DEMAND THAT THE CAMTC RE-INSTATE MY RIGHT TO PRACTICE MASSAGE THERAPY IN THE STATE OF CA AGAIN BY RE-INSTATING THE VALUE OF MY ADVANCED MASSAGE THERAPY EDUCATION AND 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A MASSAGE THERAPIST/HOLISTIC HEALTH PRACTITIONER.

YOU CAN HELP BY DEMANDING THAT THE CAMTC REVOKE THEIR NEW CA REGULATIONS LAWS THAT UNFAIRLY ABUSES OLDER MASSAGE THERAPISTS BY INVALIDATING THEIR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE WHICH DESTROYS THEIR LENGTHY CAREER AND TAKES AWAY THEIR RIGHT TO PRACTICE!  TOGETHER WE CAN STOP PREJUDICE AND AGE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ALL MASSAGE THERAPISTS BY THE CAMTC!

On June 2016, I arrived back from a three and 1/2 year spiritual sabbatical in Hawaii. I had spent my whole life saving for this deep inner immersion that I was blessed to receive. Even though I've been a certified professional massage therapist AND MASSAGE THERAPY TEACHER for well over 20 years, it appears that during my absence from California, the new "State of California regulatory board for massage therapy" (the CAMTC) approved new laws that made all of my experience and education completely INVALID. They refuse to certify me to make a living and I can't even get a low level job to eat and pay for basic necessities because I'm told I'm too OVERQUALIFIED as a massage therapist Practitioner and Teacher.

In the past 5 months before the CAMTC recently ruled to invalidate the last 20 plus years of my professional massage therapy life, I spent well over $1000 to pass the CAMTC's over-the-top state requirements (expensive background checks, live fingerprinting, recent passport photos, mandatory testing that cost $195 per try, etc.) I studied full-time for over 2 months to pass their approved exam (stats show that only about 60 percent of takers FAIL the first time. I can attest that it's incredibly difficult and I PASSED IT!) AND I got offered both a massage therapy teaching job AND a job providing professional massage from a CA STATE APPROVED Massage establishment (WITH FREE UPDATED MASSAGE THERAPY EDUCATION). I can't work either offered job or upgrade my education for free without the CAMTC's certification and they REFUSE!

This is all because of the following explanations from the CAMTC to me.
11/21/16
"Dear Janette....As of January 1, 2015, applicants for certification as a Certified Massage Therapist must have 500 hours of education from an APPROVED school and have passed a CAMTC approved exam...we cannot verify your education.....The “Certificate of Completion” you submitted showing 1000 hours as a Holistic Health Practitioner from Southern California School of Massage does not have a signature on it....CAMTC cannot determine that this “Certificate of Completion” is valid."

I lost my entire 25 year successful career because they are applying todays standards for HHP Certificates. A piece of paper was enough reason for the CAMTC to abuse me and rob me of my life's work. Back then the teachers could make up any type of certificate that they wanted. Back in the day, my massage therapy teacher was NOT required to provide a CAMTC approved certificate because the CAMTC didn't exist. Obviously, the CAMTC laws are written to completely invalidate older massage therapists. IS THIS AGE DISCRIMINATION AT IT'S FINEST!

The State of California DID approve my advanced massage therapy schooling in 1991 and I used my HHP certificate for over 20 years to benefit humanity as a massage therapist. I even taught advanced massage therapy classes only 5 years ago at a CA STATE APPROVED SCHOOL, where I was the teacher that met all California Massage Therapy State Laws. I was the massage therapy teacher that certified other massage therapist to professionally practice. I've held many massage therapy business licenses and can prove my resume of my lengthy certified experience. There is no way I could have legally taught or practiced professionally since 1991 without a valid education.

I even sent the "CAMTC higher education board" the transcripts of my massage therapy students that I wrote and that the state of Ca approved less than 5 years ago. When I asked the CAMTC if they also disqualified my students because they disqualified me, they never answered me back. Where are my state records for the past 25 years that they say I need to be certified? They should have them and if they lost them or they weren't required, why are massage therapists being abused for this insanity? Back in the day, they didn't require the current, required, over-the-top documentation of my education so why am I required to provide it now with today's standards? The CAMTC laws make it impossible for me get certified without starting form scratch AND they gave me an unrealistic time limit before they completely PURGE my files and all I have done to please them. Even the paper that my original transcripts were printed on has completely deteriorated. I graduated in 1991. I did my best to re-create a more current documentation to explain my advanced education to them, but they refused that too! They said I made it all up.

That right, to recap, the CAMTC:
1.has invalidated all of my education and experience because I can't provide them with a piece of paper that they APPROVE and is impossible for me give that to them. My school is closed and my teacher is nowhere to be found even in a google search.
2. has told me that basicly I have no recourse against any of THEIR discrepancies like the CAMTC not having approved copies of my certification in 1991.
3. They took almost 5 months to make their decision against me that really caused me tremendous hardship and continues to do so. A financial expert told me that because of the CAMTC, I will have lost over $50,000 of pay this year.

Please help to me stand up for ALL massage therapists, not just me! Isn't it ironic that one of the documented benefits of massage therapy is NOT given by the CAMTC to massage therapists. What is that benefit? TO REDUCE AND RELIEVE STRESS. My stress level is off the charts thanks to the CAMTC! Thanks to everybody who takes the time to support me and ALL massage therapists.

Janette Shablow, HHP (Holistic Health Practitioner)