Hi Fellow Practitioner,
We need to talk.
A real, honest, practitioner to practitioner conversation about Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Ontario, and where it’s heading.
Because the future of our profession is being shaped right now, without us.
We’re practitioners, just like you.
We’re Registered Acupuncturists and Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners.
We’re volunteers.
And we serve on the Board of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario (TCMO), the most active association advocating for our profession in this province.
We love this medicine.
We believe in it.
And honestly, we’re worried.
That’s why we’re reaching out. And that’s why we’re asking you to become a member of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario.
The first threat: We are losing ownership of our own medicine
Have you noticed? Something subtle and something serious has been happening.
When other professions take a short course, start using needles, and market what they do as “acupuncture,” it changes how the public, insurers, and regulators understand the word. Over time, acupuncture gradually loses its meaning as a deeply trained TCM profession and starts meaning just another add-on modality service any provider can use.
Acupuncture is being redefined as a technique instead of a profession. If that continues, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (TCM&A) will lose ownership of its own medicine.
We are watching public understanding erode.
We are witnessing our medicine being reduced to insignificance.
Because of this, injuries, complaints, and public confusion are on the rise.
That’s dangerous for patients.
And that’s dangerous for us.
This is about protecting the medicine you trained for years to practice. It’s about making sure the depth of Traditional Chinese Medicine is not reduced to a weekend course and a marketing label.
The second threat: Digital silence and online invisibility
You deliver excellent care, but you’re restricted from talking about it.
While other regulated professions are allowed to share patient experiences, encourage testimonials, build online credibility, and be visible to the public, TCM&A practitioners are restricted in ways that make us harder to find, harder to trust, and easier to overlook.
Patients look online.
Insurers look at ratings and reviews.
Health teams look at digital presence.
In a healthcare system driven by search, reviews, and transparency, invisibility is not neutral. It is a competitive disadvantage.
The third threat: Our training and value are misunderstood
We are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage complex conditions safely and effectively.
But this reality is poorly understood by policymakers and even by other healthcare professionals.
This is not just about reputation. It is about whether TCM&A is structurally included in future healthcare delivery. It is about whether we remain optional, private, and peripheral, instead of being recognized as a core part of the healthcare system.
As Ontario builds new healthcare delivery models, decisions are being made that will shape the future of patient-centred care. If we are not at the table, we risk being left out for decades. Once these models are set, they are very hard to change.
That affects access for patients.
And it affects whether you can build a sustainable practice.
It affects whether new grads can stay in the profession. It affects whether this remains a viable long-term career, or whether it becomes harder every year to stay in practice.
If TCM&A isn’t clearly positioned and advocated for now, we risk being treated as extra instead of essential.
The opportunity we cannot afford to miss
Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture is not fringe healthcare or alternative medicine.
It is front-line medicine.
It is evidence-informed treatment.
It is a globally recognized healthcare system.
Research continues to demonstrate effectiveness in pain management, mental health, addiction recovery, cardiovascular health, respiratory conditions, and rehabilitation.
Ontario needs what we offer, especially in primary care, mental health, addictions, long-term care, and underserved communities.
But this moment will not wait for us.
This is about more than professional recognition. It is about whether patients who need non-pharmacological, holistic care will have access to it. It is about whether the medicine we trained years to practice will be integrated into care, or quietly sidelined.
Our profession will not thrive on goodwill alone.
Why TCMO matters
TCMO is on the front lines, meeting with regulators, advocating for scope protection, and pushing for recognition like the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine title. None of this happens without a strong, funded, unified membership behind it.
When you become a member of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario, you are not just paying dues. You are strengthening the voice, visibility, and future of our profession.
If we don’t show up, decisions will continue to be made about us, without us.
This is the moment to stand with your colleagues
The challenges facing our profession will not solve themselves. Scope erosion, invisibility, and misunderstanding only grow when we stay fragmented and underfunded.
Becoming a member of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario is one of the simplest and most direct ways to protect your livelihood, your professional identity, and the future of TCM&A in this province.
Join TCMO.
Strengthen your profession.
Protect your scope.
Fund the advocacy that protects your future.
Stand with your colleagues.
Stand with Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario.
This profession exists today because practitioners before us organized, advocated, and refused to let this medicine be diminished. Now it’s our turn. The future of TCM&A in Ontario will be shaped by who shows up and who stays silent.
Together, we can ensure that Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Ontario is respected, integrated, and here to stay.
With respect and determination,
Heather Kenny, Immediate Past President, and Current TCMO Member
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario (TCMO)
Moving the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine Forward