It's back to school for Alberta massage therapists

EDMONTON - Bringing massage therapy into the Alberta Health Professions Act will take at least a year or two, but already practicing massage therapists are starting to prepare by upgrading their qualifications.

The Alberta government announced this spring it would regulate massage therapy, and a government-appointed steering committee begins meeting mid-November to set academic and practice standards.

Most therapists are looking forward to regulation, even though the changes may mean more paperwork, and possibly a return to school.

"We are waiting for details, but this is what we know now," says Maryhelen Vicars, director of MH Vicars School of Massage Therapy in Edmonton and Calgary.

"Only one category of massage practitioner will be registered and covered by regulation: massage therapists who have completed an approved education program of at least 2200 hours. Probably, there will be a board exam as well.

"Relaxation massage or bodywork practitioners will not be registered, nor will they be allowed to call themselves registered massage therapists (RMTs). Judging by industry experience in other regulated provinces, only treatments provided by RMTs will be covered by employee health plans."

Vicars says she welcomes the change: "The lack of regulation has been very frustrating for our grads. With 2200 hours of training, they have a very broad range of skills covering assessment and treatment as well as relaxation massage. Until now, anyone finishing even a very short course in massage, whether their school was licensed or not, could call themselves RMTs.

"Graduates of programs like ours, MacEwan, CCMH Foothills, and the other excellent two-year college programs, invest so much time, energy, and money to become really effective therapists that it is tough to have to compete for clients and jobs with massage practitioners who are only trained in basic relaxation massage."

But it is not just about what therapists need, Vicars is quick to point out: "Protecting the public is the main thing. With regulation, clients and insurance companies can be sure that the therapist they are paying has the skills and knowledge to deal with injuries and pathologies safely and effectively. The regulatory Board will ensure that approved schools are training students to an agreed-on set of skills."

MH Vicars School is only one of several massage schools anticipating the changes ahead by offering advanced training to therapists wanting to bring their skills to a higher level. They have a program starting in January that offers practitioners monthly tutorials plus independent study assignments (in a format called "blended learning") leading to the Vicars 2200-hour diploma in massage therapy.

"It's buyer beware for anyone looking to upgrade their skills," Vicars warns. "We have noticed that schools that have never had diploma programs before are suddenly scrambling to offer them, including schools that are not licensed by Alberta Advanced Education.

We have not had to create a special program. We have always welcomed practicing MTs to challenge our first-year exam, and if they pass, we give them credit for previous education and admit them to second year."