The one where we say goodbye…
After a 26 year involvement with AMT, Rebecca Barnett has decided to farewell AMT and embark on new challenges after enjoying some much deserved time off.
Rebecca started with AMT in 1997 as a volunteer, typing up member submissions to the AMT newsletter, before joining the governing Committee in 2003.
When AMT was about to collapse in 2006 and AAMT looked set to acquire it, Rebecca found an ember in the smoking heap and breathed life back into the association. She found herself promoted to Company Secretary as a result. Rebecca worked to get AMT back on an even keel, avoiding financial collapse and became AMT Treasurer, a role she grew into and thrived in.
One of the major achievements of Rebecca’s AMT career was to steer the development of the Massage Therapy Code of Practice (2008-2012). This living document guides massage therapists in how they practice, putting legislation, policy and guidelines in one easy-to-access place.
When the giant insurer, Medibank Private, decided they would determine the education standards for massage therapists in 2013, and blocked massage therapists from becoming providers with them or even changing their clinic address, Rebecca stood firm, doing her utmost for new graduates and RTOs, as well as existing members. While ultimately not able to claim victory, Rebecca’s tenacity told AMT members that they and their careers mattered and were important.
In 2014/2015, Rebecca prepared a major submission to the NHMRC in response to the Federal Government’s Natural Therapies Review and then spearheaded a (successful) campaign for remedial massage therapists to remain eligible health fund providers.
After hearing one too many stories of massage therapists being engaged on sham contracts and contractors being denied superannuation, Rebecca set about raising awareness amongst massage therapists and employers. While this awareness raising was not popular with everyone, it has started a trend to fairer contracts and greater understanding by massage therapists of their rights and entitlements.
Rebecca became AMT’s CEO in 2018.
From January 2020, Rebecca began informing AMT members about what would become the COVID-19 pandemic. At all stages of the pandemic, Rebecca kept members informed through social media, emails, blog articles and webinars. Rebecca instigated a successful letter writing campaigns to State and Federal members, pressuring those in power to provide financial support for massage therapists. She also steered the development of return to work strategies and best practice standards, keeping members safe at work.
Between 2022 and 2023, Rebecca initiated the development of the AMT Social Media Standard and was an active committee member. This document went live in September 2023.
After her role volunteering on the AMT newsletter, Rebecca transitioned it into the “In Good Hands” journal, where she was the editor. Rebecca shifted the journal into the AMT Blog in 2017 while continuing to publish the AMT Yearbook. Throughout this, Rebecca was editing, seeking and often writing articles. Rebecca’s wit, humour, sharp observations, vast knowledge and industry experience are on display in each of her articles, from writing a humorous piece about underwear to informing readers of all aspects of employment for massage therapists and a 2 part myth-busting article that became a worldwide sensation.
AMT members and non-members alike have benefited from Rebecca’s counsel and support, including phone calls running late into the evening or on weekends, out-of-hours coffee meetings and Zoom calls. Rebecca remembers the names of many AMT members current and past, and recognises most of the faces at AMT conferences.
Rebecca’s fierce determination to protect the massage industry, improve standards for massage therapists and hold stakeholders to account are hallmarks of her tenure at AMT.
However, no one is perfect. Rebecca’s potty mouth is infamous and she has been known to turn the air blue in many a conference room.
While AMT members will be sad and disappointed that Rebecca is no longer part of the AMT team, they will benefit from the hard work Rebecca put into making AMT members the most up-to-date, informed and professional massage therapists in Australia.
On behalf of all the AMT membership, the Board would like to offer its sincere gratitude to Rebecca for her dedication and outstanding leadership during her many years of service to our organisation. Her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment, together with her clear vision and strategic guidance, have been crucial in the growth and success of AMT, making it the most reputable and referenced massage association in Australia. We wish Rebecca all the very best with whatever opportunity that may present itself in the future.
Ira May
13/09/2023 - 9:38 am
Rebecca, I am so sad for us but so happy for you! You are one of bright, energetic, fun, dedicated, politically correct, intelligent person and beautiful woman, who given so many years of your hard working effort to uplift AMT. We all love you 🥰 Blessings upon your further dreams! Ira
Jenny Carroll
13/09/2023 - 9:50 am
I know I have personally benefited from Rebecca’s advocacy and strategic actions for AMT members on many occasions. Thanks Bec for your commitment, high standards and passion. Best of luck in your future goals. I will miss your informed, witty forthright commentary in the blog, zooms and at conferences. Your dedication to our profession is outstanding.
Andrea Rivas
13/09/2023 - 9:51 am
OMG Dear Rebecca! I am so grateful for your dedication and passion for our Industry..So many years!
I thought you’ll be there until I retire LOL. (I am saying this while tears are running down my cheeks) Thank you so Much!!! You deserve the Highest Recognition from our Industry. It was my Greatest Honour and Pleasure to get to know you! You are Irreplaceable! All the Best on your future endeavours!!! You deserve the Best!!!❤️
Anne Ping Nam
13/09/2023 - 10:38 am
It is very sad to hear of Bec’s departure from AMT. She will be missed but I wish her all the best for her new adventures. Sometimes you have to move on to grow as a person. Thank you for all of your tremendous efforts in the past.
Jan
13/09/2023 - 10:51 am
Rebecca is absolutely my kind of gal. My kind of CEO.
My kind of wit. My kind of AMT champ.
From here near the Indian Ocean I have watched the strength and integrity of AMT, and members stretch and grow because of your leadership.
I realise that there’s also a team of others, for whom I am also grateful. Rebecca’s grit, wit and clarity has earned AMT members enormous professionalism and support. I’ll be lost without your influences, Rebecca. Heartfelt thanks to your years of unswerving efforts. May your next chapter also be exciting and fulfilling. Much amor.
Greg Heard
13/09/2023 - 11:40 am
What an excellent reference! I feel privileged to have transferred to AMT at about the same time as Rebecca became CEO in 2018, to have benefitted from her past initiatives and outstanding leadership during the pandemic and to have witnessed firsthand her expertise as ‘choreographer for AMT’s Biosecurity Planning Committee to which I and other members contributed during 2020-21. AMT members were well equipped with information and support to navigate the stormy waters of COVID-19 through the factsheets and other advice that AMT produced and released. Thank you, Rebecca, for 26 years of your life, knowledge, experience and passion for the cause. Swear loudly and onwards.
Anne Rule
13/09/2023 - 12:58 pm
THANKS REBECCA,, for being a sane voice with a passion and drive that is infectious.
I wish you every happiness in your new adventures and I will miss your forthright appraisals and opinions.
Melanie
13/09/2023 - 1:07 pm
💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Audrey Cook
13/09/2023 - 1:57 pm
Dear Rebecca.
Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication 💜
We will miss you 😘 May you now have time to enjoy a regular massage for yourself.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy future
Gerhard Hassler
13/09/2023 - 9:44 pm
Oh, wow 😮
So sorry to hear but also very grateful for everything Rebecca has brought to AMT.
Personally, I will greatly miss her wit, humour, attention to detail, inspirations, care and sharp mind.
It was Rebecca who called me out the blue, shortly after we had the fires and asked me how things are going and how AMT could assist us ( I live and work in the Blue Mountains)
I was very touched by her care, mindfulness and offer of support at a time of exhaustion, anxiety and worry due to the fires that went on for many weeks.
I will never forget her caring, genuine voice at a time of need 🙏🏽
Wishing you all the very best Rebecca for your future and thank you.
The world needs more beautiful humans like you 🤗
Jodie Schubert
13/09/2023 - 11:09 pm
Thank you from the bottom of my heart Rebecca!
I have been an RMT for 23 years but only discovered AMT in 2020 whilst researching like crazy to understand the how, what, where and why of this new pandemic that was taking over the world. It was evident from the second I came across a webinar where AMT had advised therapists to stop work (I had closed my own clinic 3 days before the Government locked us down) and I read through AMT’s Code of Practice, that I realised I had found an association that was actually on the same page as I was. The relief at that time was so palpable (self-palpable, as I was locked down in my covid safe bubble at home!), that I barely noticed, nor cared about Beck’s potty mouth! 🤣
I am forever grateful that the AMT information I came across had not been locked behind a members only wall and was accessible to non-members too, or I may never have discovered AMT!
Rebecca and the Biosecurity Committee played an essential role in providing evidence-based covid information to therapists (including non-AMT members) throughout the following
3 years. Being in Qld, I had re-opened my clinic before AMT had released a lot of the risk management material but it was so reassuring to know that I had already been on the right track with my own risk management and policies.
Rebecca and AMT have been absolute leaders throughout the pandemic, setting standards such as masking and ventilation policies, which were forward thinking from the outset and which continue to follow evidence-based recommendations by multidisciplinary experts such as OzSage.
Rebecca answered many of my questions and offered her valuable time when I simply needed to chat (vent!) to someone who understood the science, where I was coming from and why my covid safe procedures were and continue to be based on safety first (yes – N95’s, ventilation, CO2 monitoring & strict client screening are still in place at my clinic & will continue to be as long as covid remains a risk).
Reading this blog, it is mindblowing how much Rebecca has contributed to the improvement of AMT and the massage industry as a whole, in the many, many years before I came to know her and since.
Rebecca, I hope you are filled with pride for your achievements in this space. I offer my sincere gratitude and thanks for everything you have contributed to the massage industry. You leave it in a far better place and the hole you leave behind will be extremely difficult to fill. Kindest regards and my very best wishes for your next adventure.
Meredith brain
14/09/2023 - 8:33 pm
I had no idea of the depth of your impact on the massage profession . Thank you some much. If you ever need a massage. Just pop into Ararat. Thanks again for everything over the years. Lots of loving ❤
Meredith Brain . Echuca trained 96
Laura Hayward
15/09/2023 - 5:08 pm
Thank you so very much Bec. You will be missed but will never be forgotten. Your dedication to all our fights over the years has been amazing, and you have done it with strength and grace. I have loved bumping into you at many AMT conferences over my 20 years in the association, and have always been met with a smile even when we were in dark times. I know whatever is on your horizon you with jump in whole heartedly and it will benefit from your presence xx
Patricia Cooper
15/09/2023 - 7:50 pm
Thank you Rebecca for your hard work and dedication to AMT & the Massage Industry – you will be greatly missed.
Beck
17/09/2023 - 4:23 pm
I feel a bit sad that I can’t reply to these comments individually, so I will just have to keep everything in one gigantic comment/response.
Ira – I’ll always remember your enthusiasm and spunk. You made me howl with laughter at AMT’s 50th anniversary dinner. When I see you one of these days at an AMT event in the future (maybe the 60th anniversary!) we can reminiscence about why.
Jenny – we’re such old hands eh? Both been in AMT for longer than some members have been alive … it kind of breaks my brain a bit to think in those terms. I haven’t had a chance to interact with you for years now but I’m so very glad to have had you as a colleague and fellow member.
Andrea – thank you so much. It’s pretty weird when things come to an end! I’ve been involved with AMT for a fair chunk of my adult life so it feels a bit like I (and other members like you) have kinda grown up with the association as it evolved over time. I hope you have many more years of fulfilling professional life before you retire from massage.
Anne – thanks so much. Not sure about growth, other than middle age girth! It’s been an absolute privilege to work for conscientious professionals like you.
Jan – from the east coast to the west, I blow a long distance kiss back in your direction. You’re my kind of weird. That’s the highest compliment I can bestow. Thank you. x
Greg – I am so incredibly chuffed that AMT ended up gaining a member. Transfers really occupy a special place in AMT because they usually end up being the most vigorous and loyal supporters/advocates having consciously chosen their “home”. On a more personal level, I am hugely grateful that members benefited from your expertise on the biosecurity committee. So much gets done in a team environment and not many necessarily appreciate how challenging it is to function well in teams. The work of the biosecurity committee will be a source of enduring pride for me.
Anne – and thanks for your incredible loyalty over the years!
Melanie – I wish I knew how to do fucken emojis on this keyboard. I am too old for this caper. x
Audrey – I can’t remember the last time I had a massage! Thanks for the reminder … and thank you for your wishes. 🙂
Gerhard – fortunately, the world has a beautiful human in you! Keep up the Stoßlüften. x
Jodie – honestly, members like you make me so freakin’ proud. You are a credit to the profession. AMT is lucky to have you in its ranks. I am personally very glad we crossed paths.
Meredith – OK. You made me google Ararat. It looks splendid and I bloody hope that Art Deco hotel is beautifully preserved on the inside too! I will definitely holler if I am ever in the ‘hood.
Lesley Wolf
18/09/2023 - 10:02 am
Thank you so much.. Your impact to the massage profession made such a BIG difference to me.. I came from another Association that closed down after many years.. and since joining AMT quite a few years ago now I have been able to have my clients claim on ALL ;health funds.. Thank you for your dedication to us. Enjoy your next chapter.. Cheers
Louella Jolly
19/09/2023 - 1:31 pm
Hi Rebecca
Thank you for all you have given & achieved with your time at AMT. It is inspiring to hear of your dedication & tenacity to fight for this profession knowing what a huge impact you have had.
All the best in your future endeavours. 🙏🌈
Alex
13/10/2023 - 11:46 am
Your passion and dedication has been an inspiration to all. Thank you for your commitment to AMT and all the best in your future endeavours!