Before you book

Registered massage therapy and a spa are not the same thing. These notes say how to check, and what this site does.

• Registered massage therapy is not a spa

  In Ontario, registered massage therapy is a regulated health profession. A spa, foot massage, tuina, or head spa is a different kind of business.

• Check the public register before you book

  CMTO's Find an RMT tool is the public register. Use it to see whether a massage therapist is authorized to practise in Ontario.

• What this site hands you

  We scan public websites and link you to them. We do not publish a shop that has no website, and we do not replace the shop's website.

• The register matched a business, not every person in the room

  A practice name on the public register does not mean every person in the shop is registered. Ask who will treat you.

• A spa bill is not a therapist's receipt

  An extended health plan may ask for a receipt from a registered massage therapist. A spa invoice is a different piece of paper. Ask your insurer.

• The advertised price, a higher price at the door, and extra fees

  The first price you see may leave out an add-on, a fee at the door, or a tip the shop treats as required. Ask for the total before you start.

• A package, a card, or a deposit: ask about a refund first

  Ask whether a package, a stored-value card, or a deposit can be refunded, and on what terms, before you pay.

• Ask when the clock starts on a 60-minute visit

  A listed hour may include intake, changing, or a shower. Ask how much of it is the massage.

• More pain does not mean a better massage

  Pain is not proof that a massage is working. You can ask the person to use less pressure or to stop.

• Pregnancy, an injury, or medication is a question for your own clinician

  A shop agreeing to see you is not a medical clearance. Ask your own clinician before you book.

• A map rating is not the public register

  Stars and reviews do not say whether a person is registered in Ontario. Use the public register for that.

• An ad hinting at sexual services is not a massage booking

  If an advertisement is offering a sexual service, leave it. That is not a massage appointment.

• Do not start until you understand the service

  Agree only to a service you can name. If you do not share a language with the shop, ask them to say what they will do before you lie down.

• How to tell a massage business from an offer of sexual services

  A massage business has a public address and names its services. Registered massage therapy is also on the public register. An offer of sexual services is not massage.