Massage Therapy Professionalization Project – FAQ

The proposed regulatory model does not create a new entity to which massage therapists would be required to pay dues. They will remain members of their association, which will be able to keep its membership dues at the same level. However, meeting the minimum required number of hours—550 hours—and completing the mandatory continuing education hours could result in certain expenses in the longer term.

Yes, this type of coverage is essential to ensure the protection of both the public and practitioners. Furthermore, through group plans, professional liability insurance is very affordable for massage therapists.

The final decision will always rest with the insurance companies, which apply their own internal criteria (level of training, membership in a recognized association, type of care provided, claims history, specific policies of each group plan, etc.). If you are a member of a participating association, your association will support you in meeting the required training hours within the deadlines set by the bill, which will help ensure that insurers continue to reimburse your services.

The final decision will always rest with the insurance companies. However, they have expressed support for this regulatory approach, which aims to raise the standard of practice and the quality of care provided to the public. It is possible that insurers may decide to limit coverage to massage therapists who meet the criteria of the new law.

This is by no means a merger, but rather a joining of forces in support of a consensus-based initiative aimed at promoting the regulation and recognition of massage therapy. Each association retains its members and its independence, without compromising its own projects or ambitions.

We estimate that the seven associations participating in the project represent approximately 95% of Quebec’s licensed massage therapists.

The initiative aims to preserve the rich diversity of approaches and techniques found in Quebec’s massage therapy community. Training schools will therefore have the opportunity to develop their programs based on recognized core techniques.

The measures presented as part of the project currently constitute the fundamental principles of a regulatory framework that has not yet been formally submitted. To bring the bill to fruition, the organizations participating in the massage therapy professionalization project aim to engage various stakeholders and submit a formal request to the government. While we cannot predict the duration of such a process, we know it will take at least several months, if not a few years, starting from the beginning of the work in May 2026.

To allow the entire sector time to adapt, we also believe that the new criteria should not take effect for several years.

Once the bill is passed, it will specify the deadline, but we propose a five-year period to allow massage therapists who have not yet met the minimum requirement of 550 hours to come into compliance. *Please note that members will be notified in advance of the start date of the five-year period if the project comes into force.

As is generally the case when raising the training requirements for a profession, the proposal includes a rights-acquired clause to ensure a smooth transition to the new practice requirements based on the following principles:

• All hours currently recognized by your association will continue to be recognized.
• Massage therapists with 550 or more hours of recognized training meet the new requirements and are granted grandfathering rights;
• Those with fewer than 550 hours will be given a five-year period to comply. *Please note that members will be notified in advance of the start date of the five-year period if the project comes into force.

This distinction ensures that the rights of practicing professionals are respected while ensuring the gradual implementation of the new requirements.

No. The solution proposed by the organizations participating in the project to professionalize massage therapy is a specific bill outside the professional regulatory system.

It is true that the Office des professions du Québec regulates the majority of professions in Quebec. However, there are already different regulatory models in place, such as those of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ), the Chambre de l’assurance de dommages (CHAD), and the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP).

With regard to the regulation of massage therapy, the proposed scenario offers two main advantages. First, it is the solution that enjoys the broadest consensus within the industry. It offers several significant benefits while preserving many advantages of the current situation. Second, this type of regulation would not require the presence of a significant risk of harm to people who use the services of massage therapists.

To date, seven associations have joined the initiative. However, the project is open to any professional association of massage therapists that is committed to contributing to its implementation and is able to establish practices that meet the defined association-wide standards. You may contact your association directly to learn its position on the matter.

Given that the proposed bill does not include activities reserved exclusively for massage therapists, a person who meets the criteria will still be able to provide massage therapy. However, they would no longer be able to identify themselves as a massage therapist.

The public protection policies of massage therapy associations are in no way intended to discriminate against anyone with a criminal record. Such a practice would, in fact, be contrary to the law. However, in certain cases, associations may deny access to a person who has been convicted of an offense whose nature is significantly related to the practice of massage therapy. This practice is already in effect within the associations, notably through a shared registry of discharges that has been in effect since January 1, 2026.

The project aims to enhance and standardize the practice of massage therapy without penalizing massage therapists who are already practicing. The grandfather clause therefore preserves their right to practice while gradually introducing the new requirements.

This type of measure is common when raising the training requirements for a profession. It has been used in other health care fields, where the level of training has been raised for new graduates without requiring professionals already in practice to undergo a complete retraining program, while recognizing their experience and skills.

After analyzing the various training programs offered in Quebec, the inter-association committee agreed that 550 hours is a realistic and consistent minimum threshold. This threshold acknowledges that a massage therapist who has completed approximately 400 hours of basic training has engaged in further efforts to develop their skills (additional training, professional development, diversification of techniques, etc.).

This 550-hour requirement applies specifically to individuals covered by the grandfather clause, since the new overall training threshold is set at 1,000 hours. It allows for the experience and prior background of these massage therapists to be taken into account, while ensuring a minimum level of training aligned with the goal of raising the profession’s standards.

This initiative will enhance the credibility of massage therapists and further establish those holding the title as true healthcare professionals. This represents a step forward for employment opportunities in healthcare settings, but the decision to hire a massage therapist remains up to each individual facility.

The project offers several significant benefits for massage therapists, the public, and healthcare professionals.
• Enhance the credibility and visibility of the profession.
• Clearly define what constitutes the practice of massage therapy in Quebec.
• Implement robust additional measures to protect the public.
• Raise the standard of basic training.
• Improve the quality of therapeutic massage therapy services.
• Ensure the continued coverage of massage therapy in group insurance plans.
• Promote greater recognition of massage therapists by health care professionals.
• Standardize the oversight practices of professional associations.

• Improve the quality of therapeutic massage therapy services by enhancing and standardizing basic training.
• Ensure a standardized, common, and improved level of practice compared to the current situation.
• Strike from the profession any massage therapists sanctioned for serious misconduct, particularly for sexual offenses.
• Help curb the practice of unqualified massage therapy.
• Have access to a registry to verify a professional’s status.
• Enable a more informed choice of massage therapist and a better client-therapist relationship

All professionals who wish to identify themselves as massage therapists will be subject to the same requirements.

Several steps still need to be completed before the bill can even be introduced. Although it was impossible to provide a specific deadline in the spring of 2026, when the plan to professionalize massage therapy was first announced, the associations involved in the project do not anticipate formal implementation for several years. Communications will be sent well in advance of the effective date to ensure a smooth transition.

It will be the massage therapist’s responsibility to complete 1,000 hours of training at one or more educational institutions recognized by the associations.

The inter-association committee’s approach to enhancing and standardizing basic training is designed to be inclusive and aims to preserve the diversity of massage therapy approaches and techniques in Quebec.

The organizations participating in the project to professionalize massage therapy are tasked with developing a common competency framework that will serve as the foundation for the development of training programs. Experts from the field will be consulted to provide their recommendations.

Under the proposed scheme, the responsibility for accrediting training institutions and their programmes will continue to lie with professional associations.

Under the proposed plan, the responsibility for accrediting training schools and their programs will continue to rest with accredited professional associations.

The associations involved in the project’s development are those that participated in the creation and implementation of the joint registry of discharges. They have therefore been actively engaged for several years in the development of the profession and the conditions under which it is practiced.

The project remains open, however: other professional massage therapy associations that share these objectives and are willing to comply with the established regulatory criteria may eventually join the initiative.

Any association that wishes to contribute to the advancement of the project and commits to meeting the membership criteria may apply to join the inter-association committee. Members must also commit to implementing programs that ensure rigorous management of their responsibilities:
• Have a training accreditation process based, at a minimum, on the common competency framework;
• Be able to ensure that each member meets the legal requirements to use the title of massage therapist;
• Publish a list of its members in good standing;
• Have a mechanism for handling public complaints;
• Participate in the Common Registry of Disqualifications established as of January 1, 2026;
• Submit an annual report demonstrating compliance with the association’s criteria.

The project aims to establish a list of associations officially authorized to oversee the title of massage therapist. These associations must demonstrate that they implement the necessary measures and programs to ensure compliance with future practice requirements. An association not included on this list could lose the right to count among its members professionals holding the title of massage therapist.

This is by no means a merger, but rather a joining of forces in support of a consensus-based initiative aimed at promoting the regulation and recognition of massage therapy. Each association retains its members and its independence, without compromising its mission, values, projects or ambitions.

The inter-association committee is tasked with developing a competency framework and a definition of the practice of massage therapy in Quebec.

The project does not involve the retention or sharing of activities.

The title designation and the introduction of new criteria will consolidate and harmonise the training and clinical practice requirements already recognised by several associations and insurance companies, by setting them out within a clearer and more structured framework. This will offer the public greater assurance regarding the quality and safety of the services they receive, whilst facilitating collaboration with other healthcare professionals; they will be able to rely on more consistent guidelines when referring patients for massage therapy.

The Collège des médecins has repeatedly expressed its support for a regulatory framework for professional massage therapsists in the past. However, it has not yet had the opportunity to comment specifically on this proposal. 

The rights-acquired clause provides a five-year grace period allowing any massage therapist already qualified at the time the new criteria come into effect to reach the minimum 500 hours required. They may continue to practice throughout this period if they are a membr of an association participating in the project and if they comply with the other requirements.

It is possible that the number of new graduates will temporarily decrease when the 1,000-hour training requirement comes into effect, as the training will demand a greater investment of time and money. However, these new requirements shouuld attract more committed and better-prepared individuals, thereby reducing turnover and fostering a more stable, competent and dedicated long-term presence of massage therapists. Ultimately, the goal is not to have fewer massage therapists, but a stronger, better-trained, and more highly regarded profession.