This state government office, a division of the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, regulates massage therapists. It ensures that practitioners have graduated from approved schools that offer programs meeting certain educational standards.
The board investigates complaints, conducts investigations, and penalizes massage therapists who violate state laws or regulations. It requires practitioners to apply for license renewals, which entails receiving continuing education.
The governor appoints five board members, including three massage therapists who have practiced in Indiana for at least five years. The other two members represent the public.
Minimum Education Requirements for Massage Therapy Programs in Indiana
To become a massage therapist in Indiana, a student needs a high school diploma or GED. The next step is to attend an accredited school with a program that complies with state criteria. The curriculum must total at least 625 clock hours of “supervised classroom and hands-on instruction.”
Typical coursework includes anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, pathology, massage history and theory, business practices, ethics, and laws and regulations. Schools vary in the types of massage techniques and other therapies their programs cover.
After graduating, a prospective massage therapist needs a state license to practice in Indiana. One of the licensure requirements is to pass the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx). Test registration, which involves a large fee, is available on the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards website.
The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions addressing client assessment, treatment plans, benefits and physiological effects of massage techniques, pathology with contraindications, treatment for special populations, ethics, laws and regulations.
Students register for the MBLEx with Pearson VUE. They use computers to take the exam at testing centers in Indianapolis, Merrillville, and Evansdale.