Purpose:

• To establish policy surrounding the Membership Requirement to belong to only one Association associated with each professional designation per CMMOTA Bylaw’s 3.5.1.1.8., 3.5.1.2.7., 3.5.1.3.7., 3.5.1.6.6., 3.5.1.7.7., and 3.5.1.10.2..

Definitions:

1. “College” – meaning either the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC, or the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, or the College of Massage Therapists of Newfoundland and Labrador, or the College of Massage Therapists of New Brunswick, or the College of Massage Therapists of Prince Edward Island or the College of Osteopaths of New Brunswick.

2. “Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association” – means an association whose purpose it is to grant professional designation(s) for Manual Osteopathic Therapy, Osteopathic Manual Therapy, or Osteopathy, and who either provide insurance as part of their membership fees, or who assist in providing professional liability insurance coverage to their members.

3. “Massage Therapist Association” – means an association whose purpose it is to grant professional designation(s) for Massage Therapy, and who either provide insurance as part of their membership fees, or who assist in providing professional liability insurance coverage to their members.

Policy:

1. In addition to membership in the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association (CMMOTA), a member may belong to a College, as defined above.

2. Student Massage Therapist members may belong to another Massage Therapist Association.

3. Student Manual Osteopathic Therapist members may belong to another Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association.

4. Inactive Massage Therapist members may be belong to another Massage Therapist Association.

5. Inactive Manual Osteopathic Therapist members may belong to another Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association.

6. In order to obtain membership in the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association, a potential Full Massage Therapist, Registered Massage Therapist, Associate Massage Therapist, or Spa Therapist member shall not have membership with another Massage Therapist Association.

a. If an applicant for one of these membership classes has membership with another Massage Therapist Association at the time of their application, they must cease to be a member of that Association the day before membership with the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association would come into effect.

7. In order to obtain membership in the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association, a potential Full Manual Osteopathic Therapist member shall not have membership with another Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association.

a. If an applicant for this membership class has membership with another Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association at the time of their application, they must cease to be a member of that Association the day before membership with the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association would come into effect.

8. In order to maintain membership in the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association, a Full Massage Therapist, Registered Massage Therapist, Associate Massage Therapist, or Spa Therapist member shall not hold membership with another Massage Therapist Association, as defined above.

a. Membership with another Massage Therapist Association, which either provides insurance coverage as part of their membership fees, or who requires that insurance coverage be maintained through their insurance broker, shall be grounds for disciplinary action to be taken in accordance with CMMOTA’s Discipline for Non-Compliance Regarding Other Association Membership Policy.

9. In order to maintain membership in the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association, a Full Manual Osteopathic Therapist member shall not hold membership with another Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association, as defined above.

a. Membership with another Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association, which either provides insurance coverage as part of their membership fees, or who requires that insurance coverage be maintained through their insurance broker, shall be grounds for disciplinary action to be taken in accordance with CMMOTA’s Discipline for Non-Compliance Regarding Other Association Membership Policy.

10. Membership in other professional Associations, which do not represent Massage Therapists or Manual Osteopathic Therapists is allowed.

11. Membership with another Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association or Massage Therapist Association in a membership category which does not require professional liability insurance coverage and does not provide a membership number for the purposes of recognition with health insurance companies is allowed.

12. All membership with any professional association other than the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association must be declared on the CMMOTA Annual Declaration Form.

Original Date of Policy Adoption: March 22, 2021

Date of Last Policy Revision: January 28, 2026

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