We might forget how lucky we are with the state of massage therapy in Ontario. We are provincially regulated with one college and one massage therapists association. There is one required minimum of training hours and one set of practical exams. The homogeneity of the industry is a real plus. We know that when we are treated by an RMT that there is a minimum level of competency and adherence to regulations. Because of this, there is no risk that receipts won’t be honoured by insurance companies or that your RMT won’t have liability insurance.
Alberta is going through some growing pains on the road to regulation. Here is an interesting article of some of the challenges they are facing. There is more than one association with more than one set of requirements. Some associations require only a few hundred hours of training, while others follow the Ontario example of 2200 hours. Needless to say that as some of the province becomes regulated, some masseuses will suddenly find that they are not licensed to bill as a massage therapist. There is an example of a masseuse that has worked for over 10 years in the industry but with almost no education. She is facing losing a lot of business as much of her clientele likely chooses to go to a therapist that is licensed and eligible for insurance coverage. It is a difficult situation that could be remedied with enrollment in a course, but by the look of it, she doesn’t plan to pursue that course. She did of course, have a choice long go. There are 3 associations, two require the 2200 hour standard, while the third has no standards. It should come as no surprise that enrollment in the third association has five times the membership. Choosing the easiest option is human nature, so is complaining about the “unfairness” when you realise you made the wrong choice.