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515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117 -1600 <br />(612) 484 -2177 / FAX: (612) 484 -4538 <br />April 23, 1996 <br />TO: Mayor Fahey and Members of the City Council <br />FROM: Kathy Glanzer, Administrative Assistant <br />RE: Massage Therapy Educational Requirements <br />MAYOR <br />Michael I. Fahey <br />COUNCIL <br />Beverly Scalze <br />Jim LaValle <br />Steve Morelan <br />Bob Pedersen <br />ADMINISTRATOR <br />Joel R. Hanson <br />In order to find out additional information about massage therapy <br />educational requirements, I began by calling Sister Rosalind <br />Gefre's School of Massage Therapy (228- 0960). I was told by them <br />that our ordinance requirements are not excessive, and was <br />advised to stick these requirements. Sister Rosalind has worked <br />with cities on developing these types of ordinances. <br />Sister Rosalind's School is not a member of the American Massage <br />Therapy Association, but is a member of the Associated <br />Bodyworkers & Massage Therapists Professionals. They are also <br />registered with the MN Higher Education Coordinating Board as is <br />required by law for non - profit schools. I was informed that in <br />order to teach massage therapy, a school must be either <br />registered (non - profits) or licensed (for- profits) by the MN <br />Higher Education Coordinating Board. Avocational schools are <br />exempt from this requirement. However, avocational schools only <br />provide training for personal development, and do not prepare <br />students for employment. <br />When I mentioned that Ms. Gudmundsen has submitted a certificate <br />of completion of 800 hours of training in Basic Swedish Massage, <br />the representative of Sister Rosalind's School was shocked. She <br />said that their school has a 48 -hour Swedish Massage course. She <br />indicated that Swedish Massage is not that complicated, and <br />reported that they have a 650 -hour program which includes Swedish <br />Massage as well as many other types of massage, anatomy courses, <br />etc. <br />I next talked with Paul Thomas, Mn Higher Education Coordinating <br />Board, (296- 9693). Mr. Thomas reported that the Touch of Life <br />School has been operating for a few years as an avocational <br />school. The school was sold to Carmen Perezo in approximately <br />the fall of 1995. Ms. Perezo has submitted an application for <br />licensing to the MN Higher Education Coordinating Board. <br />However, the application is incomplete. Therefore, Touch of Life <br />can legally operate only as an avocational school at this time. <br />Page 3 <br />