2025
Annual Report
Message from the Board Chair and CEO
From the Board Chair
As Board Chair, I am pleased to present CMTO’s 2025 Annual Report. Our major achievement this year was developing and launching our 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which renews our purpose and provides clear goals to guide our regulatory work.
This plan builds on our past achievements and defines the priorities the Board will lead over the next five years. Developed with input from over 3,600 RMTs/MTs, students, and members of the public, it strives for excellence in public protection while strengthening trust and confidence in the Massage Therapy profession. Ultimately, our focus is simple: ensuring every person seeking care can feel confident they are in the hands of a qualified professional who can deliver safe, effective clinical care.
The Board is proud of the foundation laid in recent years: modernizing our discipline process, enhancing sexual abuse prevention, updating key Standards of Practice, and expanding engagement. These are essential building blocks for our future.
In 2025, we reaffirmed our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) by approving a dedicated EDI strategy. Grounded in values of openness, continuous learning, empathy, collaboration, and dignity, it aims to ensure every RMT/MT and client experiences safe, inclusive care. This is fundamental to our role as a future-focused, compassionate regulator.
None of this is possible without the dedication of your Board, comprised of RMTs/MTs and public members. This year, I was honoured to be re-elected as a Board Member and Board Chair. I am also pleased to extend a warm welcome to our new members from Districts 6 and 9. Their fresh perspectives are invaluable.
As we look ahead, the Board is committed to ensuring every milestone of the Strategic Plan is met. Together, we are fully dedicated to advancing Massage Therapy’s recognition as a trusted, clinical profession.
Sincerely,
Sean Adderley, RMT, Board Chair, CMTO
From the Registrar & CEO
It is my pleasure to share CMTO’s 2025 Annual Report. This year was shaped by connection, important updates to our standards, and the launch of a new Strategic Plan that will guide our work in the years ahead.
A major theme for me in 2025 was the value of conversation. This year took me across Ontario to Sudbury, London, Belleville, Barrie, Windsor, Hamilton, Ottawa, and throughout the GTA - for Town Halls and visits to twenty Massage Therapy colleges. Speaking with RMTs/MTs and students face-to-face was invaluable. These conversations allowed me to answer your questions, hear your perspectives on the profession's challenges and opportunities, and see peers connect with one another. This direct feedback is essential; it grounds our work in the realities of your practice.
We also strengthened our commitment to preventing sexual abuse in the profession. This year’s seminar focused on engaging male RMTs/MTs, recognizing the vital role they play in upholding ethical care and fostering a culture of accountability. It was a powerful reminder that every practitioner can be part of the solution.
As part of CMTO's ongoing work to prevent sexual abuse and reinforce that it has no place in Massage Therapy, we amended the Client-Centred Standard and Code of Ethics to support RMTs by making it easier to discharge clients who engage in abusive behaviour. We also introduced a new Standard of Practice on Collecting Personal Health Information from Clients. These changes are concrete steps in our unwavering mission to protect the public.
Looking to the future, we advanced the transition to accredited Massage Therapy education. Requiring all Massage Therapy programs to be accredited by January 2027 will help ensure every graduate entering the profession is equipped to deliver safe, effective, clinical care.
This progress was made possible because of the achievements made in the past three years under the guidance of our previous Strategic Plan. As we move forward, I am energized by the clear direction set out in our new Strategic Plan. Thank you for your partnership in our shared commitment to protecting the public interest.
Sincerely,
Maureen Boon, Registrar & CEO
About Us
The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) is the regulator established by the provincial government. Our mandate is to protect the public by regulating the Massage Therapy profession. We do this by setting standards, ensuring the competence and professionalism of all Registered Massage Therapists/Massage Therapists (RMTs/MTs) throughout their careers, and responding to issues when they arise.
Policy & Communications
CMTO advanced regulatory excellence by modernizing key policies and strengthening community connections. In 2025, we established and amended regulations to better protect the public, launched a new Strategic Plan, and engaged directly with the profession. CMTO also built on its priority of preventing sexual abuse in Massage Therapy by hosting its third annual Prevention of Sexual Abuse Seminar.
On November 14, 2025, CMTO convened leaders in the Massage Therapy profession to tackle a critical issue: the disproportionate number of sexual abuse complaints against male RMTs/MTs, despite their low representation in the profession. Facilitated by Jeff Carolin – a conflict coach, relational mediator, and criminal defense lawyer, the seminar explored key themes:
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Preventing gender-based violence.
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Addressing power dynamics between male RMTs/MTs and female clients.
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Fostering healthy masculinities and male allyship in professional environments; and
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Building skills for accountability and maintaining professional boundaries.
The day featured:
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Presentations from Male Allies, a program of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, who gave two presentations: Sexual Violence in the Workplace, and Masculinity, Violence, and Allyship. These sessions defined sexual violence and power dynamics in therapeutic relationships, consent, gender constructs, and bystander intervention.
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Facilitated discussions where participants grappled with questions like: what unique power dynamics must a male RMT/MT be hyper-aware of, what does a truly collaborative consent conversation sound like, how to develop actionable strategies in the workplace to make peer accountability feel more supported and less confrontational, and idea generation around what systemic changes would best address the gender disparity in complaints.
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A panel discussion on safety and shared accountability featuring:
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Dr. Amanda Baskwill: An educator, researcher, former RMT/MT, and Executive Editor of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.
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Gabriel Flamminio: An RMT/MT, educator, and academic program coordinator at Fanshawe College and member of the national executive board of the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA).
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Archna Patel: A Registered Nurse and Psychotherapist with nearly 20 years of experience in trauma-informed care and neuroscience supporting both client mental health and the development of compassionate healthcare systems.
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CMTO’s goal is to continue to educate, raise awareness, and reinforce that sexual abuse has no place in the Massage Therapy profession. This work continues in 2026.
Introduced a new Standard of Practice: Collecting Personal Health Information (PHI) from Clients
CMTO’s new Standard of Practice for Collecting Personal Health Information (PHI) from Clients came into effect on November 1, 2025. It requires RMTs/MTs to collect only the PHI necessary to provide safe, effective Massage Therapy care.
This new Standard was developed through open consultations with RMTs/MTs, members of the public, and other stakeholders. As healthcare professionals, RMTs/MTs require a client’s PHI to deliver quality tailored care, and this Standard helps RMTs/MTs have open conversations with their clients about their health. It specifies what PHI RMTs/MTs must ask, must never ask, and may ask clients under certain circumstances to provide safe and effective Massage Therapy care.
Modernized Regulation around Discharging Clients who Engaged in Abusive Behaviour
CMTO made significant changes to the Standard of Practice: Client-Centred Care and Code of Ethics. These important changes allow RMTs/MTs to discharge a client who engages in verbal, physical or sexually abusive behaviour without having to provide the client with advance notice. If the client still requires Massage Therapy care, RMTs/MTs can refer them to the Public Register.The definition of Abusive Client Behaviour includes any act or threat that compromises an RMT’s/MT’s safety, dignity, or professional boundaries, including:
-
Physical: Unwanted acts causing pain, injury, or fear of physical harm (e.g., hitting, pushing, threatening force)
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Sexual: Unwanted sexual acts/behaviours, including sexualization of the therapeutic relationship (e.g., sexual remarks, non-consensual touch, sexualizing treatment)
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Verbal/Psychological: Language or behaviour that demeans, intimidates, or harms the RMT’s/MT’s mental well-being (e.g., threats, insults, humiliation, racist, sexist, and discriminatory remarks)
This important regulatory change reinforces that there is no place for any form of abuse in Massage Therapy.
New 2026-2030 Strategic Plan
A major milestone in 2025 was the development of CMTO’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. With input from over 3,600 RMTs/MTs, members of the public and CMTO staff (a 78% increase in responses from CMTO’s previous strategic planning work in 2022), this Strategic Plan is CMTO’s roadmap to protect the public interest. It reflects the work CMTO has done and shapes the vision for the future of regulation in Massage Therapy.
The plan has three strategic priorities:
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Professional conduct and accountability. CMTO’s focus is on preventing misconduct — including sexual abuse and insurance fraud — while upholding the highest professional standards to ensure public safety and high-quality care.
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Clear, fair, and effective regulation. This is a commitment to creating standards and processes that are transparent, modern, and forward-thinking. With this strategic plan, CMTO will excel in the delivery of core regulatory functions: registration, quality assurance, and addressing complaints.
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Strengthen trust in Massage Therapy as a clinical health profession. Massage Therapy is a clinical healthcare profession. CMTO will work to reinforce its value with government partners and the healthcare community. One way we will do this is by referring to people receiving Massage Therapy as “patients”, not “clients”, going forward, to emphasize the clinical nature of Massage Therapy treatment.
This new Strategic Plan marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Town Halls
CMTO, alongside the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO), welcomed 268 attendees, comprised of RMTs/MTs and students at jointly organized Town Halls in Sudbury, Toronto, London, Windsor, Hamilton and Ottawa.
Maureen Boon, CMTO’s Registrar & CEO, shared updates on regulatory changes and upcoming CMTO initiatives, while Michael Feraday, RMTAO’s Executive Director & CEO, highlighted RMTAO’s advocacy efforts. The events offered registrants and students a unique opportunity to engage directly with CMTO and RMTAO leadership, ask questions, and gain clarity on regulatory updates impacting their education and practice.
College Tours
As of January 1, 2027, only graduates from accredited Massage Therapy programs will be eligible to register with CMTO. To prepare for this change, CMTO launched a college tour for Maureen Boon to personally engage with educators and students from every Massage Therapy program in Ontario.
In 2025, Maureen connected with more than 690 Massage Therapy students at 20 colleges across Ontario. She visited Ottawa, London, Windsor, the Greater Toronto Area, Sudbury, Hamilton, and Belleville, discussing CMTO’s registration process, its quality assurance program, and the role of investigations and hearings in regulation to help prepare them for what it’s like to work within a regulated profession.This initiative continues into 2026, with plans to visit every Massage Therapy program in the province.
Hearings
Enhancing efficiencies, adopting modernized and more independent approaches to professional discipline, and ensuring transparency and predictability in cost awards were central to CMTO’s Hearings performance in 2025.
Expanded Participation in the Health Professions Discipline Tribunals
CMTO expanded its participation in the Health Professions Discipline Tribunals (HPDT) by transitioning all its discipline matters to the HPDT model (in an earlier pilot project, only sexual abuse matters were assigned to HPDT). The HPDT is a group of tribunals made up of the discipline committees of various participating health colleges in Ontario.
As part of this transition, CMTO renamed its Discipline Committee to the Ontario Massage Therapists Discipline Tribunal (OMTDT) and the Hearings Office implemented new case management and operational processes.
Key benefits of the transition included a modernized and more independent approach to professional discipline through the appointment of an independent Tribunal Chair and non-Board adjudicators with specialized expertise, and the adoption of new rules of procedure.
Hearings Tariff Review
The Hearings Office led a comprehensive review of the discipline hearings tariff, which resulted in revised full-day and half-day tariff rates that more accurately reflect the current cost of conducting hearings. These new rates came into effect on January 1, 2026.
The tariff model enhances efficiency by eliminating the need for the College to prove actual expenses when seeking costs against a registrant that are at or below the tariff rate. The model promotes transparency and predictability in cost awards, while still allowing the OMTDT to exercise discretion in adjusting cost orders based on the specific circumstances of each case.
In 2025, the Hearings Office:
Managed
50
discipline cases,
with the most common primary allegation being sexual abuse.
Facilitated
25
hearings
10
contested
15
uncontested
Supported adjudicators in issuing
36
decisions.
Despite the high volume and increasing complexity of files, all decisions were released within time standards.
Governance
CMTO is governed by a Board comprised of elected RMTs/MTs and appointed members of the public. The Board approves CMTO's regulatory activities and oversees operations to ensure we fulfill our mandate.
Board Elections
Board Elections were held this year in Districts 1, 6 and 9. In each district, an RMT/MT was elected to serve on CMTO’s Board.
Voter engagement increased significantly in 2025, rising by 53% in District 6 and 122% in District 9. District 1, which did not have enough nominated candidates to hold a vote in its last election, saw a turnout of 102 votes. This engagement represents strong RMT/MT engagement in CMTO’s governance processes.
An important role for CMTO, Board Members set the strategic direction for safe, ethical Massage Therapy care in Ontario and review and approve policies to protect and serve the public interest.
Congratulations to:
Sean Adderley, RMT, District 1
Jennifer DaPonte, RMT, District 6
Suzy (Zongqin) Wu, RMT, District 9
As of January 1, 2026, these individuals have begun serving their three-year term.
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District 1: Composed of Kenora, Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Cochrane, Algoma, Manitoulin, Sudbury and Timiskaming.
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District 6: Composed of the counties of Grey, Bruce, Huron, Perth, Oxford, Elgin, Kent, Middlesex, Lambton, and Essex (excluding the postal codes that are in District 5).
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District 9: Composed of the City of Toronto east of Yonge Street, and postal codes beginning with M2M, M2N, M2P, M4N, M4P, M4S, M4T, M4W, M4Y, M5B, M5C, M5E.
Quality Assurance
Improving CMTO’s Quality Assurance Program and supporting educators were key priorities in 2025.
CMTO continued its commitment to STRiVE by:
Achieving a
99%
Practice Profile compliance rate
and a
97%
Be the Best You Can Be compliance rate
-
Simplifying the Practice Assessment scheduling function; and
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Incorporating feedback from the profession into the Standards of Practice Quiz. This provided opportunities for reflective practice and helped RMTs/MTs apply the content to their practice experience.
CMTO provided RMTs/MTs with updated processes and tools to help them identify gaps in knowledge, skill, and judgment, supporting public safety.
In 2025, CMTO increased engagement with educators through several initiatives:
Hosting three virtual webinars focused on popular practice questions to help students prepare for registration.
Providing regular, real-time updates to schools and programs on profession-related developments.
Updating and circulating the CMTO Student Handbook to Massage Therapy schools and programs, clarifying professional responsibilities for students.
We supported Massage Therapy programs in achieving accreditation by sharing reminders and resources, presenting to program administrators, and providing updates to the Quality Assurance Committee.
Supported the development of the new Standard of Practice: Collecting Personal Health Information from Clients.
2025 Risk-Based Assessment (RBA) Practice Assessment Outcomes
Total RBA Practice Assessments Conducted | 440 |
|---|---|
First attempt at RBA Practice Assessment | 408 |
Second Attempt at RBA Practice Assessment | 32 |
Required Quality Assurance Committee Review (Second Attempt Unsuccessful) | 5 |
Of the 440 Practice Assessments, only five (5) required Quality Assurance Review. All others required no further action.
Note: These include 2025 RBA Practice Assessments conducted on or before December 31, 2025.
RMTs/MTs selected for 2025 RBA Practice Assessment are provided two attempts at the Practice Assessment. If unsuccessful in their first attempt, RMTs/MTs have a second attempt at successfully completing their Practice Assessment. Those unsuccessful at the second attempt require Quality Assurance Committee review.
Professional Conduct
CMTO exists to prioritize client safety and well-being. Central to this mandate is CMTO’s zero-tolerance policy for all forms of abuse, including sexual abuse, in Massage Therapy. In 2025, CMTO advanced this commitment by leveraging resources, exercising fiscal responsibility, building stronger strategies to manage sexual abuse cases, and keeping the public informed on illegal practitioners.
Internal Investigations
A focus for CMTO was to build a more robust internal team to manage caseloads efficiently and effectively. We increased the number of investigations handled by in-house staff, achieving cost-savings and greater control over timelines and processes. Significant enhancements were also made to CMTO’s in-house prosecution capacity, including increased staff resources, expanding its internal caseload, standardized procedures and templates, and launching a triage team to review high risk matters. These changes ensured that the most urgent cases were addressed promptly, protecting the public as needed.
Trauma-Informed Approach to Support Survivors
We completed a Sexual Abuse Prosecution Strategy Project that embedded a trauma-informed approach to better support sexual abuse survivors. This project resulted in enhanced consistency in prosecutorial decision-making, reinforcing a zero-tolerance stance on sexual abuse, and ensured procedural fairness.
Illegal Practitioner Alerts
CMTO published detailed illegal practitioner alerts across its social media feeds and website to alert the public when an individual is charged with a relevant offence (such as sexual assault), while illegally representing themselves as an RMT/MT.
All these initiatives reflect CMTO’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding public interest and upholding the highest standards of professional conduct.
Number of 2025 New Complaints/Reports Cases by Type
Type | Number |
|---|---|
Sexual abuse | 61 |
Intent to mislead, including fraud | 20 |
Communication | 14 |
Professional conduct & behaviour | 46 |
Competence / patient care | 40 |
All other categories * | 20 |
Total | 201 |
* Note: All other categories include: Unauthorized Practice, Billing and Fees, Record Keeping, and Advertising
ICRC Decisions | # |
|---|---|
No Further Action/Advice | 105 |
Public Remediation | 45 |
Referral to Discipline | 20 |
Undertaking to Resign and Never Reapply | 7 |
Total | 177 |
Registration Services
CMTO is responsible for ensuring that only competent and ethical individuals become RMTs/MTs. In 2025, our registration team supported new applicants, answered registrant inquiries, managed annual renewal for over 16,000 RMTs/MTs, and continuously improved our policies and processes to ensure accuracy and transparency.
Enhancing the Collection of Data
We refined the data collected during Annual Renewal to confirm information was complete, accurate, and supported CMTO's decision-making. This helps ensure conduct was reported accurately and improved the efficiency of staff who review and investigate these reports.
Policy Development and Review
We continuously review and update CMTO's policies to ensure they are accessible and reflect the current regulatory environment. In 2025, we updated the following policies:
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Vulnerable Sector Check Policy;
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Education Requirement for Exam Eligibility and Initial Registration Policy;
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Refresher Course Requirement at Initial Registration Policy; and
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Temporary Registration for International and National Events in Ontario Policy.
New Policy for Emergency Class Registrants
CMTO also developed a new policy for the supervision of Emergency Class registrants. In the event an emergency is declared in Ontario, this policy outlines how this class of registrants will be managed and what actions they will take.
Update to CMTO’s Language Fluency Policy
We updated our Language Fluency policy to support effective communication between RMTs/MTs and their clients. The update clarifies how students can meet CMTO’s language fluency requirements, including graduating from certain Massage Therapy programs. This upholds standards for clear communication in clinical care.
Certification Examinations and Applications for Registration
Successful completion of CMTO's Certification Examinations: the Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) exam and the Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE), are requirements for registration with CMTO. In 2025:
1,490
candidates took the MCQ exam
1,316
candidates took the OSCE exam
We also processed more than 1,000 applications for registration this year. Most applicants met the requirements, however, when there are doubts that an applicant meets registration requirements, the application is referred to the Registration Committee for decision. In 2025, 88 applications were reviewed:
Reviewed By: | Number of Applications |
|---|---|
Staff | 77 |
Registrar | 6 |
Registration Committee | 5 |
Customer Service
In addition to processing new applications, we managed renewal for nearly 17,000 registrants and responded to inquiries about reinstatement, professional incorporation, and name changes. Our team addressed nearly 4,000 phone inquiries and approximately 4,000 email inquiries on registration matters.
Managed nearly
17,000
registrant renewals
Addressed nearly
4,000
phone inquiries and approximately
4,000
email inquiries on registration matters
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
CMTO developed a review process to embed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) perspective across programs, policies, and processes, and reported on projects and initiatives that advanced our EDI goals.
CMTO adopted an EDI strategy to guide initiatives that support fairness, representation, and equality. This framework reflects the diversity of our province and helps us meet the evolving needs of the Ontario public.
Grounded in the vision of a future where every RMT/MT and client experience safe, empowering, and inclusive care. In this future, Massage Therapy and its regulation are accessible, affordable, built on mutual trust and equitable representation, and integrated into a fair and sustainable health system for all Ontarians, the strategy is guided by these core values:
Openness
Dignity
Empathy
Continuous learning
Collaboration
This work is designed to improve regulatory clarity and compassion, foster professional growth for RMTs/MTs, and ensure financial accessibility and sustainability, by focusing on three key priorities:
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Transform Regulation Through Clarity, Accessibility, and Compassion
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Elevate Equity-Driven Professional Growth for RMTs
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Advance Financial Resilience and Long-Term Sustainability
This strategy reflects CMTO’s commitment to evolving into a more future-forward and compassionate regulator, one that advances care by deepening RMTs’/MTs’ knowledge of equity and inclusion, acknowledging the challenges they face in the profession, and providing practical resources and regulatory changes to support their well-being. You can read more about CMTO’s EDI initiatives here.
Snapshot of Massage Therapy in Ontario
(As of December 31, 2025)
1,047 new RMTs/MTs registered in 2025
RMTs/MTs registered with CMTO
Inactive Certificate
644
General Certificate
16,216
Total
16,860
Total Number of RMTs Year-Over-Year
From 2013 to 2025 there has been a 39% increase in the number of RMTs/MTs in Ontario.
Gender of RMTs/MTs
Male
3,818
22.64%
Female
13,005
77.16%
X
37
0.22%
* “X” is not directly associated with male or female, including but not limited to Trans, TwoSpirit, Non-Binary, and/or Binary people. CMTO recognizes that there may be more terms that represent the diverse and unique forms of gender expressions/identities, including those of the LGBTQ2S+ community, and we will continue to respond to developments.
Age
Number of RMTs
<31
2,120 (12.6%)
31-40
4,820 (28.6%)
41-50
5,045 (29.9%)
51-60
3,577 (21.2%)
>60
1,298 (7.7%)
The largest group of RMTs/MTs (29.9%) is between 41 and 50 years old.
Top 3 practice settings
(General Certificates ONLY)
8,119 RMTs/MTs (50%)
Clinic Setting
(e.g., multi-disciplinary clinic, hospital, urgent care clinic, rehabilitation facility)
4,216 RMTs/MTs (26%)
Solo Practice
1,373 RMTs/MTs (8%)
Spa
(e.g., home-based and solo office practice)
Note: These represent the top 3 most common practice settings, the remaining 16% of RMTs/MTs holding a General Certificate of Registration practise in 17 other practice settings.
Most Asked Practice Questions of 2025
Well‑informed RMTs/MTs deliver higher‑quality care, which is why CMTO’s Practice Specialists are always available to provide guidance and answer all your questions.
In 2025,
1,171
practice questions were received by CMTO’s Practice Specialists.
Email:
684
Phone:
487
The Practice Specialist answered questions from RMTs, Massage Therapy students, clients, employers, insurance companies on the topics of:
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Fees and Billing
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Massage Therapy Scope of Practice
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Records
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Inappropriate client behaviour
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Client centred care
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Leaving a Practice
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Collecting Personal Health Information (PHI)
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Privacy and Confidentiality
2025 Board
(As of December 2025)
 Sean AdderleyRMT/MT, Board Chair |  Howard ShearsPublic Member, Board Chair |
|---|---|
 Lauren CarnegieRMT/MT |  Tammy ContoisRMT/MT |
 Charles GollobRMT/MT |  Brian HighgatePublic Member |
 Robyn LibbyRMT/MT |  Jay MathersPublic Member |
 Jennifer McGillRMT/MT |  Dawn OehringRMT/MT |
 Jalpa PatelPublic Member |  Ashley Van ZelstRMT/MT |
 Ravara Van VlietRMT/MT |  Carolyn WattPublic Member |
