A Matter of Degrees:
A Guide to Alternative Healing Certification
Roz Brown/Nexus, Colorado's Holistic Journal

When we turn our bodies over to a healer, be it a physician or a massage therapist or an acupuncturist, we like seeing letters after their names. The MDs, the CMTs, the LAcs, give us a sense of security. We trust degrees, and the implications of knowledge and skill they represent. But in the field of bodywork, those initials are harder to interpret. Regulations vary widely from state to state, and often from school to school. And because many practitioners of newer modalities are still attempting to formalize the establishment of cross-national standards, many are not and cannot be certified. Even so, some schools have specific requirements that ensure a certain level of training. Some of the most common follow.

ACRH, Advanced Certified Rolfer.
Training consists of 21 weeks, 731 hours, massage study and some prerequisites.

CA, Certified Acupuncturist
State certification, hours vary.

CAMT, Certified Acupressure Massage Therapist
Requires 1,000 hours of training, plus 150 hours at approved school for certification.

CAR/ACR, Certified Advanced Rolfer/Advanced Certified Rolfer.
Certified Rolfer at least three years, plus continuing education credits.

CAT, Certified Acupressure Therapist
Therapist designation requires completion of 1,000 hours of training. Certification requires an additional 150 hours of training.

CBPM, Certified Bonnie Prudden Myotherapist
Nine-month, 1,300-hour program, plus board exams and continuing education credits.

CFP, Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
Training program accredited by the Feldenkrais Guild, active practice of the Feldenkrais Method, and continuing educational experience.

CMP/CMT, Certified Massage Practitioner/Certified Massage Therapist
Certified through a massage school.

CR, Certified Reflexologist
Requires passing an exam given by the International Institute of Reflexology.

CR, Certified Rolfer
Requires 15 weeks of training at the Rolf Institute.

CTP, Certified Trager Practitioner
Completion of Trager Institute’s professional certification program.

DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Four years of training at an accredited chiropractic college. National and state board exam required for license.

DiplAc (NCCA), Diplomate in Acupuncture
Certification requirements established by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists, Washington, DC.

DO, Doctor of Osteopathy
Four years of training at a school of osteopathy accredited by the American Academy of Osteopathy.

GCFP, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
Professional training program accredited by the Feldenkrais Guild.

LAc, LicAc, Licensed Acupuncturist
State license or diploma.

LMP/LMT, Licensed Massage Practitioner/Licensed Massage Therapist
Massage therapist licensed by individual states.

Mac, Master of Acupuncture
Graduate of the National Accreditation Commission for Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

MT, MsT, Massage Therapist
Generic term which does not necessarily imply license or certification.

NCMT, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist
Passed the National Certification Exam in therapeutic massage and bodywork. Nationally accepted and recognized by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) or the American and Oriental Bodyworkers Therapy Association. Minimum 500-hour, six-month curriculum.

PT, Physical Therapist
State licensed accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

RAc, Registered Acupuncturist
State license for acupuncurists.

RM, Reiki Master
Traditionally signifies at least three years as a Reiki practitioner, and one year as an apprentice to a reiki master. No certification.

RPP, Registered Polarity Practitioner, RPP
Requires at least 615 hours of training.

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