Testimony on House Bill 81 — Andrea Wiener, Feldenkrais Guild of North America (May 24, 2021)

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Testimony on House Bill 81 dated May 24, 2021, to the House Labor and Commerce Committee, written on behalf of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America (FGNA) and signed with the name Andrea Wiener, FGNA Government Relations Administrator. It states FGNA has eight Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teachers in Ohio and that HB 81 could affect their right to practice the Feldenkrais Method of somatic education. It requests that the bill be amended so it is clear that it does not apply to Feldenkrais teachers and others who do not practice massage therapy, and states there has been no allegation of criminal activity in Ohio under the guise of the practice of the Feldenkrais Method.

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                                                                                             401 Edgewater Place, Suite 600, Wakefield MA 01880
                                                                                                          Tel: 781.876.8935 | Fax: 781.645.1322
                                                                                                                           www.feldenkrais.com




                                                             HB 81
                                              House Labor and Commerce Committee
                                                          May 24, 2021

Chair Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and members of the Committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on House Bill 81, a bill to revise laws governing
massage establishments and massage therapy. I am writing on behalf of the Feldenkrais Guild of
North America (FGNA). FGNA has eight Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teachers® in Ohio, and HB 81
could affect their right to practice the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education.

Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teachers use movement and attention to bring about increased
awareness and improved functioning through experiential learning. Since HB 81 is intended to
regulate the practice of massage therapy, we request that the bill be amended, so it is clear that it
does not apply to Feldenkrais® teachers and others who do not practice massage therapy.

We understand that it is important to update the massage therapy licensure requirements in Ohio to
combat criminal activity that is taking place under the guise of legitimate massage therapy. However,
if the proposed definition of massage therapy is interpreted to apply to the practice of the
Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education, it would impose unfair and unnecessary requirements on
our certified teachers, whose training and practice is completely different than that of massage
therapists. Furthermore, there has been no allegation of criminal activity taking place in Ohio under
the guise of the practice of the Feldenkrais Method.

Therefore, FGNA requests that Section 1 of the bill be amended by adding an exemption to Sec.
4731.15 (F) of the Revised Code, for persons who:
   (a) use touch, words, and directed movement to deepen awareness of existing patterns of
       movement as well as to suggest new possibilities of movement; and
   (b) are recognized by or meet the established standards of either a professional organization or
       credentialing body that represents or certifies the respective practice based on a minimum
       level of training, demonstration of competency, and adherence to ethical standards.

Similar amendments have been supported by the US Trager Association, the International Somatic
Movement Education and Therapy Association, and the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association
of North America, and similar language has been adopted in other states, with support of the
American Massage Therapy Association and other members of the Federation of Therapeutic
Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Practice Organizations.

Exemptions for the practice of the Feldenkrais Method are in effect in most states that regulate the
practice of massage therapy, including Massachusetts, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and
Wisconsin.
The following are service marks, trademarks, or certification marks of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America: Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Functional
Integration®, Awareness Through Movement®, ATM®, FI®, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®, and Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerCM.
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The Feldenkrais Method is effective for those seeking to improve posture, movement and function. It
is held in high regard by professionals in other fields, and has been the subject of extensive research.1
Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® classes and Functional Integration® lessons are used
by children, seniors, athletes, musicians and people with special needs and neurological conditions.
Some lessons include gentle, non-invasive, and non-corrective touch, to guide attention and promote
learning. (See http://www.feldenkrais.com)

FGNA and its predecessor have developed and enforced internationally recognized accreditation and
certification standards for the Feldenkrais Method since 1977. Only Guild Certified Feldenkrais
Teachers and authorized trainees can use FGNA’s registered service marks, including Feldenkrais®,
Feldenkrais Method® and others. Teachers who are not certified would not be eligible for the
proposed exemption.

Massage licensure requirements are not appropriate for Feldenkrais teachers. As stated in our
Standards of Practice, the Feldenkrais Method is an educational system and is not massage. It does
not pose a risk to public safety. Certified teachers have undertaken a minimum of 800 hours of
specialized training that is completely different from the curriculum for massage therapy. Teachers
are required to adhere to FGNA’s Standards of Practice, Code of Professional Conduct and Grievance
Protocol, and fulfill continuing competency requirements and renew certification annually.

Thank you for considering our request to amend HB 81. Please feel free to contact me if you have
further questions.

Sincerely,


Andrea Wiener
FGNA Government Relations Administrator
andrea.wiener@feldenkraisguild.com
781.557.8276


1
 Hillier S, and Worley A. The Effectiveness of the Feldenkrais Method: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Evidence-
Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015, Article ID 752160. Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/752160


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