Lecture Massage therapy review: Passing the NCETMB, NCETM, and MBLEx (2/e): Chapter 6 - Laura A. Abbott

Massage Therapy Review: 
Passing the NCETMB, NCETM, and MBLEx 

Chapter 6
Professional Standards, Ethics, Business, and Legal 
Practices
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6-2

Pre­class Assignment
• Review Chapter 6 
of your Massage 
Therapy Review 
book

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National Certification Board for 
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork 
Code of Ethics
• Sincere commitment
• Represent yourself 

• Continue to improve 

•

•

•
•

honestly
Accurately inform 
clients
Know your limits, 
contraindications, 
scope of practice
Provide treatment to 
client’s advantage

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•
•
•

6-3

yourself and your 
knowledge
Be honest and 

professional
Safeguard client’s 
confidentiality
Use proper draping
Client and therapist have 
right to refuse treatment

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National Certification Board for 
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork 
Code of Ethics, Cont’d

6-4

• Refrain from any and all sexual conduct, activities, 
•
•
•

or behavior even if client attempts first
Respect client’s boundaries
Refuse gifts or benefits intended to influence 
unjustly
Follow all policies, procedure, guidelines, etc., set 
forth by NCBTMB

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6-5

Continuing Education
• 50 CEs every 4 years
– 2 CEs must be roles and 
boundaries
– 4 CEs must be 
business/ethics related

• See www.ncbtmb.org

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6-6

Professional Considerations
• Interviewing Techniques
– Intake forms
– Potential medical clearance
– Good listener
– Open­ended questions

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6-7

Professional Considerations, 
Cont’d
• Communication 
Techniques
– Verbal
– Non­verbal

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6-8

Verbal Skills
• Paraphrasing

– Restating what the 
client said in order to 
confirm 
understanding

• Client: “I’m concerned 
that I will be running 
late today for my 

appointment.”

• Therapist: “So, are you 
thinking you will not 
make it in time and 
want to reschedule?”

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6-9

Verbal Skills, Cont’d
• Summarizing

•
– Consolidating all the  •
statements the client  •
has said to confirm 
understanding

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“In conclusion…”
“So, to sum it up…”
“Let’s review the 
highlighted points…”

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6-10

Verbal Skills, Cont’d
• Minimal Encouragers
– Brief words that let your 
client know you are 
listening and 
encouraging the client to 
continue

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• “aha…”
• “So, what happened 
•
•

next?”
“I see.”
“hummm…”

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6-11

Verbal Skills, Cont’d
• Probing

– An attempt to gain 
more information.
– Trying to find out 
what has not been 
said.

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• “Let’s talk about that.”
• “What exactly do you 
mean?”

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6-12

Verbal Skills, Cont’d
• Clarifying
– An attempt to 
understand what has 
been said

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• “I’m confused about 

what you are saying….”

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6-13

Verbal Skills, Cont’d
• Confronting

• “It seems that you have 

– Mild or strong 
feedback when 
dealing with a 
situation that needs to 
be corrected

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missed your last two 
payments. Let’s sit 
down and discuss a 
solution that will work 
for the both of us.”

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6-14

Record Keeping
•

•
•
•
•

Subjective
Objective
Assessment or 
Application
Plan or Progression
HIPAA
– Health Insurance 
Portability and 
Accountability Act

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6-15

Planning Single and Multiple 
Sessions
•
•
•
•
•

Current Condition
Goals
Effort of the Client and 
Therapist
Frequency of Sessions
Referrals

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6-16

Contractor vs. Employee
• Contractor
– Sets own hours
– Can work for 
competitors
– Has control over fees
– Is paid per client
– Must pay self­
employment taxes
– Purchases own supplies
– Uses own vehicle
– No benefits
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• Employee

– Cannot work for company 
competitors
– Has a set schedule
– Paid hourly/salary
– Company must offer 
benefits
– Company can offer to cover 
CE and recertification costs
– Falls under company 
liability
– Company provides basic 
supplies

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6-17

Types of Business Entities
•
•
•

Sole Proprietorship
Partnership
S­Corporation

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6-18

Sole Proprietorship
• Advantages

• Disadvantages

– Easy to set up
– Possession of profits
– Control of decisions
– Simple financial 
record keeping

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– You are a contractor
– Self employment 
taxes and 
quarterly/annual 
income taxes
– Schedule C form
– Increased liability

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6-19

Partnership
• Advantages
– Government 
regulations fairly 
minimal
– Financial record 
keeping not as 
complicated
– FIN/EIN
– K­1 report
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• Disadvantages
– You can be held 
personally 
responsible for debts 
and legal issues, even 
if they were made 
without your consent 
by your other 
partner(s)
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6-20

S­Corporation
• Advantages

• Disadvantages

– Can be complicated 
to structure
– Requires attorney to 
incorporate
– Need stock 
certificates, 
shareholders, 
meetings, officers
– Form 1120­S filed 
annually
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– Separation of business 
from personal
– Business can continue 
if owner leaves or dies
– Reduction for double 
taxation
– Can declare business 
losses on individual 
tax returns

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6-21

Accounting Terms
•
•
•
•

Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Assets
Cash Flow

•
•
•
•

Depreciation
Gross Income
Inventory
Net Income

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6-22

• Licenses, Permits, 
and Registrations

– Provisional License
– Occupational or 
Business License
– Sales Tax Permit
– Registration of Business 
Name

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• Insurance Needs
–
–
–

Professional Liability
General Liability
Business Personal 
Property
– Health Insurance
– Disability Insurance

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