The International Academy of Massage was approved by the Ontario Provincial Government's Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario to offer the Registered Massage Therapy Program early in 1998. While the International Academy of Massage has been established for a relatively short time, it was established on the strong foundation of the International Academy of Natural Health Sciences - a multi-disciplined Academy that has its roots back to 1980. From the Academy's inception, standards of excellence were adopted for the educational instructors, depth of course content, examinations, and professional ethics. The Academy emphasizes the integration of the basic sciences with clinical theory and extensive practice in order to provide students with a balanced understanding of health and massage as a process of improving the quality of life.

The Massage Therapy Program is specifically designed to lead the student towards obtaining their Registered Massage Therapist designation (R.M.T. or M.T.) from the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. Graduates of the Academy, as is the case with all Schools of Massage in Ontario, must take and pass the CMTO Registration Examinations after successful completion of their training at the Academy if they are intending to practice as a Massage Therapist in Ontario. Applicants from other Provinces and the United States are also welcome to apply since the Academy's program is suitable for most licensed jurisdictions (Member AMTA Schools).