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AcupressureAcupressure as a Career
Similar to other healing modalities, Acupressure requires no special equipment, creams or materials except for a comfortable chair and/or massage-type bed for the client. Some practitioners own their own business or work for a small practice, others work in tandem with alternative/oriental medicine practitioners.
Although Acupressure is not regulated, formal Acupressure training usually includes an education in the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine (which includes a thorough understanding the principles of energetic healing, including the energy channels throughout the body and the network of Acupressure points located along these meridians, five element theory, and yin/yang concepts, etc.).
Practitioners of other energy healing modalities such as Reiki, Quantum Touch, and therapeutic massage, sometimes chooses to enhance their services by offering Acupressure, but decide against formal certification and simply choose to take a short course in Acupressure fundamentals.
Acupressure Certification & Licensing
Although regulations exist for the certification of other Asian healing therapies such as Acupuncture, Acupressure is not regulated and there is currently no widely accepted credentialing agency that exists.
Within the U. S., the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) offers several certification programs for practitioners of oriental bodywork therapy, including Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology and Asian Bodywork Therapy. These courses also encompass acupressure. The NCCAOM is a non-profit organization established in 1982. At the request of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia, NCCAOM created the Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT) National Certification Exam. Obtaining this certification gives national recognition of a practitioner's training and competency via testing by certifying those who pass the test, and allowing the practitioner to use the title “Diplomat of ABT.”
The aim of this national certification is to assist in supporting the broader acceptance of Acupressure and other oriental therapies as professional healthcare modalities, assisting in the increase of public awareness. As many states require certification by the NCAAOM for Acupuncture, and as more states begin to require certification for other healing modalities, a national certification gives substantial credibility and may become valuable for those practicing Asian healing modalities such as Acupressure.
ABT certification requires 500 hours of education at a school accredited by the NCCAOM, a $400 application fee and a $300 exam fee (fees quoted from the 2008 course handbook and fee schedule). Schools accredited by the NCCAOM typically offer Asian Bodywork Therapy courses which include Acupressure and range from 500-850 hours or more.
Training in Acupressure may also be offered through massage schools or independent schools for healing therapies. These schools may or may not be accredited by the NCCAOM (accreditation will determine if education hours may be counted towards the 500 hours required for the NCCAOM certification, if that is an educational goal).
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