Recertification!!

It is that time again... CBMT recertification time! I sent off my application for recertification this morning in the wee small hours of the morning. This is the fifth time that I've done this process, and I can tell you that I am happy to do so each time.

I feel that being board-certified is an important part of being a music therapist. I have never thought otherwise. I've worked with people who have not felt that being certified was important. It baffled me that a professional would not want to keep up with changes in their profession. It continues to baffle me.

There are many arguments -
  • I can't seem to get my 100 hours done. Really? It's only 20 hours per year, and I can get hours for every required training that I have to take at work already. I can get hours for CPR/First Aid, Behavior Crisis Management Training, and other requirements once per cycle. Go to a conference - 5 automatic credits. Present - another bunch of credits. Attend a course - more and more. Train an intern - 4 credits per year! I have never had any problem collecting 100 CMTEs.
  • It's too expensive. When you consider how much money it takes to be part of AMTA every year (another thing I feel should be a requirement, but that is a whole other blog post), CBMT is a steal! At $80 per year, I can continue to be certified. I feel that paying my maintenance fee every year is MUCH better than having to take the test and pay for that!
  • What are they doing for me? One word - advocacy. There will be a time when music therapists will have state recognition and/or licenses. This trend will ensure that trained and current therapists will be the only ones who can legally provide music therapy services. CBMT and AMTA are partnering in this effort, and they are making gains!
I am looking forward to sending my certificate to my employer as soon as it arrives in my mailbox. It demonstrates that I am a music therapist, interested in learning as much as I can about music, and applying that interest to the music therapy interactions that I provide to my clients every day.

I hope you have joined me in being a member of CBMT... and AMTA... 

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