Massage therapists must be licensed

I would like to comment on an article published in the Yuma Sun which stated that the people from the Smile Spa Massage in Somerton were performing some "legitimate" massages in addition to providing illegal sexual services. No self-respecting licensed massage therapist would work in a "massage parlor."

For your information, Arizona has had a massage therapy board for about six years now. Only those people who are licensed are supposed to be performing massage therapy or calling themselves massage therapists.

When I first read about this incident, I checked with the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy and not one of those "massage therapists" names came up as being licensed.

If you would like to find a qualified massage therapist in your area, visit the Arizona Massage Therapy Board Web site at www.massageboard.az.gov and click on "Find a Therapist". It will give you a choice to type in a person’s first name, last name or city, state and ZIP code.

If your therapist does not come up on the list, he or she is not licensed in this state. Also listed at this Web site are the "Rules and Laws" pertaining to licensure requirements in Arizona. These requirements are as strict as they would be for any other licensed professional such as a counselor, doctor, nurse, social worker or other professionals who work in this state.

We are required to have our license on display in our office or available for anyone to check it who may ask us for it. This is explained to all licensed massage therapists when they receive their first massage license in the mail.

LAUREL VORNDAM, Licensed Massage Therapist