Antario Therapy

1 Scope & Applicable Privacy Frameworks

Antario Therapy ("we," "our," or "us") is a psychology practice based in Ontario, Canada. We provide telehealth services to clients located in Canada and the United States.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information and personal health information (PHI). It is designed to meet the requirements of:

Canada: The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario privacy legislation, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
United States: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules where applicable, and applicable state privacy laws for clients receiving services in the US.

By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed in accordance with this policy and applicable law. If you do not agree, please do not register for or use our services.

2 Information We Collect

We collect and maintain only the information necessary to provide safe, competent, and ethical psychological services:

Identity & Contact Information: Full name, email address, phone number, date of birth, emergency contact details, and provincial/state of residence.
Clinical Information: Intake questionnaires, session notes, treatment plans, assessment results, and any health information you choose to share during therapy. This is treated as personal health information under PIPEDA / PHIPA and as protected health information under HIPAA where applicable.
Billing & Insurance Information: Payment processing data, insurance policy information (if applicable), and receipt records. Full payment card numbers are processed by our PCI-compliant payment processor and are not stored on our systems.
Technical & Usage Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, pages visited, session duration, and referral source. This data is collected through essential cookies and analytics tools, the latter of which are configured to minimize identifiable data collection.
Communications: Records of messages exchanged through our secure clinic messaging system, appointment notes, and consent forms.

3 How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely for legitimate healthcare and administrative purposes:

To assess your suitability for services and develop a treatment plan
To provide psychotherapy and counselling services via secure telehealth
To process payments, issue receipts, and submit insurance claims (where applicable)
To communicate with you regarding scheduling, account management, and administrative notices
To maintain clinical records as required by our regulatory college and applicable law
To detect, prevent, and address technical issues or security incidents

We do not use your personal or health information for marketing purposes, sell your data to third parties, or use automated decision-making (including profiling) that produces legal effects concerning you.

4 Consent

We obtain your express consent to collect, use, and disclose your personal information and personal health information, except where otherwise permitted or required by law.

By registering for an account, you provide implied consent for us to collect and use your identity and contact information for the purposes of setting up your care. You will be asked to provide explicit written consent (through our intake forms) before we collect clinical information or begin treatment.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal and regulatory restrictions. Withdrawal of consent may limit our ability to provide services (e.g., we cannot provide therapy without maintaining clinical records as required by law).

5 Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We limit disclosure to the following circumstances:

Service Providers (Data Processors): We engage carefully vetted third-party service providers who assist with: secure telehealth and communication providers, payment processing, email communications, cloud document storage, and scheduling. These providers are bound by contractual agreements prohibiting them from using your data for any purpose other than providing the agreed services. Where possible, we use providers who store data within Canada. For US-based providers, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent transfer mechanisms to protect your information.
Legal & Regulatory Disclosures: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or regulatory obligation (including to our regulatory college, the College of Psychologists of Ontario, or as required by PIPEDA or HIPAA).
Emergency Circumstances: If there is a risk of serious harm to you or another person, we may disclose relevant information to emergency services, healthcare providers, or law enforcement, consistent with our professional and legal obligations.
With Your Consent: We will share information with a third party (such as a family member, another healthcare provider, or your insurance company) only with your explicit written consent, except where otherwise permitted by law.

6 Cross-Border Data Transfers

Our clinic is based in Ontario, Canada. We primarily store and process data on servers located in Canada. However, some of our service providers (e.g., payment processors, email services) may store or process data in the United States or other jurisdictions.

When data is transferred across borders, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

Contractual clauses requiring equivalent data protection standards
Vendor due diligence to confirm compliance with applicable privacy frameworks
Limiting data transfers to only what is necessary for service delivery

By using our services, you acknowledge that your information may be processed in jurisdictions where privacy laws may differ from those in your province or territory of residence. If you have questions about cross-border data handling, please contact our Privacy Officer.

7 Data Security

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:

Encrypted telehealth communications using industry-standard encryption protocols.
TLS 1.2+ encryption for all web traffic (HTTPS)
Multi-factor authentication for clinician account access
Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments
Staff training on privacy and security practices
Therapy sessions are not routinely recorded. Any recording will only occur with explicit written consent from all participants and in accordance with applicable legal and professional requirements.
Clinicians conduct video sessions in a private, secure environment using headphones to prevent eavesdropping.
Where available, users are encouraged to enable multi-factor authentication and use strong passwords to help protect their accounts. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials.

Our security measures are designed to align with applicable healthcare privacy and security standards. While we strive to protect your information, no method is completely secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords and protect your login credentials.

8 Data Retention

We retain your personal information and clinical records only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law and our regulatory college.

Clinical Records: Retained for a minimum of 10 years after the last date of contact, or as otherwise required by the College of Psychologists of Ontario or applicable law.
Account & Billing Data: Retained for 7 years after the last financial transaction, as required by the Canada Revenue Agency.
Website Usage Data: Retained for 26 months or less, in accordance with data minimization principles.

When retention periods expire, your information is securely destroyed or anonymized. You may request earlier destruction of certain non-clinical data, subject to our legal and regulatory obligations to retain clinical records.

9 Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

For Clients in Canada (PIPEDA / PHIPA)

Right to Access: Request access to your personal information and clinical records held by us, subject to limited exceptions under PHIPA.
Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information in your records.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual restrictions.
Right to Complain: File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

For Clients in the United States (HIPAA)

Right to Access: Request access to inspect and obtain copies of your protected health information.
Right to Amend: Request amendments to your health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
Right to Accounting of Disclosures: Request a list of certain disclosures of your health information made by us.
Right to Request Restrictions: Request restrictions on how your health information is used or disclosed.
Right to Complain: File a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We will respond to all requests within the timeframes required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

10 Disclaimer

The services provided by Antario Therapy are intended for mental‑health support and are not a substitute for emergency medical care, crisis intervention, or in‑person psychiatric treatment. We make no guarantees regarding specific therapeutic outcomes. While we employ industry‑standard security measures, we cannot guarantee that communications will be error‑free or uninterrupted.

11 Cookies & Analytics

Our website uses essential cookies required for basic functionality (e.g., session management, CSRF protection). These cookies do not collect personal information and are necessary for the website to operate.

We use limited analytics tools to understand aggregate usage patterns (e.g., page views, visit duration). These tools are configured to anonymize IP addresses and minimize data collection.

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Disabling essential cookies may impact website functionality. We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

12 Breach Notification

In the event of a privacy breach involving your personal information that poses a real risk of significant harm, we will notify you as soon as practicable, in accordance with PIPEDA (mandatory breach reporting) and applicable provincial and state laws. We will also report the breach to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and/or other relevant authorities as required.

13 Privacy Officer & Contact

We have designated a Privacy Officer responsible for overseeing compliance with this policy and applicable privacy laws. If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact:

Privacy Officer: Antar Teleba
Email: Antariotherapy@gmail.com
Phone: 6134109882
Address: 154 Colonnade Rd S, 3rd Floor, Nepean, ON K2E 7S8, Ottawa, Ontario

You also have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (for Canadian clients) at www.priv.gc.ca, or the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (for US clients) at www.hhs.gov/ocr.

14 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or regulatory guidance. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our services after the effective date of updated policies constitutes acknowledgement of the revised Privacy Policy.

15 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ontario, Canada, and the applicable federal laws of Canada. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of Ontario, Canada.