As part of our ongoing commitment to upholding professional standards and promoting safe, ethical treatment in Massage Therapy, CMTO developed new social media guidelines for RMTs.

The new guidelines set out how RMTs can use various social networking channels responsibly, while continuing to meet their professional obligations.

Our new guidance covers the following key areas relating to RMTs’ social media use:

1. Advertising, Reviews and Testimonials

• In cases where an RMT chooses to use social media to advertise their business, they are expected to follow CMTO’s Guide to Advertising Requirements (“the Guide”).
• RMTs cannot solicit testimonials from clients, friends, or relatives, and are not permitted to use testimonials online or offline to advertise their services.
• Clients may choose to leave reviews and ratings about their Massage Therapy experience on various digital platforms (e.g., Google, Yelp). It’s important to note that these reviews cannot be incorporated as testimonials into an RMT’s advertising on social media or elsewhere.

2. Professional Boundaries, Client Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

• The same professional obligations and requirements outlined in legislation, regulations and CMTO’s Standards of Practice apply to an RMT’s social media use.
• RMTs are responsible for safeguarding their client’s privacy and confidentiality by ensuring the client’s personal and health-related information is not posted online.
• When using social media, RMTs must avoid conflict of interest (e.g., this may occur if an RMT endorses a product from which the RMT might derive a benefit).

3. Interacting and Sharing Information

• As healthcare professionals, RMTs are responsible for providing evidence-informed information to their clients. When sharing information online, RMTs should make sure any shared sources are factual, verifiable and properly cited.
• All shared content and interactions on social media should be conducted with respect, consideration and openness to differing perspectives.

We encourage all RMTs to carefully review the new guidance on CMTO’s website. By adhering to these key principles of social media use, RMTs can collectively uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethics that clients have come to expect from the Massage Therapy profession.

If you have any questions after reviewing the guidance, please reach out to CMTO’s Practice Specialist at practicespecialist@cmto.com or by phone at 416-489-2626/1-800-465-1933 extension 4124.