Practice Hours Requirement Policy

Background

 In accordance with the Registration Regulation made under the Massage Therapy Act, 1991, registrants with a General certificate of registration shall practice Massage Therapy only if they have:

• Practised Massage Therapy for at least 500 hours in the previous three years in Ontario or in a regulated jurisdiction with an equivalent scope of practice and competency profile as approved by the Board, or
• Successfully completed a refresher program set or approved by the Registration Committee within the previous 15 months.

Scope Statement

Section 3 of the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 states:

“The practice of massage therapy is the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissues and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain.”

Policy

In order to meet the practice hours requirement for maintaining a General certificate of registration, registrants must have either completed a refresher program approved by the Registration Committee within the previous 15 months (including any upgrading and assessments as may be required by the Registration Committee), or must have practised Massage Therapy for a minimum of 500 hours within the previous three years.

To count towards the 500 hours of Massage Therapy practice, the activities undertaken must:

• Be completed by a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT or MT) in a regulated jurisdiction in Canada, and
• Contribute to the RMT maintaining competence in Massage Therapy assessment and treatment.

Activities within the Scope of Practice of Massage Therapy that could be counted towards the required 500 hours of practice in every three-year period include:

• Assessment of a client’s soft tissues and joints
• Recommending, developing, or implementing a Massage Therapy treatment plan based on the assessment of a client’s needs
• Treatment of a client’s soft tissues and joints
• Conducting or supervising research in Massage Therapy that involves the assessment or treatment of clients
• Overseeing and evaluating Massage Therapists or Massage Therapy students in a clinical setting
• Teaching Massage Therapy to students in Massage Therapy education program approved for the purposes of registration with CMTO
• Supervising an RMT in the Emergency Class
• Supervising an RMT or Massage Therapy program graduate participating in a CMTO Refresher Course or other CMTO remediation program
• Time spent as an active member of a committee of the CMTO up to a maximum of 50 hours in every three-year period

Approved: May 15, 2017

Implementation Date: July 1, 2024

Amended: September 24, 2024