Privacy and Confidentiality
Denise and Natasha, are committed to providing private and confidential therapy. We take privacy seriously and use reasonable safeguards to protect your personal information and personal health information.
This page explains how confidentiality works in therapy, how information may be collected and used, and the limits of confidentiality that apply within legal and professional obligations.
What confidentiality means in therapy
In most situations, what you share in therapy stays private. We do not disclose identifying information about you to others without your consent, except in specific circumstances described below.
At the start of services, we will review confidentiality with you and answer questions so you understand what is private and what may need to be shared.
Limits of confidentiality
Confidentiality is not absolute. We may need to collect, use, or disclose information without your consent in limited circumstances, including
If there is a imminent risk that you may harm yourself or someone else
If there is the belief that an individual under the age of 18 is being harmed
If you disclose sexual abuse by a regulatory health professional
If we receive a subpoena
If you report that someone in a long term care home is being abused
If there is a threat to public safety
We are not a crisis clinic. If you are in crisis please call 911 or go to your local hospital. If you are feeling like you may harm yourself you can reach out to 988 and speak with someone 24 hours a day.
Regulatory and professional requirements
As regulated clinicians, we may be required to provide information to our regulator in certain circumstances (for example, if there is a complaint or investigation).
Supervision, consultation, and clinic operations
To support safe, ethical, and high-quality care, therapists may engage in supervision or professional consultation. Limited information may also be shared with authorized administrative staff for scheduling, billing, receipts, and other clinic operations. We aim to share the minimum necessary information for the purpose.
What information we collect
We collect information necessary to provide psychotherapy services and meet clinical, administrative, and legal obligations. This may include:
Contact details and basic demographics
Intake information and presenting concerns
Clinical notes, goals, and session documentation
Scheduling and payment information
Insurance information when relevant (for example, for direct billing or receipts)
We aim to limit collection to what is relevant and necessary.
How we use your information
Your information may be used to:
Provide therapy services and continuity of care
Document services and maintain clinical records
Manage appointments, billing, receipts, and clinic communications
Process payments and, where applicable, support direct billing
Meet legal, regulatory, and professional requirements
Where consent is required, we will seek it. Where implied consent applies for providing care, information is used primarily for that purpose.
Use of Collaborative Health Record
We use Collaborative Health Record as our clinic management system. Collaborative Health Record App may be used for services such as appointment booking, intake forms, clinical documentation, invoicing/receipts, and some clinic communications.
Access to your information within Collaborative Health Record is limited to authorized individuals who require access to perform their role (for example, your therapist and authorized administrative staff). We take reasonable steps to protect access to clinic systems (for example, using secure credentials and role-appropriate access).
Consent and sharing information with third parties
We typically require your written consent to share information with third parties (for example, insurers, physicians, schools, employers, family members, or other providers), unless an exception applies.
If you request a letter, form completion, or information release, we will clarify:
What information will be shared
Who it will be shared with
The purpose of the disclosure
Any potential risks (for example, loss of control over how a third party stores or uses information)
Email, texting, and electronic communication
Electronic communication can carry privacy risks. We use reasonable safeguards, but no method is risk-free.
Email and text are best for scheduling and general administrative communication.
Please avoid sending sensitive clinical details by email and text when possible.
If you choose to communicate via email or text, you acknowledge there is some privacy risk.
Appointment reminders sent by text messages should not be responded to because the responses will not be received by your clinician.
Virtual therapy and technology
For virtual sessions, we use secure platforms and privacy-aware practices. You can improve privacy by:
Using a private space and headphones
Ensuring devices are password-protected
Using secure Wi-Fi (avoid public networks)
Records, storage, and safeguards
We take reasonable steps to protect information in our custody or control, including administrative, physical, and technical safeguards appropriate for a psychotherapy practice.
How long we keep records
Clinical records are retained for the period required by applicable laws and professional standards. After the retention period, records are securely destroyed.
Accessing your records and requesting corrections
You may request access to your record and request corrections if you believe information is inaccurate or incomplete. In some situations, access may be limited as permitted by law (for example, where access could cause serious harm or where another person’s privacy must be protected).
Questions or concerns
If you have questions about privacy or confidentiality, or would like to raise a concern, please contact us at admin@wallisandsainipsychotherapypractice.com. We will do our best to address concerns transparently and respectfully.
Updates to this page
We may update this Privacy and Confidentiality page from time to time to reflect changes in practice, technology, or legal/regulatory requirements. The most current version will be posted on our website.