I wanted to share an important update on the work I’ve been doing to advocate for better protections for regulated health professionals—especially when it comes to navigating sexualized patient misconduct and unsafe behaviour.

✅ I’ve contacted the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO), the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance (CMTA), and the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO) about the need for clear, standardized protocols to support practitioners facing unsafe patient behaviour.

✅ I’ve proposed to the CMTO:

-A three-strike protocol for managing inappropriate patient comments and boundary violations.
-An immediate discharge protocol for incidents involving sexual touching, exposure, or assault.
-A Patient Code of Conduct to clearly outline respectful behaviour expectations in therapeutic settings, aligned with our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
-Integration of these tools into STRiVE or the CMTO’s Standard of Practice to ensure all RMTs have access to consistent, trauma-informed resources for navigating these situations safely.

I believe that practitioner safety is public safety. Protecting the well-being of healthcare providers is essential to ensuring safe, ethical, and effective care for the public.

I’ll continue to share updates as this work progresses, and I welcome collaboration with others who are passionate about creating safer therapeutic spaces for all.

If you are interested in a copy of the full draft document, please contact me at ashleyculprmt@gmail.com

Thank you for your support!