Privacy Policy

1. Purpose and Commitment

At The Counselling and Psychotherapy Collective (TCAPC), we are committed to safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of the personal and personal health information entrusted to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect your information when you engage with our psychotherapy services or interact with our website.

We comply with all applicable privacy laws in Ontario and Canada, including:

• Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) – Ontario
• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) – Federal
• Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) – Ontario

2. What Information We Collect

Depending on your interactions with TCAPC, we may collect the following types of information:

(a) Personal Information

• Full name, address, phone number, and email address
• Date of birth and gender identity
• Emergency contact information
• Occupation and employer (if relevant to your care)

(b) Personal Health Information (PHI)

• Health history and current mental health status
• Referrals, reports, treatment plans, and diagnoses
• Notes from therapy sessions and communications
• Medications and other relevant medical data

(c) Website and Technical Information

When you visit https://tcapc.ca, we may collect:

• IP address and browser type
• Pages viewed and time spent on site
• Cookie data (as per your browser settings)

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information in the following ways:

• Directly from you when you complete intake forms, communicate with us, sign up for our newsletter, or attend sessions
• From third parties with your consent (e.g., referring physicians or other healthcare providers)
• Automatically through our website via cookies and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics)

4. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used only for the purposes necessary to provide ethical and effective care, including:

• Providing individual, couple, or group psychotherapy
• Creating and maintaining clinical records
• Communicating with you (appointment reminders, care updates)
• Sending email newsletters, educational materials, and service announcements (if you opt-in)
• Coordinating care with other healthcare professionals (with consent)
• Billing, insurance processing, and accounting
• Meeting regulatory, legal, and reporting obligations
• Improving our services and understanding website traffic

5. Consent

We obtain your express or implied consent before collecting, using, or disclosing your information, except where otherwise permitted or required by law.

You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal, ethical, or contractual restrictions. Withdrawing consent may impact our ability to provide care.

6. Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Disclosure may occur in the following cases:

• To other regulated health professionals involved in your care (with consent)
• To administrative service providers (e.g., billing, cloud storage), under strict confidentiality agreements
• When required by law (e.g., subpoena, child protection, imminent harm)
• To your insurance provider, with consent, for claims processing

7. Protection and Safeguards

We take your privacy seriously and use physical, technical, and administrative safeguards, including:

• Encrypted and password-protected electronic records
• Secure storage and disposal of physical files
• Access controls – only authorized staff and therapists access client information
• Confidentiality agreements with all staff and contractors

8. Data Retention

We retain client records for a minimum of 10 years after the last interaction, or longer if required by law or professional guidelines.

After the retention period, records are securely destroyed using appropriate destruction methods (shredding or digital wiping).

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal and health records upon written request
• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
• Be informed of disclosures made with or without your consent (where required by law)
• Lodge complaints about the handling of your information (see Section 11)

Requests can be submitted in writing to our Privacy Officer (see Section 12).

10. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to:

• Improve user experience
• Monitor website traffic and usage patterns

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. We do not collect personally identifiable information unless you voluntarily submit it through contact or booking forms.

Third-party tools (like Google Analytics) may collect anonymized data. Please consult their privacy terms for more details.

11. Concerns or Complaints

If you have concerns about how your information is handled, you may contact our Privacy Officer directly. If unresolved, you may also contact:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC)
www.ipc.on.ca | Phone: 1-800-387-0073

12. Contact Information

Privacy Officer
The Counselling and Psychotherapy Collective (TCAPC)
400 Bronte Street South, Milton, ON L9T 0H7
📧 info@tcapc.ca
📞 613-801-2103

13. Newsletter and Marketing Communications

If you sign up for our email newsletter or request updates from us, we will collect your name and email address for the sole purpose of sending you occasional:

• Wellness tips and mental health resources
• TCAPC service updates and announcements
• Information about workshops or events we may offer

You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link included in each message or by contacting us directly at info@tcapc.ca. We do not share your email with third parties for marketing purposes.

14. Policy Updates

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legal obligations or practices. The most recent version will always be available on our website.