Strengthening Safety and Support for Massage Therapists in Ontario
Over the past year, I’ve been deeply involved in advocacy and policy reform work within Ontario’s massage therapy profession — focusing on practitioner safety, trauma-informed care, and systemic accountability.
What began as a personal effort to address the lack of clear safety protocols and reporting procedures has grown into a collective movement for change. This work has brought together RMTs, regulators, and community voices from across Canada — all seeking a safer, more transparent professional culture.
In early 2025, I launched a Change.org petition calling for explicit discharge rights, clearer reporting processes, and legal alignment with the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) to ensure that practitioners are protected when facing patient sexual misconduct or abuse.
This advocacy helped contribute to recent updates to the CMTO Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, which now formally allow RMTs to discharge abusive patients without notice.
While this is progress, our collective work continues — to ensure these changes are proactive, trauma-informed, and supported by meaningful training, prevention, and public awareness.
The Canadian RMT Peer Support & Safety Network
To complement this policy advocacy, I founded the Canadian RMT Peer Support & Safety Network — a national, peer-led initiative offering emotional support, education, and community connection for RMTs impacted by sexual misconduct, harassment, or workplace trauma.
The network exists to provide a safe, confidential space where RMTs can connect with one another, access resources, and contribute to shaping a culture of resilience and mutual care.
This is about rebuilding community — from the inside out — through open dialogue, validation, and peer solidarity.
Why This Work Matters
Massage therapy is healthcare — and healthcare professionals deserve safety, respect, and equality under the law.
This advocacy is about bridging the gap between regulation and lived experience, ensuring that systems protecting patients also protect practitioners.
Our goal is to create a profession where ethical care, trauma-informed practice, and psychological safety are seen as inseparable from public safety.
Learn More & Get Involved
If you’re an RMT, student, or healthcare peer, you’re welcome to join the conversation. Together, we’re shaping a future for massage therapy that’s grounded in safety, equity, and care.