Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Patterson Counselling Services ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all personal and health information we collect through our website and professional practice. Dr. Patterson is a Registered Psychologist and is bound by both provincial privacy legislation and the ethical standards of the College of Alberta Psychologists.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how it is used and protected, and your rights as an individual. It applies to information collected through our website (pattersoncounselling.ca), contact forms, and any communications you initiate with our practice prior to establishing a formal therapeutic relationship. Please read this policy carefully. By using this website or contacting us, you consent to the practices described here.

2. Applicable Legislation

As a private-sector organization in Alberta operating a regulated health profession, we are governed by two primary privacy statutes:

• Health Information Act (HIA), RSA 2000, c H-5: Governs the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health information by health information custodians. As a Registered Psychologist, Dr. Patterson is a health information custodian under the HIA.
• Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), SA 2003, c P-6.5: Governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information (non-health information) by private-sector organizations in Alberta, such as information collected through website analytics or general contact inquiries.

Where the HIA and PIPA overlap or conflict, the HIA takes precedence with respect to health information.

3. Privacy Impact Assessment

As a Registered Psychologist and health information custodian under the HIA, Patterson Counselling Services is required to complete and submit a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta prior to implementing any new information management system or making material changes to existing systems.

A PIA has been completed and submitted to the OIPC in connection with our use of Jane App for practice management and clinical record-keeping. Our PIA documentation is available to the OIPC upon request and includes the Information Management Agreement between our practice and Jane App.

4. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

• "Health information" means diagnostic, treatment, and care information as defined under the HIA, including information collected during or in connection with the provision of psychological services.
• "Personal information" means information about an identifiable individual, excluding health information, as defined under PIPA.
• "You" or "individual" refers to any person who visits our website or contacts our practice.

5. What Information We Collect

5.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us through our website contact form, by phone, or by email, we may collect:

• Your name
• Your email address and/or phone number
• The general nature of your inquiry
• Any other information you voluntarily include in your message

We ask that you avoid sharing detailed health or clinical information through the website contact form, as this channel is not encrypted for sensitive health data. A secure intake process is used once a therapeutic relationship is established.

5.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit pattersoncounselling.ca, our website may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• Your IP address and general geographic region
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website or search terms used to find us

This information is collected through website analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use our site and improve its content. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

5.3 Health Information (Clinical Clients)

Once you become a client of Patterson Counselling Services, health information is collected through our formal clinical intake process. This is governed separately by the HIA, our practice policies, and the ethical standards of the College of Alberta Psychologists. Clinical records are not created or stored through this website.

6. Why We Collect This Information

We collect information for the following purposes:

• To respond to your inquiries and determine whether our practice is a suitable fit for your needs
• To schedule consultations or appointments
• To provide you with information about our services
• To improve the content, accessibility, and usability of our website
• To comply with our legal and professional obligations

We collect only the information necessary to fulfill these purposes. We will not use your information for any purpose not listed here without first obtaining your consent.

7. How We Use and Disclose Your Information

7.1 Use

Your contact information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and facilitate the initial connection with our practice. It is not used for marketing purposes or sold to third parties.

7.2 Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for commercial purposes. We may disclose information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With your explicit consent
• To a third-party service provider who assists with the operation of our website or practice management (see Section 9), subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations
• When required or permitted by law, including under the HIA, PIPA, or court order
• Where necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and immediate threat to the health or safety of any person

8. Consent

By using this website and submitting a contact inquiry, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this policy. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions, by contacting us at the address below. Please note that withdrawing consent may affect our ability to respond to your inquiry or provide services.

9. Third-Party Services and Platforms

Our practice uses the following third-party platforms to support operations. Each platform may collect or process personal or health information on our behalf. We have taken reasonable steps to confirm that these providers maintain appropriate privacy and security standards.

9.1 Jane App (Practice Management and Virtual Sessions)

We use Jane App to manage appointment scheduling, client intake forms, session records, and to conduct virtual therapy sessions. Jane App is a Canadian platform built for health and wellness practitioners and is compliant with PIPEDA, the Health Information Act (Alberta), and HIPAA.

As required by the HIA, Patterson Counselling Services has entered into an Information Management Agreement (IMA) with Jane App. Under this agreement, Jane App acts as a service provider only. It stores information securely on behalf of our practice and does not use, sell, or disclose client information for its own purposes.

Jane App's virtual session feature uses end-to-end encrypted video, meaning sessions remain private between you and Dr. Patterson. Jane App stores data on Canadian servers.

Jane App Privacy Policy: jane.app/privacy-policy

9.2 Goldie (Appointment Reminders)

We use Goldie to send appointment reminder messages by SMS and email. Goldie receives limited information to deliver these reminders, which may include your name, phone number or email address, and appointment date and time. Goldie does not receive clinical, diagnostic, or treatment information.

Please be aware that Goldie is operated by Quartet Holdco SRL, a company based outside Canada. This means that limited appointment reminder data may be processed outside of Canada. We have reviewed Goldie's terms of service and confirm that Goldie requires us to obtain your express consent before sending you messages.

Your consent to receive appointment reminders via SMS or email is captured through your intake form. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us directly.

Goldie Privacy Policy: heygoldie.com/privacy-policy

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies, small text files stored on your device, to improve your browsing experience and collect analytical data. Cookies do not contain personally identifying information.

You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that some features of the website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information collected through website contact forms only as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry and for a reasonable follow-up period, after which it is securely deleted.

Clinical health records are retained in accordance with the HIA, the regulations of the College of Alberta Psychologists, and our professional obligations. Currently, Alberta regulations require retention of health records for a minimum of ten (10) years from the date of last service, or in the case of a minor, until the individual reaches the age of 18 and then for a further ten (10) years.

12. Security Safeguards

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal and health information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure storage of any physical records
• Password-protected systems and accounts used in practice management
• Use of encrypted or secure platforms for clinical communication where applicable
• Limiting access to personal information to those who need it to perform their professional duties

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we take privacy seriously and work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. We encourage you not to transmit sensitive health information through the website contact form.

13. Your Rights

13.1 Right to Access

Under both the HIA and PIPA, you have the right to request access to your personal or health information that we hold. We will respond to access requests within the timeframes prescribed by law (generally 30 days, subject to limited extensions).

13.2 Right to Correction

If you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request a correction. We will either make the correction or, if we disagree with the requested change, note your request in the file.

13.3 Right to Withdraw Consent

You may withdraw consent to the collection or use of your personal information at any time, subject to legal and professional obligations.

13.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

To make an access, correction, or consent withdrawal request, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact information in Section 15.

14. Links to External Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites that are not operated by Patterson Counselling Services. We have no control over and accept no responsibility for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external site you visit.

15. Contact and Complaints

Questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal or health information should be directed to our Privacy Officer:

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you have the right to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta:

16. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable legislation. The updated policy will be posted on our website with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Last Reviewed: 22 March 2026