Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 3, 2026
Introduction
Couples Counselling Toronto ("CCT," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our website at https://www.couplescounsellingtoronto.ca and when you receive services from us.
We handle personal health information in accordance with Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), and other personal information in accordance with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This page serves as our written public statement of information practices.
This policy should be read alongside our Informed Consent Agreement and our Terms of Use & Disclaimer.
Two Categories of Information
We treat information differently depending on how we receive it.
Website information is data collected when you browse the site, submit a contact form, or request an appointment. This is governed primarily by PIPEDA.
Personal health information is information collected in the course of providing therapy, including your clinical record. This is governed by PHIPA and is subject to the stricter confidentiality obligations described in our Informed Consent Agreement.
Please do not send detailed clinical or sensitive personal information through website contact forms or ordinary email. These channels are not encrypted and are not appropriate for personal health information. Once you are a client, your therapist will provide secure channels for that purpose.
Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
Contact forms: your name, email address, phone number, and whatever you choose to write in the message field.
Appointment booking: your name, email address, phone number, appointment type and time, and any intake information requested at the time of booking.
Payment: billing details processed by our payment provider. We do not store complete card numbers.
Correspondence: the content of emails, voicemails, and messages you send us.
Clinical services: assessment and session information forming part of your health record, as described in the Informed Consent Agreement.
Information collected automatically
When you visit the website, certain information is collected automatically by our hosting platform and analytics tools. This includes your IP address and approximate geographic region, browser type, device type and operating system, the pages you visit, time spent on the site, the referring website, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used in aggregate and is not used to identify you personally.
Cookies
Our website runs on Squarespace, which sets cookies necessary for the site to function, to remember your preferences, and to measure traffic. We also use analytics cookies to understand how visitors find and use the site.
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect how parts of the site function, including appointment booking.
We do not use advertising or remarketing cookies to target you based on the pages you have viewed on this site.
How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to respond to your inquiries and arrange an initial consultation; to schedule, confirm, and remind you of appointments; to provide therapy services and maintain the clinical records required of us; to process payments and issue receipts; to match you with an appropriate therapist within our practice; to comply with our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations; and to understand how the website is used so that we can improve it.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone, and we do not use your personal health information for marketing purposes.
When We Disclose Information
Your information is held in confidence and is not disclosed to third parties without your written consent, except in the specific circumstances set out in our Informed Consent Agreement. In summary, disclosure may be required or permitted where there is an imminent risk of serious harm to you or another person; where we have reasonable grounds to suspect child abuse or neglect, which we are legally required to report to a children's aid society; where we are ordered to disclose by a court or otherwise required by law; where reporting obligations arise regarding professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a client by a regulated health professional; or where consultation with a clinical supervisor or another professional is needed to support your care, in which case identifying details are withheld.
Couples therapy. Where services are provided to a couple, records may be shared between partners only with the consent of both. If one partner does not consent, individual disclosures attributable to that partner are redacted before release. This is described in more detail in the Informed Consent Agreement.
Service providers
We rely on third-party providers to operate the practice. These include our website host, our appointment scheduling provider, the video platform used to deliver virtual sessions, our payment processor, and our business email provider.
These providers may access information only as needed to perform their functions and are bound by their own privacy and confidentiality obligations. Where a provider handles personal health information, we take reasonable steps to confirm that appropriate safeguards are in place. If you would like to know which specific providers we use, you may request that information using the contact details below.
Data Storage and Location
Some of our service providers store or process data on servers located outside Canada, including in the United States. Where this is the case, that information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is stored, including lawful access requests by foreign authorities.
We take reasonable steps to select providers with appropriate security and confidentiality safeguards. If you have concerns about cross-border storage, please raise them with us before beginning services.
Security
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. These include encrypted connections, access controls that limit records to the therapists and staff who need them, and secure platforms for the delivery of virtual sessions.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Email and website forms in particular are not encrypted end to end, which is why we ask that they not be used for sensitive clinical information. Virtual sessions carry inherent risks, including technology failures and interruptions to confidentiality, which are addressed in the Informed Consent Agreement.
If a privacy breach occurs involving your personal health information, we will notify you at the first reasonable opportunity, and will notify the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and the relevant regulatory college where required.
Retention and Disposal
In accordance with the Standards of Practice of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, we retain each client record in a secure location for at least ten years from the date of the last entry. Where a client was under the age of eighteen at the date of the last entry, the record is retained for at least ten years from the day the client became or would have become eighteen.
Website inquiries that do not result in services are retained only as long as needed to respond, and are then deleted.
At the end of the retention period, records are disposed of in a manner that ensures the confidentiality of the information is not compromised.
Your Rights
Under PHIPA and PIPEDA, you have the right to access your records, subject to limited exceptions and, in the case of couples records, the consent of your partner. You may request correction of information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. You may withdraw consent to treatment at any time, and may withdraw consent to certain uses or disclosures of your information, subject to legal and professional limits. You may ask questions about our privacy practices and how your information has been handled. And you may make a complaint to us or to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
To request access to your record or a correction, contact us in writing using the details below. We will respond within the timeframes required by law. Requests to access clinical records may take up to thirty days, and we may need to verify your identity before releasing any information. If we decline a request for correction, we will tell you why and you may attach a statement of disagreement to your record.
Children and Minors
Our services are directed to adults and couples. We do not knowingly collect information from children under sixteen through this website. Where services are provided to a client under the age of consent, additional rules regarding capacity, parental access, and consent apply. These are discussed at intake.
Third-Party Links
Our website links to external resources, including mental health organizations and crisis services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites, and the inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Where changes affect how we handle personal health information, we will make reasonable efforts to notify current clients directly.
Contact Us
Questions, concerns, or requests regarding your privacy may be directed to our Privacy Contact Person:
Couples Counselling Toronto Email: admin@couplescounsellingtoronto.ca Phone: 416-450-8054 Website: https://www.couplescounsellingtoronto.ca
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Website: https://www.ipc.on.ca Phone: 1-800-387-0073
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers Website: https://www.ocswssw.org Phone: 416-972-9882 or 1-877-828-9380