Massage Therapist’s Complete Guide to Massage CEUs - Section 5: Ethics CEU Questions
Section 5: Ethics CEU Questions
How many ethics CEUs do massage therapists need?
The number of ethics CEUs required depends on your state and, if applicable, your professional certification.
There is no single ethics CE requirement that applies to every massage therapist in the United States. Some states require a specific number of ethics hours as part of their overall continuing education requirement, while others do not have a separate ethics requirement.
For example, MassageTherapyCEU.com's current state information indicates that Illinois requires 2 hours of ethics every two-year renewal period, North Carolina requires 3 hours of ethics, and Wisconsin requires 2 hours of ethics. Massachusetts currently requires 3 hours of continuing education each year focused on the ethical obligations of massage therapy practitioners or massage-specific human-trafficking laws and issues.
If you maintain NCBTMB Board Certification, the requirement is clear: 3 of your 24 required CE hours must be in ethics every two years.
Always check your state's current licensing requirements because CE requirements can change.
Why are ethics CEUs required?
Ethics continuing education helps massage therapists understand and maintain the professional standards that guide their relationships with clients, other healthcare professionals, and the public.
Massage therapy involves a high degree of personal contact and requires therapists to understand appropriate professional boundaries, informed consent, confidentiality, scope of practice, communication, and ethical decision-making.
NCBTMB explains that continuing education helps professionals stay current, develop their skills, and support lifelong learning and continuous improvement. Its acceptable course content specifically includes professionalism and ethics, standards of practice, professional communication, boundaries, and state laws.
Ethics education can help massage therapists recognize potential ethical problems before they become professional or legal problems.
What counts as an ethics CEU?
An ethics CEU is a continuing education course that focuses on professional ethics and ethical issues relevant to massage therapy and bodywork.
Depending on the course and the requirements of the applicable licensing organization, ethics education may include topics such as:
- Professional ethics
- Standards of practice
- Professional boundaries
- Scope of practice
- Informed consent
- Client confidentiality
- Dual relationships
- Transference and countertransference
- Professional communication
- Ethical business practices
- Sexual boundaries and professional conduct
- Ethical decision-making
- State laws and regulations
- Professional responsibilities
NCBTMB specifically lists standards of practice and professional ethics under its acceptable "Professionalism and Ethics" course content. It also recognizes professional communication, including boundary functions, transference, counter-transference, and projection.
Not every course that mentions the word "ethics" will necessarily satisfy your state's ethics requirement. If your state requires a specific type of ethics course, make sure the course is approved for that particular requirement.
Can I take ethics CEUs online?
Yes. Online ethics CEUs are available, and NCBTMB recognizes online and distance-learning continuing education formats.
NCBTMB's Approved Provider program recognizes different forms of distance education, including home-study/asynchronous courses and synchronous distance-learning courses such as webinars. However, whether you can use online ethics CEUs for state license renewal depends on your state's rules. Some states limit the number of online or home-study hours that can be used, while others allow all or most of the required hours to be completed online.
We currently offer many online ethics courses, including Professional Ethics, Ethics Overview, Ethics Refresher, Ethics, Beliefs and Regulations, and Ethics, Boundaries and Client Relationships. Click here to view a full listing.
Does my state require ethics CEUs?
Some states require ethics CEUs, but not every state has a separate ethics requirement.
State massage therapy boards establish their own continuing education requirements. We advise massage therapists to check with their state regulatory board because state boards determine whether particular continuing education hours satisfy license renewal requirements.
Does NCBTMB require ethics CEUs?
Yes. Currently 3.
If you are renewing NCBTMB Board Certification, NCBTMB currently requires 24 hours of continuing education every two years, including 3 hours of ethics. The CE must come from NCBTMB Approved Providers and must be completed during your eligible two-year renewal period.
In other words:
24 total CE hours = 3 ethics hours + 21 additional qualifying CE hours
NCBTMB also states that CE cannot be carried over from one renewal period to another.
This requirement applies to NCBTMB Board Certification renewal. It does not mean that every massage therapist must complete 3 ethics hours simply because they are a licensed massage therapist. State license requirements are separate.
Can an ethics course count toward my total CE requirement?
Yes. An approved ethics course generally counts toward your total CE requirement while also satisfying the required ethics portion, when the course meets your licensing board's requirements.
For example, if your state requires 24 total CE hours, including 2 hours of ethics, an approved 2-hour ethics course can generally count as those 2 hours while also contributing to your 24-hour total.
The same principle applies to NCBTMB Board Certification. NCBTMB requires 24 total CE hours, with 3 hours specifically required to be ethics. Therefore, your qualifying ethics course is part of your 24 total hours - it is not 3 additional hours on top of the 24.