ABOUT THE RMTAO

About the RMTAO

The RMTAO exists in order to advance the massage therapy profession in Ontario.  Improvements in the ability of Registered Massage Therapists to provide quality care will improve the health of the people of Ontario whom the profession serves.  While massage therapy will not “heal”, the services provided by RMTs will assist in rehabilitation, promote recovery and help reduce stress.

History of the RMTAO

Registered Massage Therapists (MTs/RMTs) in Ontario were first organized as "Associated Masseurs" in 1936. Later the name was changed to "Society of Registered and Remedial Masseurs of Ontario" and in 1973 the organization was chartered under the name of "Ontario Massage Therapist Association".  On May 31, 2010 the Association's name was amended to the Registered Massage Therapists' Association of Ontario to incorporate a new brand that embodied the entire profession, including the leadership organizations (the association, regulatory college and associations representing the schools of massage therapy).

Massage Therapists have been practicing under the Drugless Practitioner's Act of Ontario since 1925 and are now regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) enacted December 21, 1993. MTs/RMTs are registered by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.

As the only organized and recognized voice for practicing Massage Therapists in Ontario, the Registered Massage Therapists' Association of Ontario has worked to upgrade the educational requirements for Massage Therapists in Ontario to the current standard, one of the highest in the world.

The RMTAO as the Voice of the Profession

The RMTAO undertakes a large number of activities on behalf of all RMTs and directed toward Government, Agencies of Government, other Health Professions and the general public, all intended to increase the awareness of Registered Massage Therapists as regulated health professionals and to ensure fair access to the services of an RMT by all Ontarians.

One of the immediate benefits to the public from the existence of the RMTAO is the ease and confidence with which you can locate a Registered Massage Therapist near you.  Many web sites will provide names of those who provide massage but only through the RMTAO’s site or that of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (the Regulatory Authority for Massage Therapists) can you be certain to find a Registered Massage Therapist.  Visit www.rmtfind.com. 

Other Benefits of Being a Member of the RMTAO

In addition to the work undertaken on behalf of the profession, the RMTAO also provides benefits (programs and services) for RMTs who choose to belong to the Association.  These benefits include building knowledge within the profession, establishing a community for the profession and working in partnership with members to build and maintain their practices as a business.  

RMTs – Primary Health Care Providers in Ontario

An RMT is a primary health care provider in Ontario and any Ontarian may visit a Registered Massage Therapist of their own choice.  A referral or prescription is not required to visit. 

The services of an RMT are not covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP); however, many extended health benefits plans will cover all or part of the services provided by an RMT.

The RMTAO encourages all individuals to use the services of an RMT and, when seeking to participate in an extended health benefit plan, ensure that it provides full coverage for the services of an RMT, without limits on the payment per visit and without requiring a physician referral.