How we verify listings
Every practitioner on Lymphatic Massage Finder passed the same checks, and every listing shows what we found, where we found it and when. This page explains those checks and what we leave out.
| Metro | Checked | Listed | Left off for now | Turned down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 |
| Austin, TX | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 48 | 14 | 33 | 1 |
What a listing has to show
- Their own website offers manual lymphatic drainage and gives a location or service area in the metro. Every service on a listing links to the page that names it.
- A current Texas license. At least one named person who does the work holds a current Texas massage therapist license, matched in TDLR's license file by the license number their site publishes, or by a full name that only one record in the file carries. The person is named on the practice's own site, or on a registry entry that links to the practice.
- The right license for the work. We do not list estheticians for body or post-op work. An esthetician can be listed for facial work only, and only with a lymphatic certification a registry confirms.
A practice that misses any of these is left off until the gap closes. One that does not offer lymphatic drainage, is outside the metro, or fails the license rule outright is turned down. We keep a record of both so nobody re-checks them by mistake.
What the marks mean
Confirmed. We found it in a state license file or a registry: the CLT-LANA registry, the ACOLS directory or the Dr. Vodder School list. The listing links to that source.
Self-reported. Only the practitioner's own site says so. That includes certifications we could not find in a registry and physical or occupational therapy licenses we could not look up. It may well be true; we have not confirmed it.
A license matched by full name rather than by number is labelled that way on the listing. We show only licenses we could confirm as current. Staff we could not match to a single record are left off the record, and the listing still needs one confirmed person to appear at all.
What we never add
- Ratings, reviews, star counts or testimonials. We do not collect them and we do not copy them from other sites.
- Health claims. Practitioners' descriptions of what a service does are not reprinted. A service appears as a plain label with a link to the page that offers it.
- Prices a practitioner does not publish. A price appears only when their own site or booking page shows it, word for word.
- Anything from Google Maps, Yelp, Booksy, Fresha or similar sites. We use them to find practitioners, never as proof of a fact.
Where the data comes from
Besides each practitioner's own website and booking page, every listing was checked against these, all retrieved October 4, 2026:
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| TDLR massage therapist license file (dated October 2, 2026) | License number, status and expiration for every massage therapist we list |
| TDLR massage establishment license file | Business licenses for locations. Supporting evidence only: never enough on its own |
| TDLR esthetician license files | Applying the esthetician scope rule |
| CLT-LANA registry, Texas | CLT-LANA credentials |
| ACOLS therapist directory | ACOLS CLT and MLD certifications |
| Dr. Vodder School therapist list | Vodder certifications and category |
What we could not check yet
- Texas physical and occupational therapy licenses. The state's lookups need a date of birth or a CAPTCHA, so these show as self-reported and never count toward a listing. Hospital and clinic therapists are not listed yet for the same reason.
- Klose Training's directory works only in a browser, so Klose certifications show as self-reported unless another registry confirms them.
- Norton School referrals come by email, so Norton certifications show as self-reported.
- Coverage is partial. The counts above are what we have checked, not every practitioner in each metro.
When a page appears in search results
A city page needs at least 5 verified listings before we ask search engines to index it. Below that, the page is still here for anyone who finds it, but it is marked noindex. A post-op page exists once 3 listings in a metro name post-surgical work on their own sites, and is indexed at 5. The CLT finder includes only CLT credentials a registry confirms, and follows the same 5-listing rule.
Order and money
Listings are in A to Z order. Listings are free: nobody pays to be listed, to be placed higher or to be removed. There are no ads and no affiliate links. If paid placement is ever offered, it will be labelled “Sponsored” and kept apart from the verified list.
Re-checks and corrections
Every listing is due for a re-check within 90 days of the date it shows, and sooner when a practitioner asks for a correction. You can run the same checks yourself with our verification guide. Read the editorial policy.