A registered massage therapist (RMT) in British Columbia is a health professional regulated by CMTBC under BC’s Health Professions Act.

Applicants for registration with CMTBC have completed post-secondary education in clinical applications of health sciences in massage therapy settings, and must meet CMTBC’s rigorous entry-level requirements.

RMTs are subject to:

• CMTBC’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
• The requirements of the Health Professions Act and regulations made under the Act.
• Standards of professional conduct.
• CMTBC’s quality assurance program, which ensures ongoing professional currency and development.

Like all regulated health professionals, RMTs must practice within their professional scope of practice.  For RMTs, this means providing primarily manual, hands-on treatment and assessment in accordance with the definition of “massage therapy” in the Massage Therapists Regulation.  Many modalities and treatments that may be considered acceptable in other jurisdictions are outside the scope of practice of massage therapy in British Columbia.  CMTBC has posted specific guidance on yoga instruction and on using terms such as “specialize in” or “advanced” to describe one’s practice.