Continuing Education Requirements
Once you’ve achieved ARCB national certification, you are required to earn 12 hours of continuing education (CE) every 2 years. Your 2-year CE period begins January 1st of the year following the year you achieved certification. The 12 CE hours may be a combination of activities/courses, or a single activity/course which meets or exceeds the total requirements. CE hours may include classes/workshops taught in other countries and may include on-line, telephone or correspondence courses. You are responsible for selecting an activity/course that has been ARCB approved, or you may apply to ARCB for advance approval to take a non-approved activity/course or complete an independent study project. Applications for approval of independent study projects or non-approved activities/courses must be received at least 6 weeks before the end of your 2-year CE period.
Certificants who are at least 70 years of age and who have already completed at least 24 hours of continuing education since their initial ARCB certification are exempt from the CE requirement. It is the responsibility of the certificant to notify the ARCB office and submit a copy of a government-issued identification to verify their age.
Certificants who do not achieve and/or evidence required CE hours will be reminded to do so by the ARCB office. See the FAQs below for more information about how to correct this problem. If you fail to correct the issue, you will be placed in lapsed status and must return your ARCB certification documentation and pin as well as remove all ARCB logos and information from your website and marketing materials.
3 Ways to Earn CE Credit
ARCB-approved activities / courses
Certificants receive a quarterly e-mail listing of ARCB-approved activities/courses. The providers in this listing have applied to ARCB for CE approval of the activity/course and ARCB has already approved the course or activity and the corresponding CE hours. This listing is posted in the Certificants Login area of this site. No advance approval from ARCB is required to attend these activities/courses. Simply pay the provider’s fee and complete the activity/course. At the end of your 2-year CE period, you must submit the ARCB-Approved CE Attestation Form. There is no need to provide verification of attendance with the form. Note, however, that we randomly audit certificants and request verification of attendance, so make certain to save the verification of attendance/completion that you receive from the provider of the ARCB-approved activity/course in case you are one of those selected for audit.
Non-approved activities / courses
Certificants may request ARCB authorization to attend an activity/course sponsored by a provider who has not arranged ARCB CE approval. All non-approved activities/courses must relate to the field or practice of reflexology or contribute to the certificant’s effectiveness as a professional. For example, a reflexology-specific course such as pain management or maternity techniques, an integrative course such as reflexology and Chinese medicine theory, reiki or essential oils, attending a state reflexology association conference, attending a first aid, marketing or business finance course. To request authorization for a non-approved activity/course, complete and submit the App for Independent or Non-ARCB Approved Study form together with your $25 non-refundable fee prior to attending the activity, allowing at least 30 days for ARCB review and approval. All activities must be completed prior to December 31st of your 2-year CE period and an Independent or Non-ARCB Approved Study Completion form must be submitted to verify completion.
Independent Study
Certificants may perform an independent study project designed to expand the scope of current skills and knowledge needed to promote a Reflexologist’s technical and professional development beyond basics. Such activities may include volunteering services as a Reflexologist in a research project, studying the work of a particular author, writing articles, delivering lectures, teaching, or working on a state or national reflexology association board or committee. Please see additional detail below regarding some of these activities. All independent studies must relate to the field or practice of reflexology or contribute the certificant’s effectiveness as a professional. To request authorization for independent study, complete and submit the App for Independent or Non-ARCB Approved Study form together with your $25 non-refundable fee prior to performing the activity, allowing at least 30 days for ARCB review and approval. All activities must be completed prior to December 31st of your 2-year CE period and an Independent or Non-ARCB Approved Study Completion Form form must be submitted to verify completion.
Volunteer Activities – Typically approved volunteer activities are (a) for the purpose of conducting research studies or (b) for active service on a committee or the board of directors of a state or national reflexology board or association. For research, your application should present a detailed plan of the proposed study, including information about intended participants, frequency, duration, location of sessions and study goals. You must be able to document how this activity will contribute to your own practice and/or to the advancement of reflexology as a profession, as well as evidencing that the activity continued or enhanced your education.
Lectures – You may develop and deliver a lecture once or multiple times to different audiences, provided the work enhanced your professional Reflexologist knowledge base.
Teaching – You may submit initial planning and curriculum development of a new reflexology class to be delivered in a classroom or as a distance learning course. You must be able to document how the activity relates to enhancing your own practice or and/or the field of reflexology.
Other Types of Independent Study – You must be able to articulate what the proposed project is designed to teach you, how it will be conducted, and how it will enrich your practice or growth as a professional Reflexologist.