Hello everyone,

I wanted to provide an update on the progress of this important advocacy initiative.

Recently, I reached out to the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO) to advocate for the development of standardized tools and protocols to address sexualized patient misconduct in Massage Therapy. Specifically, I asked the RMTAO to support:
✅ A three-strike discharge protocol for verbal harassment and boundary violations.
✅ An immediate discharge policy for incidents involving sexual misconduct.
✅ A patient-facing Code of Conduct that clearly outlines behavioural expectations for respectful, safe care.

The RMTAO responded by sharing some of their existing resources, such as scripts for difficult conversations and a Common Practice Concerns document. While these resources provide some general guidance, they do not specifically address the systemic issue of sexualized patient misconduct—nor do they offer a standardized, trauma-informed process for managing these situations across the profession.

I have also submitted these proposals to the CMTO (our regulatory college) for their consideration, requesting that these tools be integrated into the Standards of Practice or STRiVE program to better support RMTs in maintaining safe, ethical therapeutic spaces.

While I am grateful that the RMTAO has acknowledged the importance of this issue, there is still a long way to go. We need clearer policies, stronger protections, and system-wide advocacy to ensure that RMTs and other healthcare providers are not left to navigate sexualized patient misconduct alone.

This petition is part of that broader effort to create real, lasting change. Thank you for your continued support, and please continue to share the petition with your networks. Together, we can advocate for a safer, more respectful healthcare system.

Stay tuned for more updates as this work continues.

In solidarity,

Ashley Culp, RMT