In Canada the practice of massage therapy is regulated in the provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, and British Columbia. Although legislation to regulate the profession has been passed in Saskatchewan it has not yet come into force, and as such will continue to remain unregulated until such time as that legislation comes into force.
For those CMMOTA members who have gained registration with a College of Massage Therapy and are an active member of the College in the province in which you are providing treatment, we simply ask that you follow the rules which your regulatory body has regarding practice.
For those that are not registered, here are some things that CMMOTA is seeking to provide an update and clarification on.
First, by way of update, we want to highlight some changes which have been made recently to our website. If you are practicing within a regulated province, you will notice that your membership class (RMT or Spa Therapist) has been updated on the Find-A-Therapist page. This was done to provide clarity to the public when they are searching for someone in their area.
The second point of clarity that we want to provide is that when practicing massage therapy in a regulated province, only those therapists who are registered with the College of Massage Therapy in that province are allowed to use any of the protected titles. Protected titles do vary by province, so if you are providing massage treatment in one of the regulated provinces and are not registered with the college you must be aware of the titles that are protected and must refrain from using them. Using a protected title when not authorized to do so is an act that is punishable under each province’s legislation and is considered to be a fraudulent act and professional misconduct. As an Association, a complaint which includes misuse of a protected title would be subject to investigation and potential disciplinary action. Again, only those therapists who are registered with the College of Massage Therapy in the province in which they are providing massage treatment are allowed to use the protected titles. This includes those who may be visiting a province in which they do not reside. If you are providing treatment for example while on vacation, or filling in for a massage therapist friend while they are on vacation, you are subject to the laws of the province.
The third point of clarity that we want to provide is related to Health Insurance Coverage. Therapists practicing massage in a regulated province who are not registered with the College of Massage Therapy in that province would be considered ineligible to have the treatment costs covered or reimbursed for any massage treatment that they provide while in the province. All receipts issued regardless of location must be in compliance with CMMOTA’s Receipting for Services and or Products Policy for your professional designation (find them here). This means that if you are a therapist who typically resides in one of the unregulated provinces or territories (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut) and is registered with CMMOTA as a Full Massage Therapist member, if practicing within a regulated province you would not provide your CMMOTA membership number on any receipt written for services provided in a regulated province, even where such treatments might be considered as mobile massage. Please note that it is unlawful to practice any form of massage therapy within the province of New Brunswick or Newfoundland and Labrador without being a member in good standing with the College of Massage Therapists of New Brunswick or the College of Massage Therapists of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Finally, if you are moving (changing residency) from an unregulated province to a regulated one, or vice versa, it is your responsibility to contact the office so that we can change your membership classification and provide you with the appropriate membership documentation.