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My Massage Therapy Career Journey
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 06:02 PM
Inspiration Behind the NHPC
To mark the end of our 35th anniversary celebration, we are excited to share a special guest blog with David Bergmark, one of the inspirations behind the NHPC.
Getting Started in Massage Therapy
Intuitively grasping the importance of touch, I made a decision that would lead to a lifetime devoted to the healing art of massage therapy.
At the age of 19, I picked up a copy of "The Massage Book" by George Downing (which I believe, to this day, remains one of the best introductory massage books).
I embarked on a journey from New York to the serene landscape of New Brunswick, Canada, as part of the back-to-the-land movement.
My journey didn't come without doubts. At one point, I was afraid. What if I fail? Oh, my goodness, this could be hard. But a friend's wisdom echoed, "David, you're allowed to fail."
I spent a winter in near-complete isolation in a little shack I had built, and being so alone, it was easy to identify my emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs.
I recognized the potential of massage therapy to meet all of those needs. I made inquiries to nearly 20 schools across the United States and Canada. Fate led me to a school recommended to me as the best in North America: the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy.
My journey didn't come without doubts. At one point, I was afraid. What if I fail? Oh, my goodness, this could be hard. But a friend's wisdom echoed, "David, you're allowed to fail."
And so, with courage and determination, the path led to my graduation in 1980, marking the beginning of a new chapter.
Post-graduation, the plan was to travel across Canada and decide on the next steps. However, a chance encounter in Edmonton altered the course.
I met a naturopathic doctor who sparked a profound inquiry into the depths of self, and its relationship to treatment. He told me that if I align my "higher self" with my conscious self, I will know what to do.
This set the stage for a personal approach to massage therapy not addressed in my academic training.
Massage Therapy School Programs
The integrity of our team, the quality of our instruction, and the level of education allowed the program to flourish.
The landscape of 1979 Edmonton presented its challenges. Massage was often mistakenly associated with body rub, the sex trade, and men's health clubs.
Legitimate professional massage was just gaining a foothold in Canada with Registered Massage Therapists gaining recognition only in Ontario and British Columbia.
To attract new clientele, I had to increase public awareness of the practice and challenge stereotypes through numerous public speaking engagements.
Recognizing the need for higher standards, I got involved with educational institutions like GMCC (Grant MacEwan Community College, now known as MacEwan University) to ensure that massage therapy education received proper recognition.
I offered them my services in an advisory position. They offered me the position of senior instructor to redesign and teach the massage therapy program.
The integrity of our team, the quality of our instruction, and the level of education allowed the program to flourish. MacEwan recognized its responsibility for safe and competent practice and soon increased its hours.
It was a great achievement, but the journey didn't stop there. We faced many divisions across associations and schools, and efforts were made to create unity.
Beginning the In Touch Massage Club
There were three massage therapy associations in Edmonton at the time. I tried to bridge the gap between these groups, but each had their own struggles.
Another barrier was trying to figure out how to increase recognition for the GMCC Massage Therapy Program I thought, there must be more we can do.
With this in mind, five or six years later, three of my students stood before me and said, "Let's make it happen!"
We invited students and practising therapists together to pool money to create an organisation that would meet our growing needs as massage therapists. What began as the In Touch Massage Club in 1988 would eventually evolve into a more significant association (NHPC in 2007).
Reflecting on the years, I acknowledge the pivotal role of students who took the initiative to form an association. I helped them with the educational aspects for the first couple of years, but I purposefully never sat on the executive.
From the early days, the In Touch Massage Club moved quickly to expand beyond the confines of a single instructor's influence. As an instructor, I didn't want to directly influence or control the club. It had to come from the membership and be built from the bottom up, not the top down.
The evolution continued as the club became an association that broadened its scope to include diverse modalities. To be honest, I was not in favour of that, but I kept quiet. I knew it had to be their decision to make, and they were right!
As an instructor, no matter how wonderful I might have been, the only thing that counts is what students take away with them. Looking back, I have pride not in personal achievements but in the generations of students who carried the torch forward, shaping the profession in ways I could only imagine.
The journey from self-discovery in a New Brunswick shack to legislative advocacy reflected our commitment to the integrity and growth of massage therapy as a recognized and respected profession.
Foundation of Massage Licensing
In Edmonton, securing a license (at the time) meant paying $25.00, meeting GMCC training requirements, and getting approval from the medical health officer and licensing inspector. Therapists from other jurisdictions and training programs were sent to me to determine if their qualifications were sufficient for civic licensure.
Certification didn't exist in Alberta when I started massage. Certification, as we know it now, owes its existence to the associations we founded. These associations became the driving force behind setting standards, introducing board exams, and legitimizing the massage industry.
Eventually, the Alberta government began to seek input from all modalities not included in government acts. After an initial round of briefs, it was clear a unified voice was needed.
We convened in Red Deer to organize our efforts. This diverse group included representatives from various schools and successful professionals in fields like acupuncture and reflexology, all of whom felt the absence of proper regulation.
These associations became the driving force behind setting standards, introducing board exams, and legitimizing the massage industry.
The experience of actively shaping legislation to define our professions was intriguing and exciting. Amidst this legislative journey, I represented and emphasized the importance of massage therapy.
From informal licensing processes to actively participating in legislative acts, the journey has been one of persistence, collaboration, and commitment to maintaining the integrity of our field.
Final Remarks
Reflecting on these foundational moments, it's clear that the certification and recognition of massage therapy as a profession were hard-fought victories.
The legacy of those early efforts is evident today, with a standardized certification process, recognized associations, and a clear pathway for individuals aspiring to become respected massage therapists.
Looking back, I have pride not in personal achievements but in the generations of students who carried the torch forward, shaping the profession in ways I could only imagine.
The profession has evolved, but based on its success, the NHPC enjoys a spirit of integrity, caring, advocacy, and unity that continues to shape its future.
Respectfully,
One World, One People,
David
A Big NHPC Thank You!
Thank you, David, and to everyone who helped us celebrate our 35th anniversary in 2023! We'll see you next year.