As I’m sitting at my desk about to begin writing this article, I wonder if our membership is aware of how the unity of other professions help our profession of Polarity Therapy stay informed as to what is happening in different States’ regulation regarding our freedom to work as Board Certified Polarity Practitioners (BCPP). I say BCPP, because it is the only APTA designation that States’ Legislators are considering for protection and freedom to practice. Certification and accreditation are the key words for which they are looking in providing protection for “energy professions.”
APTA is one of the founding members of an organization that began in the mid-80s to provide regulation protection from government rulings and restrictions upon our members. Our Polarity Therapy governing organization, APTA, joined with, what is now 9 other organizations that currently make up the JGRC (Joint Governing Regulation Committee), or Federation.
In addition to APTA, some of the JGRC members are the professions of Feldenkrais, Trager, Rolfing, Alexander Technique, Structural Integration and Somatic Movement Education.
Our group of 10 membership normally meet monthly to evaluation the temperature of government regulation that is on the docket for discussion and/or proposal in various States in the US.
During our meeting on October 2, the primary States whose governing proposals that are up for state discussion regarding limitation to our professions freedom to work were the following:
(If you are a resident in one of these States, you might want to check with your governing counsel to make sure your right to practice stays secure. You might even want to send your APTA legislation committee input regarding current laws and possible changes. We need your ears, eyes and leg.
MN – The legislation process around licensure has slowed down according to one insightful organization’s membership representative. Another shared that the slow-down is regarding hours vs. competency based licensing. We discovered that there is still time to create exemption language but we need to be proactive.
MA – We found that several member’s reps had met with the Attorney General’s office and introduced their professions and legislative concerns that creates undue restriction on our professions. The MA AG department was receptive to our needs. The main rejection that most JGRC members want to stress with the AG office is that our professions, including energy touch, does not need to be regulated and restricted and placed under a title of “bodywork”. Many States are trying to place all our professions in the same box with restrictions as they do with massage therapy. It was stressed that “bodywork” is not a profession. I.e., Polarity Therapy and all other JGRC members are professions and need not be restricted in the same manner as massage therapy. Human traffickers use this terminology and we keep stressing that our professions are not the target of those criminals.
Much work still lies ahead of the JGRC as we work with MA and other States to help them focus on arriving at terminology and citizen protection but that does not limit our freedom to work.
WA – The WA massage board re-opened the rules regarding working around the breast and perineum of the human body. If the massage boards in the US have their way in spear-heading restriction for our professions, Polarity Therapy could be included as one profession that could be limited in performing our energy touch protocols with these areas of the body. We understand energy restrictions and limitations in these areas of the body whereas, massage therapy does not.
Again, if you are a resident of one of these States, or if your State of residence is proposing harmful, limiting legislative restrictions for Polarity Therapy, please notify us immediately. We need your input.
Your Legislative Committee:
Johnny Henderson, PhD, BCPP, RPE
Christopher Whyrick, BCPP
Any work for clarification, polarity in Utah?