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Friday, November 21, 2008

Finding a massage therapist

Besides the Yellow Pages, there are other ways to find a therapist. The American Massage Therapy Association maintains a locater service. This service allows you to select by zip code or city name, and by specialty. It also tells you if the therapist you then select on will sell gift certifcates. It also provides their hours and more details about where they work and the type of work they do.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways, seek out recommendations from friends. Use the newspaper, Craigslist and online searches carefully. Be sure that the advertising says "Licensed Massage Therapist" or "Registered Massage Practitioner". If they don't say this, then the therapist may not be trained in Swedish, Deep Tissue or other legitimate massage therapy modalities (methods).

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Gift Certificates - Buying Smart

Since it's the time of year for gift giving, and you don't know what to buy, consider purchasing gift certificates for Massage Therapy.

Our clinic at CCBC also offers gift certificates. Not only do you save money on these, but you are purchasing time with students who have received the very latest in training and technique, and are quite concerned about doing your massage very properly. Call us at 443-840-1598 and leave a message for more information.

Gift Certificates purchased in Maryland since 2006 have some additional protections. Effective in October of 2006, a new gift card/gift certificate law went into effect in Maryland. This new law applies to all gift cards and certificates except those that can be used at many different places, such as Master Card or Discover gift cards. Any gift card or certificate in Maryland that is for a specific business now must be good for a minimum of four years. During this period, no changes to the conditions may be made unless they benefit the consumer. Do beware, there are still businesses that sell gift certificates that say they expire in 90 days. You can fight this, but it could take some time and require contacting the Consumer Protection office.

To buy a gift certificate from a massage therapist, simply call them. See also, our article on finding a massage therapist. You may also be able to receive a discount if you purchase multiple gift certificates at one time.

Encourage your recipient to use the certificate sooner, rather than later. They may find that Massage Therapy is more helpful than expected at feeling better, more alert and/or relaxed.

Doug