No one strategy worked to address the crazy-quilt of massage law problems that popped up for American reflexologists in the spring of 1998. In three months of interviewing, researching, and writing white papers, Barbara and Kevin Kunz have found that solutions to problems surrounding the regulation of reflexology are possible. Reflexologists have a choice of being involved in the process or, at best with an exemption, being consigned a non-therapeutic professional role. In talking to reflexologists, state officials, and massage therapists, it becomes apparent that much of the current confusion has been created by a failure to communicate, misconceptions, and a general lack of knowledge about the process of certifying competency of alternative practitioners.
Solutions lie in education and discussion.
Issues of importance include public safety issues inherent to reflexology practice, means of regulating professions, and the impact of the state's reflexology regulation on consumers, reflexologists and massage therapists. State officials are concerned about public safety issues involving reflexology practice. Many state regulators and massage officials are unaware of the existence of a decades-old reflexology community in America. And, since so many reflexologists practice so many things, they are not aware that the reflexology has created standards of practice. Reflexologists' perception is that untrained massage-licensed reflexologists do pose a danger to the consumer.