Privacy policy
Effective Date: May 16, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how this private practice ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects your information when you visit our website, use our landing pages, or engage with our online therapy services.
As a regulated health professional licensed in Ontario, our handling of personal health information (PHI) is strictly governed by Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA).
1. Information We Collect
We collect information through two distinct streams:
A. Website & Marketing Data (Passive Collection)
When you navigate our website landing pages, we may passively collect non-identifying or aggregate technical information. This includes:
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Log and usage data: Your IP address, browser type, device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, and referring URLs.
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Cookies and tracking technologies: We may use cookies, pixels, or analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our website to improve our user experience and marketing efforts.
B. Personal Health Information (Active Collection)
When you elect to become a client or communicate with us regarding services, we collect Personal Health Information (PHI). To protect your privacy, all formal intake and clinical booking activities take place on a separate, secure, PHIPA-compliant electronic medical records (EMR) platform.
PHI collected through that platform or direct consultation includes:
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Your name, contact details (phone, email, address), and date of birth.
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Emergency contact information.
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Clinical history, progress notes, assessment results, and treatment plans.
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Billing and payment history.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following limited purposes:
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To provide clinical care: To assess, diagnose, and deliver virtual therapy services.
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To manage operations: To process payments, schedule sessions, and maintain standard professional health records as required by our regulatory College.
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To improve our website: To analyze website performance and optimize our marketing landing pages.
We will not use or collect more personal health information than is reasonably necessary to fulfill these purposes.
3. Disclosure of Personal Health Information
Your clinical information is kept strictly confidential. In accordance with PHIPA, your PHI will never be disclosed to third parties without your express or implied consent, except where required or permitted by law.
Legal exemptions where we are obligated to disclose information without consent include:
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Imminent Risk of Harm: If there is a significant, immediate risk of serious bodily harm to yourself or an identified person or group.
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Child Protection: If there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a child under the age of 16 is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect.
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Elder Abuse: If there are concerns of abuse or neglect occurring within an Ontario Long-Term Care Home or Retirement Home.
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Regulatory Subpoena: To comply with a court order, subpoena, or a lawful directive from our regulatory College.
4. Safeguards and Online Security
We maintain robust physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to secure your personal health information:
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Encryption: All virtual video sessions are conducted using encrypted, PHIPA-compliant video platforms.
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Secure Access: Client electronic charts are password-protected, encrypted, and hosted on a secure, restricted cloud-based platform operating inside Canada.
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Client Obligations: Because services are delivered online, clients are expected to join sessions from a private, secure location and utilize a private internet connection (not public Wi-Fi) to preserve their own privacy.
5. Data Retention
We retain personal health records in strict compliance with Ontario law and the regulations set by our specific regulatory College (typically 10 years from the date of the last entry, or 10 years past a minor client's 18th birthday). Once the required retention period expires, records are destroyed securely and permanently to prevent unauthorized access.
6. Your Privacy Rights
Under PHIPA, you hold specific rights regarding your personal health information:
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Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of your clinical record, subject to narrow legal exceptions.
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Right of Correction: You have the right to request a correction to your clinical file if you believe the recorded factual information is incomplete or inaccurate.
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Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw your consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
7. Contact Us & Complaints
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us directly:
Lawrence Kwok
Registered Psychotherapist (RP) / Sole Proprietor
+1 647 362 0957
If we are unable to resolve your privacy concern, you have the right to file a formal complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC):
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Address: 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M4W A8
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Website: www.ipc.on.ca