Health News
Niagara Falls plays host to national conference for RMTs

One Concept – composed of Monica Pasinato-Forchielli, Lorna Pasinato,
Scott Dartnall and Robyn Lynn Donovan-Green  – identified an urgent
need. In 2008, when the Massage Therapy Canada Conference was to be
cancelled due to the organizer’s personal health, Pasinato-Forchielli,
Pasinato and Dartnall took over with just four weeks to launch. The
group partnered with other key exhibitors, like Know Your Body Best, and
was able to hold the conference.

Since then, and with
Donovan-Green joining the team, this quad carried the torch for
successive conferences and promoted the emerging theme of a Canada-wide
conference, inviting American practitioners to speak and participate.
These Canadians later ventured into one of the largest marketplaces in
the world to host the American Massage Conference – one in Atlanta, Ga.,
and the other San Diego, Calif.

Last year in the spirit of CAM
(complementary and alternative medicine) collaboration, they invited
chiropractic colleagues to an integrated conference – the Canadian
Massage and Chiropractic Conference (CMCC). This year, acupuncture and
spa experts were added to the San Diego conference, with plans to add
these and other disciplines to the Canadian conference.

A new
feature this year is the ONE Concept Community Room where conference
attendees can receive care in massage therapy, chiropractic, laser
therapy, energy work, Thai massage and yoga movement.

Organizer
Pasinato-Forchielli describes the concept. “I was introduced to the
Community Acupuncture Model, a social business model that delivers
affordable health-care and living wage jobs. It is a place where you can
engage in a treatment that some people would never be able to afford.
It is a shared space where a collective healing energy is created by
both its participants and its practitioners.”  

Among the practitioners providing care in the Community Room are featured speakers who are practitioners themselves.

RMTs
were looking for continuing education and collegial engagement when a
restructuring caused Ontario’s RMT association to put off their own
conference for four years. RMTs wanting to speak with manufacturers and
providers of massage products and services face an array of over 90
exhibitors at this year’s conference, which will be held at the Sheraton
On The Falls in Niagara Falls. Conference attendees are treated to over
40 speakers from the United States and Canada, gala and award events
and other opportunities to network.

Conference attendees can
purchase a VIP Pass Access providing access to all one- and three-hour
classes, certificates of attendance and trade show access for three
days, plus a buffet lunch each day for only $299.  The Value Pass Access
includes all one-hour CE classes and trade show for three days, plus
one buffet lunch. Add whatever classes you want a la carte for only
$87.  One-day Community Daily pass for $25 at the door and a free
Student Day Pass are other options.

Donald Quinn Dillon is a
registered massage therapist, author and speaker. You can contact him
through his website, MassageTherapistPractice.com or at
don@massagetherapistpractice.com