Although certain requirements must be met for a massage therapist to practice his or her profession in Boston, the guidelines are relatively simple to manage. First and foremost, however, a massage therapist must become licensed in the state of Massachusetts in order to practice anywhere within the state. Many escorts find that massage therapy is a good transitional career to pursue. The following criteria exist for licensure:
Applicants must provide evidence of achieving a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
Applicants must submit two letters of reference along with their application.
The first letter must address the applicant's competency and integrity as a massage therapist, and it must be from a massage therapist (or someone within the industry), a medical professional or a massage therapy educator.
The second letter must be from an unrelated individual who attests to the candidate's business and professional integrity.
Applicants must be of good moral character. Any past convictions for offenses more serious than traffic violations must be reviewed by the board.
Applicants must provide official transcripts that prove he or she has completed at least 650 hours of instruction from a licensed massage school. The curriculum should include:
100 hours of Anatomy and Physiology
45 hours of Pathology
45 hours of Kinesiology
300 hours of Massage Theory and Technique
60 hours of Ethics, Professionalism and Business Practices
100 hours of unpaid, supervised clinical or internship hours
Applicants must not have any convictions of sexually-related crimes or crimes involving a lack of moral turpitude within the previous 10 years.
Applicants must submit a completed application along with a non-refundable application fee.
Candidates seeking a reciprocal license as a result of their previous licensure from another state may obtain one, as long as the requirements of their previous residence were nearly equivalent to Massachusetts' guidelines.
To practice massage therapy in Boston, massage therapists must obtain a License to Practice Massage from the Boston Division of Health Inspections. This must be obtained annually. Requirements include:
Graduation from an approved massage school or program with at least 500 hours of coursework. Official transcripts and proof of graduation are required.
Proof of a medical examination within the past 30 days showing that the candidate is free from communicable diseases that may be transmitted through massage therapy.
Two passport-sized head-shot photographs must accompany the submission of an official application.
Proof of age must accompany one's official application. One's driver's license or birth certificate is acceptable forms of proof of age.
A completed Health Division application must be submitted along with an application fee.
Additionally, all businesses that are unincorporated and doing business with a name other than the practitioner's first and last name must register with the Boston City Clerk's office. The Business Certificate Form (also known as the "Doing Business As" form) must be signed, notarized and submitted. The forms are available at the City Clerk's office, through the mail and online.
