Respecting your privacy and confidentiality

Privacy Policy

Denise Mosawi — Counsellor Supporting neurodivergent children, youth and their caregivers British Columbia, Canada

Last updated: August 2026

1. Introduction

I am committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of everyone who contacts me or works with me. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is stored and protected, and what your rights are.

This practice operates in compliance with BC's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and Canada's federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

I am registered with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) and am bound by their Code of Ethical Conduct, which includes strict obligations around confidentiality and the handling of client records.

2. What information I collect

Depending on your relationship with this practice, I may collect the following:

From prospective clients (enquiry forms):

  • Name and contact details (email, phone)

  • A brief description of what you are looking for

From clients:

  • Full name, date of birth, and contact details

  • Emergency contact information

  • Relevant personal, family, and medical history

  • Session notes and clinical records

  • Consent forms and intake documents

  • Payment information (processed securely through Jane App)

From website visitors:

  • Basic analytics data (page visits, general location) — no personally identifiable information is collected through the website itself

3. Why I collect this information

Personal information is collected for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your enquiry and determine whether I can support you

  • To provide counselling services safely and effectively

  • To maintain accurate and legally required clinical records

  • To process payments for services

  • To contact you regarding appointments, cancellations, or follow-up

  • To meet my legal and ethical obligations as a counsellor

I will never use your personal information for marketing purposes, or share it with third parties for commercial gain.

4. Limits to confidentiality

Counselling is built on trust and confidentiality. However, there are legal and ethical situations in which I am required — or permitted — to share information without your consent. These include:

  • When there is a risk of serious harm to you or to another person

  • When there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is being abused or neglected (I am a mandatory reporter under BC's Child, Family and Community Service Act)

  • When required by a court order or subpoena

  • When disclosure is required by law

I will always aim to discuss any such situation with you directly, wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.

5. How your information is stored and protected

Clinical records are stored securely using Jane App (Jane.app), a Canadian electronic health records platform that meets Canadian privacy legislation requirements. Jane App stores all data on Canadian servers and is compliant with PIPEDA and BC PIPA.

Email communications — please be aware that standard email is not a fully secure form of communication. I recommend using the contact form on this website or the Jane App client portal for any sensitive information.

I take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, or loss.

6. Retention of records

Clinical records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the last session, in accordance with BCACC standards. For clients who were minors at the time of treatment, records are retained until the client turns 19 years of age, or for 7 years from the last session — whichever is longer.

After the retention period has passed, records are securely destroyed.

7. Virtual and telehealth sessions

Online counselling sessions are conducted via Jane App's integrated video platform, which is encrypted and compliant with Canadian privacy legislation. If an alternative platform is used in exceptional circumstances, you will be informed in advance and asked for your consent.

Please ensure that you are in a private space during virtual sessions, and that you are using a secure and private internet connection.

8. Records custodian

In the event that I am incapacitated, retire, or am otherwise unable to continue practice, your clinical records will be managed by a designated records custodian — a qualified counselling colleague who has agreed to handle records responsibly and in accordance with PIPA and BCACC standards.

[Placeholder: Name and contact details of records custodian to be added — to be confirmed before first client session.]

9. Third-party platforms

This practice uses the following third-party services, each of which has its own privacy practices:

  • Jane App (jane.app) — scheduling, clinical records, video sessions, and payment processing. Canadian platform, PIPEDA compliant.

  • Squarespace (squarespace.com) — website hosting. See Squarespace's privacy policy for details of website data they process.

I do not use any platform that stores your clinical information outside Canada.

10. Your rights

Under PIPA and PIPEDA, you have the right to:

  • Know what personal information I hold about you

  • Request access to your personal information

  • Request corrections to any inaccurate information

  • Withdraw your consent to the collection or use of your information (subject to legal and ethical obligations)

  • Request that your information be deleted, where this is legally permissible

Please note that clinical records cannot always be deleted on request, as I have legal and ethical obligations to retain them for a minimum period.

11. How to contact me

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact me at: Denise@DeniseMosawi.com

I will respond to all privacy requests within 30 days.

If you feel your privacy rights have not been respected, you may also contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC: Website: oipc.bc.ca Phone: 250-387-5629

12. Changes to this policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in my practice or in applicable law. The date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised. I encourage you to review it periodically.

This Privacy Policy was prepared in accordance with BC's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) Code of Ethical Conduct.

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