Student Massage Therapy sessions will begin in January. Check back soon for more information.
Andy Buchanan RMT will continue to work with us. You can read his bio below and book online using the "Book a Massage" button. If you need to contact Andy about an appointment, please email andybrmt@gmail.com.
Notice of Price Increase: January 1st, 2025 the rate for RMT services will increase slightly. A 60 minute appointment will be $117 and a 90 minute appointment will be $158. This includes GST.
About
Juniper Buller
Juniper has been massaging Whistler's locals and visitors since 2016. Her treatment style has evolved since graduating from Vancouver College of Massage Therapy into a clinical practitioner using evidence-based treatments. Her early years as an RMT in both spa settings and multidisciplinary clinics have broadened her treatment style to include everything from relaxation to sport injury rehabilitation, sometimes all in one session.
Juniper's experience working with elite athletes, such as those on the National Ski Cross team, the National Snowboard team, Sliding sport development team athletes, and in post-event tents, assisted living facilities, neurological hospitals, as well as with children and the elderly really have given her the experience to treat whatever you come in with.
In 2018, Juniper completed her Vodder International Manual Lymphatic Drainage certification and added Lymphatic Taping in 2022. Other continuing education has included Visceral Manipulation and working with myofascial systems to help the body regain optimal function. Looking to the future, she intends to broaden knowledge in areas as they present themselves using the availability of mandatory and optional continuing education courses and conferences.
Juniper lives in Cheakamus Crossing and is looking forward to working with the local population, but also encourages anyone from out of town and north of Cheakamus to come in for a massage. When she’s not working, she can be seen walking her dog around the neighbourhood, riding her mountain bike and gardening. She also enjoys skate skiing, downhill skiing, chilling out with a good cup of coffee and a new text book or planning the next vacation.
Andy Buchanan
Originally from Scotland, Andrew loves to work in injury recovery, pain reduction and helping people get back to the activities they love. Like skiing! Andrew loves skiing and works as an RMT for the Canadian National Ski Cross team. As a passionate skier, he draws on his experience with many different injuries and periods of rehabilitation.
During treatments, Andrew uses a variety of modalities, including deep tissue therapy, muscle stripping, myofascial release, and gentler approaches like Craniosacral Therapy and Neurorelaxation techniques.
Andrew loves to create treatment plans tailored to your individual needs. He applies his knowledge to ensure you meet your goals, whether performance, rehabilitation-based, or to reduce stress and tension.
Educating the Public about Registered Massage Therapy
Did you know that the regulatory college that oversees RMT standards of practice, registration, bylaws, and quality assurance has been amalgamated with other health care professional colleges? In June 2024, a new college was created under the provincial health act, called the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC. It includes RMTs, Chiropractors, Naturopathic Physicians, Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists. This is a Ministry of Health’s multi-year initiative to modernize BC’s health profession regulatory framework. To be directed to the CCHPBC website, click here. Every massage therapist in BC must be an active registrant of the CCHPBC to call themselves an RMT and practice/bill as such in this province.
There is also an optional association, called the RMTBC, that RMTs can be a member of. Because it is optional, not all RMTs are members, but it comes with benefits, therefore I choose to remain a member and have been since I started school in 2014. Where the CCHPBC governs our professions right to practice, its primary function is to protect the public. The RMTBC association advocates for the RMT profession. They provide members with practice resources (forms, contract templates, education material to provide to the public, a discussion forum, life & travel insurance, etc.) as well as vetting a liability and malpractice insurance company from which to purchase our annual policy.
As a member of the RMTBC, you are also a member of the Canadian Massage Therapist Association. These two bodies have been advocating on our behalf for RMTs to not charge GST/HST. Years ago, the government announced that once five provinces were regulated (by the health care act to be self-regulated with a provincial college of standards), we could apply to be GST/HST exempt. We have had five provinces regulated since 2019 and are about to have a sixth. The associations have been pushing for GST/HST exemption because we wish to be on par with other health professions, such as physiotherapists, which do not charge their patients GST/HST.
Another important project the RMTBC and the CMTA are working on is a national standard and school accreditation. Not only would this be a huge benefit to schools, provincial government, and RMTs by combining resources, streamlining education material and cutting down on redundancies within provinces, but the public would be certain of what they were getting when going for a massage with an RMT anywhere in Canada. And that is the biggest challenge, and has been, for our profession - what to expect when going for massage. The RMTBC has put together a video for BC RMTs. To watch it, click here.
If you have any questions or comments, please email me at juniperbuller@gmail.com and I'd be happy to discuss. Thank you!
We gratefully and respectfully acknowledge that our workplace, the land now known as Whistler, lies in the unceded territory of the Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Nation and Líl̓wat Nation.