Privacy Policy

Ayatalla Elmegharbel is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy.

 

This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, stored, and disclosed when you visit this website, contact the practice, book an appointment, or receive psychotherapy services.

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As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) practising in Ontario, I handle personal health information in accordance with applicable privacy legislation, including Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), and the professional requirements of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), where applicable.

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Information collected through this website

When you use the contact form, you may voluntarily provide information such as your name, email address, and the contents of your message.

Please avoid including highly sensitive personal or health information in the website contact form. The form is intended primarily for initial inquiries and is not intended for urgent, emergency, or detailed clinical communication.

If you choose to book an appointment through the website, additional information may be collected as necessary to process and manage your booking.

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Personal health information

If you become a client, information collected in the course of providing psychotherapy may constitute personal health information under PHIPA.

This may include information necessary to provide and document psychotherapy services, communicate with you, coordinate care where appropriate, process payment or insurance-related matters where applicable, and meet legal and professional record-keeping obligations.

Personal health information is collected, used, and disclosed only with appropriate consent or where otherwise permitted or required by law. I aim to collect only information reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it is collected.

This website Privacy Policy does not replace the informed-consent and privacy information provided to psychotherapy clients as part of the clinical relationship.

Ontario's PHIPA framework generally requires consent for collection, use and disclosure of personal health information, subject to circumstances in which the legislation permits or requires otherwise.

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How information may be used

Information collected through the website may be used to:

• respond to inquiries and requests;

• arrange or manage consultations and appointments;

• provide psychotherapy services where a therapeutic relationship has been established;

• operate, maintain and improve the website;

• understand website traffic and usage;

• maintain appropriate administrative and professional records; and

• comply with applicable legal, regulatory and professional obligations.

• Information will not be sold to third parties.

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Website hosting and Wix

This website is created and hosted using Wix. Wix may process information necessary to provide website functionality, hosting, security, forms, booking functions, analytics and related services.

Because appointment booking currently occurs through Wix, information you submit while booking may also be processed through Wix's systems.

You should avoid entering unnecessary clinical details into booking fields or other general website forms.

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Analytics and cookies

This website uses Wix Analytics and Google Analytics to better understand how visitors find and use the website. These services may collect information such as pages visited, approximate location, device or browser information, referral source, interactions with the website, and other usage information.

Wix notes that Wix services and third-party integrations may use cookies and other tracking technologies. Google Analytics may also process information through Google's systems.

Cookies are small files or similar technologies used to enable website functionality and, depending on your choices, measure website usage.

Where applicable, visitors may be provided with options to manage non-essential cookies through the website's cookie settings. You may also manage or block cookies through your browser settings.

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Third-party services

This website relies on third-party service providers, including Wix and Google, for functions such as website hosting, booking, analytics and website operation.

These providers may process information according to their own privacy policies and terms. Information processed by third-party providers may be stored or processed outside Ontario or Canada and may therefore be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is processed.

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Disclosure of information

Personal information and personal health information are not disclosed except with consent or as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.

There may be circumstances in which information must or may lawfully be disclosed without consent, including certain circumstances involving legal obligations, risk of serious harm, child protection requirements, court processes, or other situations permitted or required by law.

The specific limits of confidentiality applicable to psychotherapy are discussed as part of the informed-consent process with clients.

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Security

Reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards are used to protect personal information and personal health information.

However, no website, email system, or method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. For this reason, please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive clinical information through the website contact form or ordinary email.

 

Access and correction

If you are or have been a psychotherapy client, you may have rights under PHIPA to request access to or correction of your personal health information, subject to applicable legal exceptions.

Requests regarding access, correction, privacy practices, or concerns about the handling of personal information may be directed to:

Ayatalla Elmegharbel, MACP
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Email: ayatalla.elmegharbel@gmail.com

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario also receives complaints regarding compliance with PHIPA.

 

Changes to this policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes to the practice, website, technology, or applicable legal and professional requirements. The effective date at the top of this page will be updated when material changes are made.