Back to All Courses

Ethics for Massage Therapists

Ethics for Massage Therapists
4 CE Hours
$45.00

Cost includes all materials. Shipping, if applicable, is a flat rate.


Learn the fundamental ethical and professional responsibilities of massage therapists. This 4-hour continuing education course provides an overview of professional ethics, scope of practice, confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, sexual conduct, dual relationships, business practices, and record keeping.

Whether you are reviewing ethics requirements or looking to strengthen your understanding of professional responsibilities, this course provides practical information to help you make ethical decisions and maintain appropriate standards of practice throughout your massage therapy career.

In this course, you will learn:

  • The principles of professional ethics in massage therapy
  • Ethical guidelines and standards of practice
  • Scope of practice and professional responsibilities
  • Informed consent and client confidentiality
  • Professional boundaries and appropriate client relationships
  • Transference, sexual conduct, and dual relationships
  • Ethical considerations in business practices
  • Proper documentation and record keeping
  • SOAP charting and professional documentation
  • How ethical standards support safe and professional client care

Why Take This Course?

Ethical decisions are part of everyday massage therapy practice. Understanding professional boundaries, informed consent, confidentiality, scope of practice, and appropriate client relationships can help massage therapists protect both themselves and their clients.

This 4-hour course provides a practical review of ethical principles and professional standards, making it a useful option for massage therapists who need ethics continuing education or want to strengthen their knowledge of responsible professional practice.

  • Define professional ethics and explain their importance in massage therapy.
  • Describe ethical guidelines and standards of professional practice.
  • Explain the importance of practicing within an appropriate scope of practice.
  • Describe informed consent and client confidentiality requirements.
  • Identify appropriate professional boundaries and client relationships.
  • Recognize ethical concerns involving transference, sexual conduct, and dual relationships.
  • Describe appropriate documentation and record-keeping practices.
  • Explain how ethical decision-making supports professional and responsible client care.
  • Text: Ethics for Massage Therapists by Corrine Mollet Rubida, BS, LMT, 28 pages
  • Course instruction guide
  • 32-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 hours 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.

To the point, easy, well outlined, mail option was nice! - Rose Lee Fleming, LMT

Very pleased with quality of info in your courses. - Rebecca McCarthy, LMT

The information is valuable and held my interest throughout. - A. McKim, LMT

The course was to the point. – Nicholas Henry, LMT

I like that I am able to take this course at home. - M. Boucher, LMT

I like that the information on "Ethics for massage Therapists" was easy to obtain, relate to and understand. and that the process was well explained. - K. McKinney, LMT

This course was accessible to a blind person using a screen reader, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! - Jamie R., LMT

What is ethics?
A.    A system or set of rules and laws that are set by massage regulating boards
B.    A system or set of moral rules, principles, or ideas that govern an individual’s behavior
C.    A system or set of ideas which state that massage therapists do not have to follow rules
D.    A system or set of laws and regulations that must be followed in order to practice massage

What is informed consent?
A.    Something that is either verbal or written
B.    When the client knows and understands the nature of massage therapy
C.    When the client knows and understands the procedure and the risks involved
D.    All of the above

What does the acronym SOAP stand for?
A.    Setting up, Objective, Action, Progress
B.    Subjective, Operation, Assessment, Point
C.    Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
D.    Swedish, Operation, Action, Progress

Course Author

About the Instructor

Corrine Rubida

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.