Exploring How Approved Providers Help Elevate the Profession: A Conversation with Three Practicing APs

Continuing education (CE) is more than a professional requirement for massage therapists—it is a commitment to growth, lifelong learning, and providing exceptional care. As the profession evolves, continuing education helps therapists sharpen their skills, deepen their understanding, and better serve their clients.

At the center of that learning are Approved Providers (APs): educators and organizations that create continuing education courses that meet the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork’s (NCBTMB) standards for quality and professionalism.

To better understand the impact of becoming an Approved Provider, AMTA spoke with three experienced APs: Cindy E. Farrar, LMT, AMTA Immediate Past President; Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, founder of Precision Neuromuscular Therapy (PNMT); and Whitney Lowe, LMT, nationally recognized educator and author. Together, they shared how they became educators, what AP status means to them, and why continuing education is essential to the future of massage therapy.

What Is an Approved Provider?

Approved Providers are educators and organizations recognized by the NCBTMB for delivering high-quality continuing education for massage therapists.

To become an AP, providers must meet instructor qualifications, submit courses for approval, and uphold the organization’s Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Standards of Practice. The designation signals a commitment to thoughtful, evidence-informed education designed to help therapists grow professionally and clinically.

For massage therapists, AP status offers reassurance that a course has been developed with care, intention, and accountability.

The Journey to Becoming an Approved Provider

Like many paths within the massage therapy profession, the journey to becoming an Approved Provider is specific to each individual.

For Doug Nelson, teaching began in 1993 when he became a teaching assistant and then instructor for another continuing educational program. By 1997, he had transitioned into independent continuing education instruction and became an Approved Provider.

“I felt like a little kid,” Doug says of those early years. “I couldn’t wait to share new information with my peers.”

Today, he has devoted more than 14,000 hours to teaching and remains passionate about helping therapists grow personally and professionally.

Cindy Farrar’s passion for CE instruction ignited more than a decade after she began teaching at the Atlanta School of Massage. In 2015, she co-taught a course at the AMTA National Convention in Pittsburgh titled “How to Maintain Your Passion While Igniting Passion in Your Students.”

That experience opened the door to new opportunities—and eventually led to a pivotal conversation at an AMTA Minnesota Chapter event. When Cindy mentioned she was not an Approved Provider, someone at the table offered simple advice:

“Well, become one.”

Cindy had a handful of courses in mind, so she took this as the final encouragement she needed. Soon after, she officially became both a CE provider and an AP.

Whitney Lowe’s path into education began in the late-1980s, when he began teaching alongside his mentor and friend, Benny Vaughn. Through that relationship, Whitney witnessed the early development of professional standards in massage education, including the creation of the NCBTMB and the Approved Provider designation.

Recognizing the importance of structured, high-quality education, Whitney became one of the profession’s earliest Approved Providers. Today, his career is devoted entirely to massage education.

More Than a Credential

For Cindy, Doug, and Whitney, becoming an Approved Provider represents far more than a credential: it carries a responsibility—to students, clients, and the profession itself. All three noted that continuing education only elevates the profession when it is meaningful, well-designed, and grounded in quality information.

“The skills of being a great therapist and educator are not the same,” Doug explains. “You need depth of experience and communication expertise.”

Whitney notes that the AP process pushes educators to think critically about instructional design, learning outcomes, and how students absorb and apply information.

“Becoming an AP does require you to focus on important structural design principles,” he says, “helping to establish standards and a level of quality around CE programs.”

That intentionality matters. Strong continuing education supports stronger clinical reasoning, more-informed therapists, and ultimately, better client care.

Doug also believes good educators must remain humble enough to continue learning themselves. He shares that his CE are “shaped by a deep knowledge of the research literature and decades of real world clinical experience,” and that it is important, as educators, that “we know of what we speak.”

At the same time, he embraces what he calls “the productive struggle of not knowing”—recognizing that massage therapy is an evolving field and that learning should never truly stop.

Continuing Education as a Lifelong Practice

For all three educators, creating continuing education is not simply about helping therapists meet renewal requirements: it is about cultivating their curiosity and encouraging them to evolve throughout their careers. As APs and instructors, part of their responsibility is to kindle that desire to learn, both within themselves and the practitioners they teach. With this goal in mind, it is important that CE are updated to make sure they are pertinent, evidence-informed, and applicable for practitioners.

Embodying that idea, a recurring theme throughout our conversations was the phrase, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” All three APs find that it is vital to be inspired by that unknown and that finding ways to answer questions and problem-solve through innovation is a cornerstone of the profession.

Doug finds that the responsibility of being an AP reinforces his desire to stay current, adapt to new evidence, and learn alongside students and colleagues.

For Cindy, AP status demonstrates that an educator has invested time and care into creating thoughtful, responsible educational experiences.

“It’s a way of being vetted,” she explains.

Whitney describes being an AP as an “evolutionary process,” wherein he is always focused on becoming a better educator so he can best instruct his students. In his CE, he focuses on learning principles to help strengthen practitioner’s critical thinking skills and ability to apply their education to their practice. “There are a lot of ways to meet requirements,” he says, “but not all of them are entirely beneficial.”

The goal, they all agree, is not simply to teach techniques or share information, but to encourage therapists to think critically, continue asking questions, and evolve to best support their clients.

Advice for Therapists Considering Becoming an AP

For therapists interested in becoming educators, all three emphasize the importance of purpose, preparation, and patience.

Doug encourages aspiring instructors to stay connected to why they want to teach in the first place. Being clear about what is drawing you to become an AP educator will help when things, inevitably, get tough.

Whitney recommends learning about instructional design and course development before beginning the AP process. He also emphasizes that building effective CE is a challenge; by focusing on these elements, educators will have a strong foundation to build effective education.

Cindy’s advice is simple: “Try it out and ask questions. If you want to go forward with it, don’t be afraid of the process.” She encourages therapists to explore gaps in continuing education and identify where their own experiences and insights could benefit the profession.

Lighting the Fire

Approved Providers do more than teach courses—they help shape the future of massage therapy. Through rigorous education, thoughtful mentorship, and a commitment to lifelong learning, APs help therapists to continue advancing their skills, improving client care, and growing throughout their careers.

For Cindy, one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is knowing that what happens in the classroom ultimately impacts what happens in the treatment room. She emphasizes, “That’s why we do what we do.”

Doug believes great continuing education reminds therapists that learning is never finished:

“Really good education should give you a base and communicate to you that this is just the beginning. In your career, you are constantly going to be learning and facing new challenges that you must then embrace—but all of that leads to a richer experience, both personally and professionally.”

Their shared philosophy is perhaps best captured by the words of Plutarch:

“Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.”

That spirit of curiosity, growth, and passion for learning is at the heart of what Approved Providers bring to the profession. Through continuing education, they are not only helping therapists build skills, but they are also helping ignite a lifelong pursuit of knowledge that elevates the massage therapy profession and evolves to meet the needs of our diverse client population.

AMTA’s Commitment to High-Quality Continuing Education

As an organization dedicated to supporting the massage therapy profession, AMTA strongly believes in the value of continuing education.

AMTA’s annual National Convention offers therapists the opportunity to learn from 44 continuing education sessions which are rigorously vetted and approved by the NCBTMB and state boards. In addition, AMTA’s online CE library includes more than 150 courses covering topics ranging from self-care and business practices to fascial therapy and cupping.

By prioritizing accessible, high-quality education, AMTA remains committed to helping massage therapists expand their knowledge, strengthen their skills, and provide exceptional care throughout their careers.