Cost includes all materials. Shipping, if applicable, is a flat rate.
Newly updated in September 2026! Learn the fundamentals of professional roles and boundaries in massage therapy. This 2-hour continuing education course introduces massage therapists to scope of practice, professional responsibilities, client-therapist relationships, transference and counter-transference, sexual boundaries, and dual relationships.
Whether you are reviewing professional ethics or looking to strengthen your understanding of appropriate client relationships, this course provides practical information to help massage therapists maintain clear professional boundaries and recognize situations that may compromise the therapist-client relationship.
In this course, you will learn:
The scope of practice and professional limitations of massage therapists
The responsibilities massage therapists have to their clients
The importance of clear professional roles and boundaries
Transference and counter-transference in the therapist-client relationship
How to maintain appropriate professional boundaries
Prevention of sexual behavior between therapists and clients
The risks associated with inappropriate dual relationships
How professional boundaries support safe and ethical client relationships
Why Take This Course?
Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries is an essential part of ethical massage therapy practice. Understanding the therapist's role, scope of practice, and responsibilities can help protect both the client and therapist while supporting a professional therapeutic relationship.
This focused 2-hour course provides a convenient review of roles and boundaries for massage therapists who want to strengthen their professional ethics knowledge or meet an ethics continuing education requirement.
Describe the scope of practice and professional responsibilities of massage therapists.
Explain the importance of clearly defined therapist and client roles.
Identify appropriate professional boundaries in massage therapy.
Describe transference and counter-transference and their potential impact on client relationships.
Recognize behaviors that may cross appropriate professional or sexual boundaries.
Identify risks associated with inappropriate dual relationships.
Explain how maintaining professional boundaries supports ethical and professional client care.
Text: Ethics in Massage – Roles and Boundaries by Corrine Mollet Rubida, BS, LMT, 37 pages
Course instruction guide
15-question multiple-choice final exam
Course evaluation
Certificate of Achievement upon completion
Unlimited phone support for course-related questions
The Center for Massage Therapy Continuing Education, LLC is an Approved Provider through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); Approved Provider number 409296-00.
Our massage online continuing education courses are also accepted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP), and most state boards.
For more information on individual state requirements and approvals, please visit our Approvals page and click on your state.
Loved the online format. Easy to understand and complete. - S. McDaniel, NCBTMB
The information was good. User friendly. Well priced. - M. Reno, LMT
Nice refresher. - T. Wriedt, LMT
Very cost and time effective, met expectations. - Marta Cuboni, LMT
The principle of “Do No Harm” applies to:
A. Only the client’s physical and emotional well-being during the massage session and in their professional relationship
B. The physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the client, therapist, and professional relationship
C. Following business policies and collecting payment
D. Maintaining treatment records only
Which of the following is an appropriate business practice for a massage therapy practice?
A. Establishing clear policies regarding scheduling, cancellations, fees, and communication
B. Changing fees after treatment without informing the client
C. Avoiding written policies so that each client can receive different rules
D. Discussing business policies only after a disagreement occurs
When should a massage therapist consider referring a client to another healthcare professional?
A. Whenever a client asks a question about their massage session
B. When symptoms are new, unexplained, severe, or worsening, or when the condition is outside the therapist’s scope of practice
C. Only when the client specifically requests a referral
D. Only when massage therapy has already caused an adverse reaction
Course Author
About the Instructor
Corrine Rubida, BS, LMT
Corrine completed her massage therapy training at Gateway College of Massage Therapy in 1997 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Administration in 2012. She has been practicing and teaching massage therapy since 1997 and currently holds a massage therapy license in South Dakota. She is also a member of the ABMP. In 2002, Corrine founded the Center for Massage Therapy CE to make professional massage continuing education courses available both online and by mail. Since then, she has developed more than 100 home-study massage continuing education courses and has taught live courses for AMTA and the Gateway College of Massage Therapy.
.jpg)
