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April 04, 2023 - 1:00 PM
A Penticton massage therapist has been barred from treating female patients.
According to a March 28 notice from the College of Massage Therapists, Clifford Dickson is prohibited from treating patients who identify as female while he is under investigation by the regulator.
The College says that it received a complaint on Jan. 3 from a female patient.
"The patient alleged that while providing massage therapy to the patient, Mr. Dickson: initiated hugs with the patient; engaged in unprofessional verbal and non-verbal communications... and engaged in non-therapeutic touching of sensitive areas of the patient’s body," the notice says.
The regulator says the allegation is serious and it found there would be a risk of recurrence if an interim order was not made.
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Dickson has been practicing massage therapy for more than 30 years and first became registered in 1991.
The College says Dickson practices at the Penticton Rehabilitative Massage Therapy on Carmi Ave.
"Having weighed the different options and the circumstances of this case, and having considered the impact on the registrant, the Inquiry Committee panel concluded that the (prohibition)... is proportionate and sufficient to protect the public during the investigation or pending a discipline hearing," the notice says.
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The regulator gives no other details about what happened and there is no timeline for how long the investigation will take.
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