We are often asked about certification, and if the question is will you have a certificate then the answer is YES you will have a certificate of completion.

The meaning of certification though is a larger and very important topic, and involves hundreds of hours of study, many direct practice hours, ongoing CE fulfillment, and independent third party endorsement. As of yet there is no neutral, third party certification standard for the specialized field of oncology massage and/or skin care.

What GTD education programs can do for you is provide you with a clear and well-informed knowledge base helping you understand and apply the modifications required from estheticians and massage therapists for clients in or with a cancer treatment history.

Certification

If your objective is to work toward oncology certification, then once you have completed a foundation oncology program recognized through S4OM, you should continue to develop your skills through direct practice hours, self-study and advanced education such as:

• Supervised client clinics

• Work-study internships

• Aromatherapy in healthcare

• Advanced treatments

• Risk management practices

• Ethics & Therapeutic Relationships

• Professional boundaries

• Presence at end-of-life

• Mentorship engagement

If appropriate to your specialized field of interest your advanced studies should also include:

• Hospital-based programs

• In and out patient internships

• Scar tissue mobilization,

• Acupressure and reflexology,

• Manual Lymphatic Drainage specifically for people with a history of cancer treatment

Working toward Certification

GTD is a Continuing Education Approved Provider

BRN

California Board of Registered

Nursing, Provider # CEP 14934

NCBTMB

National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, Provider # 450129-06

S4OM

Society for Oncology Massage

ISOE

International Society of Oncology Estheticians

GTD courses are developed and reviewed by US board certified physicians, nurses, skin care and massage therapists.

Although no organization currently exists that provides endorsement or accreditation for a recognized "Certification standard" in oncology massage or skin care , we are committed to preparing therapists for when a national Certification standard is in place.

S4OM past president Lauren Cates speaks to the importance and process of formalizing certification. All the information Lauren shares in this short clip is great. For certification specific info see video at 8:40.