four treatments for only $100.


November 4, 2003.   The New School for Massage on NBC's Starting Over.

The New School for Massage provides the touch in therapy session in new daytime reality TV show Starting Over. Click here for additional information.


October 23, 2003.   Introducing The New School for Massage Professional Workshop Series.

The New School for massage has announced a series of workshops and continuing education classes for the general public and massage therapists. Located in the heart of the gallery district in our beautiful loft lecture room you can sip fresh juice, gourmet coffee, and get to know other professionals like yourself while you attend workshops built around the concept that learning can be fun. Some of the initial classes cover reiki, introduction to massage, pregnancy massage, and essential oils. Please call 888-461-0114 for more information.


June 24, 2003.   New scheduling option available.

Starting September 8, 2003, a new part-time version of the Massage and Bodywork Certification program will be available. Under this new scheduling option, classes will be offered two days per week: on Tuesdays, from 1:45PM to 9:30PM, and on Thursdays from 5:45PM to 9:30PM. Please check our Program Schedule page for additional information.


June 15, 2003.   Massage Licensing Act Update.

The implementation of the Massage Licensing Act has been postponed until January 1, 2005. This new date assumes that the Governor will appoint a Massage Licensing Board by January 1, 2004; additional information will be available after that date.


November 8, 2002.   Student teaching clinic is now open!

The teaching clinic at The New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing is now open. The clinic is an integral part of the student learning experience, as it allows students to work on the general public in a professional setting. Clinic clients have the option of a therapeutic massage performed by a student under instructor supervision, or therapeutic bodywork performed in a variety of modalities by our certified instructors. The clinic is located in a 1,400 sq.ft. space previously occupied by an art studio, on the 4th floor of the school building. For appointments please call 312-654-0900.


September 13, 2002.   The New School for Massage becomes a WIA certified provider in the State of Illinois.

The New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing is now a certified WIA (Workforce Investment Act) training provider in Illinois. This Act provides dislocated workers (including displaced homemakers) with up to $5,000 in training funds to be used for retraining. Please contact our school at 888-461-0114 for more information.


August 26, 2002.   The New School for Massage joins Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Consistent with its philosophy that massage therapists are an integral part of the business community, The New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing has joined the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce effective August 2002. This move will help bridge the gap between massage therapists and traditional businesses, and will help promote massage and alternative healthcare industry issues through "mainstream" channels, rather than the professional association channels currently in existence. As of this date, The New School for Massage is the only massage therapy school representing the interests of massage students and future therapists at the Chamber.


August 21, 2002.   Governor Ryan returns HB2271 to the Illinois General Assembly with specific recommendations for change.

Governor Ryan has returned the Massage Licensing Act bill to the Illinois General Assembly with some language changes intended to enable local municipalities to regulate massage establishments and services until January 1, 2004. This was to address a concern that "given the effective date of the bill and other references in the Bill to when individuals must be licensed by the state Department of Professional Regulation, there could be a period of time when these individuals would not be licensed". With these changes, the Bill will have the Governor's approval. The Illinois General Assembly is expected to concur to the changes sometime in December 2002.


July 22, 2002.   Upcoming Open House presentation to address the topic of Massage Licensing Act.

The Open House scheduled for September 25, 2002, 5:00PM-7:00PM will include a presentation on the Massage Licensing Act, requirements for state licensure under this Act, "grandfathering" exceptions, etc.   RSVP for this special event now, by calling 888-461-0114.


May 29, 2002.   HB2271 passed; state licensing soon to become reality in Illinois

On May 29, 2002, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 2271, also known as the Massage Licensing Act. This bill regulates the practice of massage therapy through licensure in Illinois. Once signed into law, the Massage Licensing Act will take effect in January 2003.