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Becoming a Massage Therapist in Manitoba

It is great you are considering massage therapy as a professional career!

As a healthcare profession, massage therapy is based on the health sciences. Graduates complete studies in a number of areas including physiology, human anatomy, musculoskeletal anatomy, kinesiology, pathology, assessment and treatment planning, massage theory and techniques, communication skills, ethics, professionalism and more.

The Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba supports a minimum entry-to-practice education of two or three years (2200+ hours) of academic and practical/clinical education based on an approved curriculum.

Any school you are considering will follow the National Competency Standards for Massage Therapists and the associated performance indicators for those who want to practice in Canada.

The MTAM also supports the national expectation that students of massage therapy do not practice unsupervised until they have graduated. This is for the safety of the student, the client and it shows respect for the minimum standards of the profession.

Be sure the school program you are considering has a minimum 2-year/2200+ hour program, treats massage therapy as healthcare, and demonstrates respect for you and the profession.

Local Programs of Massage Therapy

In Manitoba, there are five Private Vocational Schools schools of massage therapy that the MTAM will accept graduates from. School curriculums are reviewed by the MTAM every two to three years to ensure they are fulfilling the national standards of practice.

Each of the following schools are registered with the Province of Manitoba – Advanced Education & Literacy and provide diploma programs of at least 2200 hours / two-years of instruction:

  • Evolve College of Massage Therapy (formerly Massage Therapy College of Manitoba)
  • Hua Xia Acupuncture, Massage, Herb College
  • Robertson College Winnipeg Campus
  • The Learning Company (formerly Robertson College Brandon)
  • Wellington College of Remedial Massage Therapy: Two-Year and Distance Education FULL programs only 
     
  • Acupuncture College of Manitoba - This is new program and the curriculum is still under review.

Inter-Jursidictional Practice Competencies for Massage Therapists

MTAM-recognized curriculums must be based on practice competencies established by the profession in 2012 and updated in 2016: http://www.cmto.com/downloads/inter-jurisdictional-competency-standards-english/