Privacy Policy
At Wildflower Psychotherapy, we are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your information in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and other applicable laws.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of information:
Personal information (e.g., name, contact details, date of birth)
Health information (e.g., medical history, presenting concerns)
Payment information (e.g., credit card details, billing address)
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
To provide psychotherapy services and treatment
To communicate with you regarding appointments and billing
To maintain accurate records for legal and professional purposes
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
3. Confidentiality
We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your information. We will not disclose your personal health or contact information without your consent, except in situations where we are required to do so by law (e.g., risk of harm to self or others).
Please see the Confidentiality Policy for more information regarding information shared in sessions and limits of confidentiality.
4. Data Security
We implement various security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. This includes secure storage of paper records and the use of encrypted technology for electronic communications. We use Jane App to electronically store data, please see the following link for information on their security measures: https://jane.app/guide/security-faq.
5. Access to Your Information
You have the right to access your personal health information. If you wish to review or correct your information, please contact us at allyson.gassner@wildflowerpsychotherapy.ca.
6. Retention of Information
We retain your personal health information for a minimum of 10 years after your last appointment, or 10 years past your 18th birthday for younger clients.
7. Cookies and Tracking
Our website and Jane platform may use cookies and tracking technologies to enhance user experience. You can choose to accept or decline cookies through your browser settings.
8. Email and SMS Communication
We prioritize effective communication while ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of our clients. This email and SMS Communication Policy outlines how we use emailing and text messaging in our practice.
1. Purpose of email and SMS Communication
We may use email and SMS to:
Send appointment reminders (sent through Jane App)
Notify you of any schedule changes
Follow-up on a late arrival or no-show
2. Consent and Opting Out
Consent to receive email and SMS communications from us is as a part of the intake process and done so in creating your client account in Jane App. You may withdraw your consent at any time by logging into your Jane App account and changing your settings, notifying us in writing or replying "STOP" to any SMS message.
3. Confidentiality
While we strive to maintain confidentiality, please be aware that email and SMS are not completely secure methods of communication. We recommend not discussing sensitive personal health information electronically. For confidential matters, we encourage you to contact us directly through phone or disclosing during sessions.
4. Response Time
Please allow 24 to 48 hours for us to respond to your messages. For emergencies, please refer to crisis support services or 911.
5. Message Frequency
You may receive SMS messages at various times, particularly around appointment reminders. If you wish to limit the frequency of messages, please let us know.
6. Costs
Standard messaging rates may apply based on your mobile carrier. Please check with your provider for details.
Confidentiality Policy
All communication between you and your therapist is confidential. This means that your therapist will not discuss your case verbally or in writing without your expressed written permission. That being said, your therapist has an ethical and legal obligation to break confidentiality under the following circumstances:
If there is a reason to believe there is an occurrence of child, elder, or dependent adult abuse or neglect.
If there is reason to believe that you have serious intent to harm yourself, someone else, or property by a violent act you may commit.
If you introduce your emotional condition into a legal proceeding.
If there is a court order for release of your records.
Additionally, as a member of College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), our therapists are required and/or encouraged to engage in regular supervision. This may include the therapist discussing certain aspects of your case with their supervisor. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please bring it up to your therapist.
Informed Consent
Psychotherapy is a working cooperative relationship between you and your therapist. Each member of this cooperative relationship has certain responsibilities. Your therapist will contribute their knowledge, expertise, and clinical skills. You, as the client, have the responsibility to bring an attitude of collaboration and a commitment to the therapeutic process. While there are no guarantees regarding the outcome of the treatment, your commitment may increase the likelihood of a satisfactory experience.
Psychotherapy has both benefits and risks. Risks may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness, because the process of psychotherapy often requires discussing the unpleasant aspects of your life. However, psychotherapy has been shown to have benefits for individuals who undertake it. Therapy often leads to a significant reduction in feelings of distress, increased satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, greater personal awareness and insight, increased skills for managing stress and resolutions to specific problems. But, there are no guarantees about what will happen. Psychotherapy requires a very active effort on your part. In order to be most successful, you will have to work on things we discuss outside of sessions.
We reserve the right to discontinue therapy at any time including, but not limited to, a violation by you of this Consent to Treatment, a change or reevaluation of your therapeutic needs, our ability to address those needs, or other circumstances that lead us to conclude in its sole and absolute discretion that your therapy needs would be better served at an another psychotherapy facility. Under such circumstances, we will suggest an appropriate therapist(s) or counselling agency.
In addition to your right to confidentiality, you have the right to end your therapy at any time, for whatever reason without any obligation, with the exception of payment of fees for services already provided. You have the right to question any aspect of your treatment with your therapist. You also have the right to expect that your therapist will maintain professional and ethical boundaries by not entering into other personal, financial, or professional relationships with you. This includes social media.
Please review the following image as an aspect of Informed Consent:
Cancellation Policy
Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapists’ day that could have been filled by another client. As such, we require 24-hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Clients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged for their missed session in full.
You may cancel online using your Jane profile or contacting your therapist directly.
Fees and Payment Policy
At Wildflower Psychotherapy we believe in a no-surprise approach to services. For that reason, transparency regarding the fees associated with services is important to us. At this time, the fee for a 50-minute session is $150.00.
We are happy to share that as of June 2024, psychotherapy services in Ontario are tax exempt.
Please pay your balance by the end of the day after your session. If you need to delay payment, please bring this to the attention of your therapist.
You can pay via e-transfer to allyson.gassner@gmail.com or through he Jane App with credit card. Cash is accepted if exact balance is provided. Your therapist is unable to make change.
Please note that the fee may increase at some point during your time as a client but not without proper and fair warning both in written form and verbally. Our policy is to provide 60 days notice of an increase.
If at some point you have a change in your financial situation, we encourage you to initiation a discussion with your therapist. Your therapist will be able to provide options to ensure continuation of care.
Insurance
Clients who plan on using insurance are responsible for checking if Psychotherapy Services delivered by a Registered Psychotherapist are covered. We do not offer direct billing at this time.
Accessibility Policy
At Wildflower Psychotherapy, we are dedicated to providing accessible mental health services that meet the needs of all individuals, including those with disabilities. Our commitment to accessibility is reflected in the following policies:
Physical Accessibility:
Our office includes a wheelchair accessible ramp and accessible parking spaces at the back of the building.
We officer in-person, phone and virtual sessions for further accessibility.
Your therapist is committed to accommodating any other physical accessibility need to the best of their ability.
Communication Accessibility:
ASL Interpretation services are available through Canadian Hearing Services upon request with appropriate notice.
Your therapist is committed to accommodating any other communication accessibility need to the best of their ability