At West Island Neuropsychology and Counseling Centre, we are committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of all our clients. Preserving the confidentiality of our clients’ personal information while adhering to the legal standards that govern mental health professionals is important to us.

As providers of mental health services, we obtain personal information directly from clients or potential clients, or from individuals acting on their behalf. This information typically includes the client’s name, contact details, and the reasons for requesting our services. It is shared exclusively with authorized administrative personnel and members of our team that are potential matches to provide the services being sought.

In addition to the information provided during the intake and in the consent to treatment form, our clinicians will take progress notes, and in some cases, write evaluation reports, throughout treatment. All client files, including therapy or clinical notes, are stored in an electronic storage system or in locked filing cabinets, depending on the clinician’s preference, and always per the applicable mental health professional order’s standards. The files are only made available to those individuals who are required to access it. When applicable, the client’s credit card authorization form is also stored in an electronic storage system with the majority of the card number blacked out. In addition, the card information is stored in our accounting software; note we are unable to access the entire card number once it has been entered into the accounting software.

Client files will be retained for the necessary duration to provide services or as mandated by the laws and regulations governing our practice. As per the Ordre des psychologues du Québec standards, for example, we are responsible for the safeguarding and storage of all client-related information for a period of 5 years from the date of the last professional service provided. Following said 5-year period, client files may be deleted and any physical files may be shredded.

West Island Neuropsychology and Counseling Centre will not share any client information to third-party entities without explicit written consent from the client. We will not share client information with third parties for marketing purposes. We maintain an email list to keep subscribers informed about upcoming groups and workshops, and we provide an unsubscribe option at the bottom of such emails. If a client wishes to access their personal record, the therapist or clinician will evaluate which information can be disclosed in accordance with their governing regulations.

Any suspected privacy breaches are subject to immediate investigation and resolution to prevent any harm to our clients.

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes to the applicable laws or to our personal information practices. The revised Privacy Policy will be posted on our website.

For any inquiries regarding privacy, please contact our Privacy Officer, Dr. Vicki Veroff, at drveroff@wincc.ca.