AMTA Vermont Chapter

06/14/2026

Good morning AMTA Vermont Chapter members,

We hope you are having a good start to your weekend and are staying cool 😎

At times during our discussions and presentations about massage licensure in Vermont. We will mention the OPR - Office of Professional Regulation Sunrise Reports. OPR which falls under the office of the Vermont Secretary of State is the entity that registers massage therapists in Vermont.

Since the question, “why does OPR choose to register massage therapists and not license them” is a reoccurring the question that repeatedly comes up for the chapter. We will mention in our responses to the question, that registration for the state is based on reports that OPR did called the Sun Rise reports.

We wanted to share those reports with you so that you can read them and know what they say. They will give you some idea why OPR is using them to justify their stance on registration and not licensure.

CLICK ON OR COPY THE LINKS BELOW 👇
1/5/16 -https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Legislative-Reports/MT-Sunrise-Report-OPR-2016-1-5.pdf

1/15/20 -https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Legislative-Reports/Massage-Therapy-Addendum-FINAL-2020.pdf

3/29/24 -https://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Legislative-Reports/Act-178-2020-OPR-Assessment-of-Massage-Therapy-Bodyworker-and-Touch-Professional-Regulation.pdf

As always, we will continue to work towards licensure for the state, and we will continue to keep you informed of our progress. We encourage you to check in regularly to see what is happening and to see how you as a community may be able to get the word out and help.


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06/13/2026

Celebrating today because it Global Wellness Day

Every year, Global Wellness Day adopts a specific overarching theme. The 2026 theme is . It spotlights joy as a daily practice and a powerful tool for resilience, creativity, and deeper connection, reminding people to celebrate life through simple, everyday moments.

Around the world, millions of individuals, communities, and corporate organizations celebrate by participating in free, accessible activities, including:
*Sunrise yoga and outdoor fitness class
*Screen-free time and mindful nature walks
*Community- wellness activations, and healthy eating events

ENJOY THE DAY 🌞

06/13/2026

Important: Please Stay Alert for Scam Emails ⛔

Dear AMTA Volunteers,

Several recent communications have appeared to come from trusted individuals (such as Rick Greely) but are actually spam. We often see an increase in spam emails and texts when new AMTA volunteers are installed. Please follow these best practices:

1. Verify the sender’s email address. Hover your mouse over the sender’s name to view the actual email address. If it is not from an .org domain, please ignore and delete the message. Be watchful for any misspellings in the name or email address. If you’re uncertain about an email, you may forward it to one of us to ask if it is legit.

2. Be cautious with attachments or links, and never click on anything questionable. A link may display as something like onewebsite.com or “click here” but could redirect to a different, potentially malicious site. Hover your mouse over the link without clicking it. If the previewed URL seems unrelated to the message, it is likely SPAM.

3. Never send payments or respond to financial requests, even if you recognize the name. This includes requests to purchase gift cards, pay a vendor or individual, or to transfer funds. AMTA will not make this type of request via email. If you have a question, call the sender using a phone number that you know is theirs.

4. Be cautious of Microsoft-related security prompts. Do not respond to unsolicited requests for password resets or multi-factor authentication actions.

Staying aware of these best practices helps protect both you and the Association from potential security risks.

Thank you,
AMTA Chapter Relations

06/11/2026

AMTA Submits Comments Opposing DoEd Proposal That Could Limit Federal Aid for Massage Students

https://www.amtamassage.org/about/news/dept-of-ed-amta-comment-letter/

AMTA offers you more for less. Enjoy member discounts that help you run and manage your massage therapy practice when you join AMTA.

06/11/2026

Sharing this upcoming workshop for our Vermont members.

This is not an official AMTA Vermont Chapter event, but it is being held in Vermont and is being presented by an instructor who is a member of AMTA.

Intro to Somatic Principles workshop in Brandon VT on Monday July 27

CHECK IT OUT 🧐

06/09/2026

Help Us Improve AMTA Member Discounts
Share your feedback and help us improve AMTA’s member discount offerings by taking this short survey by June 12.

2026 AMTA Member Benefits and Discounts Survey
https://www.research.net/r/57F9X6H

06/07/2026

The New Digital Issue of Massage Therapy Journal Has Arrived 😀

CLICK ON OR COPY THE LINK BELOW 👇
https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/digital-editions/mtj-summer-2026-digital-edition/

06/06/2026

AMTA Vermont Chapter would like to say welcome our newest American Massage Therapy Association - AMTA members who live in Vermont 😃

Jana Andrus
Bethany Bedford
Alyse Cerone
Blythe Chouinard
Molly Hier
Lauren Maxwell
Treat Meier
Nikesh Pokhrel
Joseph Shields

06/05/2026

Good morning,

On Wednesday, Vermont’s Massage Therapy, Body Workers, & Touch Professionals Advisor meeting took place. We are currently waiting for OPR – Office of Professional Regulation to post the video of the meeting so that you may watch the proceedings. Once they do, we will post it.

The main topic for the meeting was a legislative update regarding the new bill which would require massage establishments to register their businesses if the business offers massage therapy, body workers, and/or touch practices. If passed (and most likely will), the bill will affect only businesses that have two or more professionals, which means if you are a single entity practice, you will not have to register your business. Those establishments that have 2 practitioners will pay a discounted rate to register their business, while establishments with 3 or more practitioners will pay $275.

After the presentation and slight discussion of bill that is being considered. The meeting was opened to the public for comment. As expected, most of the public comment was not about the new bill. Instead, it was mainly about massage within the state of Vermont. Various questions and statements that were asked or expressed.

• What is the function of Massage Therapy, Body Workers, & Touch Professionals Advisor board?
• How often do they meet?
• Why are two of the members of the board who have termed out their positions still on the board?
• Some attendees expressed concern that they do not feel heard by the board or OPR The board or OPR are not working in their interest. However, others do feel that the board and OPR are.
• There was expressed concerned that massage therapy, body workers, & touch professionals’ community have applied to serve on the board and have not been accepted or even informed that their application has been received.
• The biggest part of the discussion was about Human Trafficking and why registration is needed and how licensure is not.

As we mentioned, we will post the video of the meeting for the community to review. We would like to see your comments and thoughts in the comments section.

As always, AMTA Vermont Chapter will continue to work to keep you informed about the happening within the Vermont massage therapy community. In addition, we will continue to work on improving the standards in the community as well.

06/05/2026

Download the American Massage Therapy Association - AMTA Convention Brochure

Get a glimpse of everything happening at Convention plus tips for exploring Denver to make the most of your Convention experience.

CLICK ON OR COPY THE LINK BELOW 👇
https://www.amtamassage.org/globalassets/documents/continuing-education/amta-26-national-conv-denver-reg-bro_final.pdf