Membership Options

MTANS has six levels of membership with varying levels of allowances, privileges, and dues. Any member of MTANS, regardless of status, may attend the Annual General Meeting and the Semi-Annual General Meeting of the Association. Effective 2008, to become a member of MTANS, an applicant must meet the minimum requirements to take our competency based entrance exams. Certain applicants may meet requirements for membership without taking our entrance exams. Please see the section on examinations for more details.

1) Active Member:

Those Massage Therapists who are listed on the active members list of MTANS, have paid the required dues and fees, and join the association to assist in it in the purposes as outlined in the constitution. Only Active members are entitled to:

• be nominated for, elected to, or serve on the Board of Directors;
• move or second motions for consideration of membership or nominate persons for membership on the Board;
• vote on said motions;
• receive a Certificate of Active Membership and the appropriate renewal seals.

Active Memberships are further indentified as being either Standard or Non-Standard.

Active Membership - Standard - The qualifications required for the active- standard process are that the applicant is a member in good standing of:

• the College of Registered Massage Therapists of BC [CMTBC];
• the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario [CMTO] or;
• the College of Massage Therapists of Newfoundland and Labrador [CMTNL].

Active Membership - Non-Standard - The qualifications required for the active-non-standard process are that the applicant is:

• not a member of either of the aforementioned Colleges;
• is a graduate of a minimum 2200-hour program in massage therapy, encompassing the minimum standard of education as established by the Massage Therapists’ Alliance of Canada (MTAC - formerly the CMTA), from a university, college or school, regulated or licensed by the respective educational authority of the province or territory of the institution or;
• has satisfied the MTANS Board that the applicant's educational qualifications are substantially equivalent to the aforementioned 2200 hour minimum standard.

All Active members shall display in a prominent place in their establishment the Certificate of Active Membership in MTANS along with the appropriate renewal seals for the current year.

2) Inactive Member:

Members not currently practicing in the province of Nova Scotia.

3) Associate Member:

Those members who, though not eligible under the Society Act, are by virtue of their professional or personal interests committed to the purposes of the MTANS. This may include but is not limited to, Directors of recognized schools of Massage Therapy which meet the standards of the Association, and who join the association in the following manner. After receipt of the written recommendation of two active members, and the prescribed dues, a majority vote of the Board of Directors will result in a conditional status as an Associate Member. This status is then confirmed by a majority vote of the active members present at the next Annual General Meeting. 

4) Student Member:

Any student in a Massage Therapy school recognized by MTANS may become a student member of the association. There is no fee for this type of membership.

5) Honorary Member:

Those members who, by meritorious service to the MTANS, have distinguished themselves and, after being recommended to the Executive in writing by two Active members, have been approved as Honorary Members by a vote of no less than three-quarters (75%) of the Active members attending a General Meeting.

6) Candidate Member:

These are people who are not full Active members, but have completed basic training and are working toward fulfilling current MTANS standards. Candidate members are not entitled to deal with insurance companies for billing purposes or patient reimbursements.