CMTO is the regulatory body that oversees Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs/MTs) working in the province. It is a requirement to register with us to practise as an RMT/MT in Ontario, whereas membership into the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO) is optional.

CMTO receives its authority from the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 and exists to protect the public by:

• setting the requirements for becoming an RMT/MT;
• developing and enforcing rules and guidelines for RMTs’/MTs’ practice and conduct;
• running a Quality Assurance Program to ensure RMTs/MTs keep their knowledge and skills up to date;
• maintaining a public register of all RMTs/MTs in Ontario; and,
• receiving and investigating concerns and complaints about Massage Therapy care, taking disciplinary action when necessary.

In Ontario there are 16,186 RMTs/MTs practising Massage Therapy. This number continues to grow year-over-year. The top three places you can find RMTs/MTs are in clinics (50%), in solo practices (27%) and at spas (9%).

Every year RMTs/MTs must complete CMTO’s Quality Assurance program called STRiVE. STRiVE is a professional development program for continued learning that ensures RMTs’/MTs’ skills and knowledge stay up to date. When you visit an RMT/MT, you are receiving care from a regulated healthcare professional who is committed to continued self-improvement to provide you with safe and effective care.

Referred to as the Scope of Practice, RMTs/MTs help relieve pain by treating the soft tissue and joints in the body with hands-on massage that aids in the rehabilitation of the body for better movement. RMTs/MTs can only provide services that align within their scope of practice as documented in the Massage Therapy Act, 1991.