CMT, LMT? What do they mean?

If you've seen any massage therapist's business cards or advertisements, you've most likely seen the letters of CMT or LMT after their name. Did you wonder what these letters stood for? Sometimes titles can be confusing if you are not in the industry of what these titles mean, like counselors or psychologists... I never know what all those letters mean after their names.

CMT stands for 'certified massage therapist' and is a therapist that is certified from a credited school of massage therapy and/or certified through a national certification process. LMT means 'licensed massage therapist' and is a therapist that is either licensed in their state, county or city, depending on where they live. Thirty-nine of our states have laws passed to regulate massage and the bodywork profession. California is not one of those states. A massage therapist in California must pay for their licensing in either the county or city that they choose to work in.

Does it mean a lot to have these titles after your name. I personally don't think so. In my almost 7 years of practice I have only been asked once if I'm licensed. And that wasn't even by a potential employer. I can't recall where someones actually asked me what they might mean either. However, now that I think about it, I don't use these titles after my name anyway, lol. I just choose not to. However, do the legal thing and I am certified and I am licensed in my county.