See Something, Say Something.

Michelle Anderson

ACE, NASM, LMT

Illinois investigations are complaint driven; if a complaint is
not made, there can be no investigation.
As AMTA members, we have a duty to act according to our
Standards of Practice. We agree to uphold these tenets when we
choose to join AMTA. If we have knowledge of a therapist or
business that 1. provides services that are adverse to the practice
of massage and bodywork therapy or 2. practice massage without
a massage license we should follow the steps outlined below.

• File a complaint with the https://idfpr.illinois.gov/admin/
complaints.asp and select “Professional Regulation”and
keep a copy of the report.
• File a complaint with the local police department and keep
notes with who you spoke with, the time and date, and the
phone numbers and addresses.
• Follow up and follow through to drive action toward a
positive outcome. Maintain a complete file of your
communications, with copies of complaints filed; contact
information of people you speak to about your complaint;
and a record of dates, times, and methods of
communication (i.e. phone, text, email).

As licensed professionals and members of the American Massage
Therapy Association, many of us are concerned about the public’s
perception of who we are and what we actually do.We believe
there is a lot of confusion resulting from the many questionable
business establishments that, although they are legitimate and
provide massage and bodywork modalities, frequently use their

business to include illicit services.
Businesses that use the legitimacy of massage therapy as a ruse:
• Denigrate the image of massage and bodywork practice
• Endanger legitimate massage therapists and massage
therapy business establishments
• Diminish property values in neighborhoods
• Imperil the well-being of people who live and work near
these locations

Change can sometimes be a slow process, but it can only
happen with consistent action. When many members
persevere and act in the same way, change becomes a
groundswell that demands action. It’s like the Pennsylvania
Dutch saying, “Many hands make light work.” If we all do a
little bit to educate the public and make law enforcement
aware of our discontent, we can change the image of our
profession.