North Okanagan massage therapist gives up license for inappropriate touching

A North Okanagan massage therapist agreed to sanctions after admitting to professional misconduct involving seven patients.

Registered massage therapist Dennis Desrochers, who has a practice in Enderby, will cancel his registration with the College of Message Therapists of British Columbia as of June 15, according to a disciplinary action posted to the CMTBC’s website.

Desrochers will also be ineligible to reinstate his registration any sooner than May 4, 2027 – a penalty of five years. He will also pay for the cost of the investigation.

By agreeing to those conditions he will forego a disciplinary hearing.

READ MORE: Kelowna massage therapist found guilty of professional misconduct

Desrochers admitted to several instances of misconduct among seven patients by exposing their breasts without properly informing them or when it was unnecessary. The incidents occurred between 2011 to 2018.

He also made inappropriate communication by talking with two patients about the size of their bosoms.

Desrochers massaged one woman’s breasts without informed consent and related his own experiences receiving massages to her in an unprofessional way.

There there were two times when Desrochers examined one patient’s breasts for cancer “when doing so was outside the scope of practice,” according to the decision.

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