Dear Graduate,
The CAMTC website is finally updated listing Healing Hands School’s approval.
Their process has been long and drawn out; my patience with this ran out months ago.
Your patience must also be at the end of the rope. I want to explain some of the CAMTC’s background as to why this took so long.
One of the CAMTC’s board members, Dixie Wall, is a Healing Hands graduate. I taught many of her classes and think very highly of her. Dixie called me about 4 years ago to discuss a topic I find disgusting and very difficult. Dixie told me that the CAMTC had discovered that there were several establishments in LA that were calling themselves Massage Schools, but were, in fact, actively engaging in human trafficking. They were signing up Asian women as ‘students’ but actually forcing them to live and work in massage parlors of less than reputable intent. Dixie asked me if I knew about these schools and what I thought about it. I am very Healing Hands focused and knew nothing about it, but I felt very strongly that yes, Dixie was right, our industry needs to make 100% sure that even the term ‘Massage Therapy’ is never used in such a harmful way.
In order to ensure California’s massage therapy training was adequate and at professional standards, the CAMTC adopted the policy of conducting on site inspections of every massage school in the state. At the time of the Council’s decision, there were 300 schools. The CAMTC has ONE person to do these site visits. This process, while having the best of intentions, has in effect, crippled us since July. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that encouraging the CAMTC to take human trafficking seriously, would put my school in the crossfire of this battle.
I very much hope that the above explanation will bring you some solace; that your long wait for your certification was for a good cause.
In Peace and Health,