Legal Hub

Every provider profile shows a credential field:

• Named college or association. If you give us proof of active registration or membership with a recognized regulatory college or professional association, your profile shows its name (for example, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, or Canadian Association of Natural Nutritional Practitioners).
• Unregistered. If you don't hold, or don't give us proof of, active registration or membership, your profile shows "Unregistered".

The credential field is the only indicator on Materia+ of your regulatory standing.

"Unregistered" has no expiry date. Trained providers in regulated and unregulated disciplines can stay on Materia+ with this status for as long as they like. To change it to a named college or association, send us proof of active registration or membership at any time.

When we use "Verified" on profiles or in our marketing, it means only that we did a basic administrative review of the training certificates, education documents or registration details you gave us when you registered.

Some disciplines on Materia+, such as herbalism and holistic nutrition, aren't regulated or licensed by government in many places. We don't independently audit, check or guarantee training programs, private diplomas or voluntary association memberships, or whether they're still current.

"Verified" doesn't mean government licensing, medical certification or an endorsement by Materia+.

Titles. You confirm that every title, set of letters after your name and description on your profile follows the title-protection and scope-of-practice rules where you practise. In particular:

• Protected titles. Where a title is protected by law (for example "Registered Psychotherapist", "Registered Homeopath" under Ontario's Homeopathy Act, or "Registered Massage Therapist"), you may use it only if you're actively registered with the regulatory body that governs it. If you aren't registered, or are still waiting for registration, you may not use it.
• "Unregistered" providers. If your profile shows "Unregistered", you may not use "Registered", "Licensed" or any similar word in your profile title, bio, header or promotions on Materia+.
• Unregulated disciplines. For disciplines without government regulation (such as holistic nutrition, herbalism and Ayurveda), only use designations your school or professional association gave you directly (for example CNP, RHN or CHNC).

Badges. Materia+ badges describe the discipline you practise, for example "Practices Homeopathy" or "Practices Psychotherapy". We named them this way on purpose: a badge says what you practise, not what you're called. It isn't a professional title or a protected designation, and it doesn't mean you're registered, licensed or certified. Your registration status appears only in the credential field (section 1).

• Badges must match your services. Choose only badges for disciplines you actually practise. Everything you offer under a badge must fit that discipline's professionally accepted scope.
• Don't turn a badge into a title. Don't use a badge's wording in your profile title, bio or promotions to suggest a protected title or a registration you don't have.

In a regulated profession where "Qualifying" is a legal provisional title (for example, psychotherapy in Ontario under the CRPO), you may add "(Qualifying)" only as your college's rules allow. It must appear in brackets next to your official title and the name of your college, for example "Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), CRPO". By using it, you confirm that you're actively registered in a provisional category and meeting all supervision requirements. Materia+ doesn't track supervision deadlines or practice hours.

Keep your credentials up to date. If your professional or regulatory standing changes, update your profile, bio and credential fields within 48 hours. If a field is locked or you need our help, email support within 48 hours.

Changes you must report include:

• your registration, licence or membership being suspended, revoked, restricted, allowed to lapse or given up
• public disciplinary findings, practice restrictions or final orders from a regulator or college
• a provisional or supervised status ending, expiring or being refused

If you don't keep your profile accurate or tell us about a change, you're breaking these terms, and we may update your profile or suspend your account.

At our discretion, at any time and without notice, we may:

• ask for updated proof of your education, training, certification, registration or association membership
• review and change your profile credentials, including changing a named college or association back to "Unregistered" if we learn your registration isn't active, receive a valid complaint, or find details we can't confirm
• suspend, hide or close your account for suspected misuse of titles, public disciplinary findings, client complaints, breaking the law where you practise, or not giving us documents we ask for

Using these rights doesn't make us responsible for monitoring or reviewing any provider.

To the extent the law allows, Materia+ isn't responsible for how thorough, accurate, complete or timely our document review, credential checks or badge displays are. We don't independently research or check training programs, private diplomas or association memberships. If we approve someone who isn't qualified, show the wrong registration status, accept a false certificate, or miss a misused title or a lapsed registration, providers and clients agree, to the extent the law allows, not to hold Materia+ responsible for that error or delay. Deciding whether a provider's credentials, training, scope and standing are suitable is the responsibility of the client and the provider.

You are fully responsible, legally and financially, for making sure the titles, badges, letters after your name and practice descriptions on your profile follow your local health regulation and consumer protection laws. Materia+ doesn't monitor them.

If you misuse a protected title or a badge, or misrepresent your standing, any resulting dispute or enforcement action is between you and the client or regulator. To the extent the law allows, you agree to defend Materia+ and cover its losses, fines and reasonable legal costs from any claim or proceeding about how your titles or badges appear.

When you create your account, you tick this required box (box 2). It's recorded separately from your agreement to the Terms.

I confirm that:

• I'm qualified, and licensed or registered where my province, state or country requires it, to practise what I offer on Materia+, and I'll practise only within my legal scope.
• The details I give about myself and my credentials will be true.
• All titles and letters after my name on my profile follow local title-protection laws. If my profile shows "Unregistered", I won't use protected titles such as "Registered" or "Licensed".
• I understand that Materia+'s review isn't government approval, and I'll report changes in my standing within 48 hours.
• I'm responsible for the care I give, for what my profile says, and for keeping my patients' records as my local privacy law requires.
• I'm 18 or older.