Privacy Policy

UN/Stuck Mental Health

Effective Date: October 16, 2026

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

At UN/Stuck Mental Health, protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information are essential to the therapeutic relationship.

We provide virtual psychotherapy and counselling services to individuals and couples across Ontario and Alberta, Canada.

We are committed to collecting, using, storing, and disclosing personal information responsibly, in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and professional ethical standards.

This policy explains how we protect your information, including information collected through our website, during therapy, and through our electronic clinical documentation systems.

2. Applicable Privacy Legislation

Our privacy practices are guided by applicable Canadian legislation, including:

  • Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).

  • Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

  • Alberta's Health Information Act (HIA), where applicable.

  • The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), where applicable.

We also follow relevant professional standards, including those established by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and other applicable regulatory bodies.

3. Information We Collect

Depending on your interactions with our practice, we may collect:

Contact information: Your name, email address, telephone number, and preferred communication method.

Clinical information: Relevant mental health and medical history, presenting concerns, treatment goals, assessments, session notes, clinical observations, and other information necessary to provide professional services.

Administrative information: Appointment details, billing records, payment information, receipts, insurance-related information, and relevant consent forms.

Website information: Technical information collected through our website provider, which may include IP addresses, browser information, cookies, and website usage data.

We limit information collection to what is reasonably necessary for providing services and meeting our legal and professional responsibilities.

4. How We Use Your Information

Your information may be used to:

  • Respond to inquiries and arrange consultations.

  • Provide psychotherapy and related professional services.

  • Develop and maintain treatment records.

  • Communicate about appointments and care.

  • Process payments and provide receipts.

  • Maintain professional, ethical, and legal records.

  • Protect the security and integrity of our systems.

  • Meet applicable regulatory and legal obligations.

We do not sell personal health information or use clinical information for unrelated advertising without appropriate consent.

5. Consent and Confidentiality

We obtain consent for collecting, using, and disclosing personal information as required by applicable law.

Before therapy begins, clients receive information about confidentiality, the therapeutic process, and the limits of privacy.

Clients may withdraw consent for certain uses or disclosures, subject to legal and professional obligations.

Submitting an inquiry through our website does not establish a therapeutic relationship.

All consultations and appointments are personally arranged. We do not provide online self-booking.

6. Limits of Confidentiality

Although therapy is confidential, disclosure may be required or permitted in certain circumstances, including:

  • Serious risks to the safety of a client or another person.

  • Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect.

  • Valid court orders or other lawful requirements.

  • Professional regulatory investigations or proceedings where disclosure is legally authorized or required.

  • Other circumstances permitted or required by applicable privacy legislation.

When appropriate and legally permissible, we will explain these circumstances to affected clients.

For couples therapy, confidentiality and access to information involving more than one participant will be addressed through the informed consent process.

7. Virtual Therapy and Electronic Communication

UN/Stuck Mental Health provides psychotherapy through virtual communication platforms.

We use appropriate safeguards intended to protect information exchanged electronically. However, no electronic communication system can be guaranteed completely risk-free.

Clients are encouraged to participate from a private location using a secure internet connection.

Ordinary email and general website contact forms should not be used to transmit detailed clinical histories or highly sensitive health information.

Where needed, we will arrange a more appropriate method for exchanging sensitive documentation.

8. Electronic Clinical Records and AI-Assisted Documentation

UN/Stuck Mental Health uses electronic systems to support secure clinical documentation and professional recordkeeping.

Our current documentation tools include KLARIFY, a Canadian-based, AI-assisted clinical note-taking platform developed for healthcare and mental health professionals.

KLARIFY states that its clinical data is stored in Canada and is not used to train its AI models. The platform provides security measures designed to support Canadian privacy obligations, including PHIPA and PIPEDA.

Depending on the documentation method used, electronic note-taking may involve clinician-entered information, dictation, or the temporary capture and transcription of session audio.

When session audio is to be captured or transcribed through an AI-assisted system, we will explain how the technology works, the information involved, relevant privacy risks, and available alternatives. We will obtain appropriate informed consent before using this method.

Clients may raise questions or concerns about AI-assisted documentation and may decline session-audio capture or transcription.

AI-assisted clinical notes are reviewed by the responsible clinician, who remains professionally accountable for their accuracy, relevance, confidentiality, and incorporation into the clinical record.

Electronic documentation providers may change over time. Any replacement system will be evaluated for appropriate privacy, security, professional, and legal safeguards.

Our use of technology does not replace professional clinical judgment or our obligation to protect client confidentiality.

9. Website Hosting, Forms and Cookies

Our website is hosted by Squarespace.

Squarespace may collect certain technical information and use cookies necessary for website functionality, analytics, and other enabled services.

Website visitors may manage cookies through their browser settings and any cookie preference controls available on our website.

Information submitted through website forms is used to respond to inquiries and arrange services. Website forms are not intended to replace secure clinical intake or documentation systems.

10. Third-Party Providers and Information Outside Canada

We may use third-party service providers for website hosting, email communication, virtual appointments, electronic records, clinical documentation, administration, and payment processing.

Our website provider, Squarespace, uses infrastructure in the United States. Consequently, information collected or handled through our website may be processed or stored in the United States for website operation and related services.

Our clinical documentation platform, KLARIFY, states that its clinical data is stored in Canada.

Other service providers may have different data-processing arrangements, which we assess as part of our privacy practices.

Where personal information is processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction, including lawful access by public authorities.

Individuals may request written information about our use of service providers outside Canada, including the countries involved, the purposes for processing, and the safeguards used.

Such requests should be directed to our designated Privacy Contact using the information below.

11. Security and Retention of Records

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to safeguard personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

Access to clinical information is restricted according to professional responsibilities and legitimate operational needs.

Clinical records are retained according to applicable legislation and professional recordkeeping requirements.

When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed or de-identified where appropriate and legally permitted.

We assess suspected privacy breaches and notify affected individuals or applicable privacy authorities when required by law.

12. Access to and Correction of Information

Clients may request access to their personal information and clinical records, subject to applicable legal limitations.

Clients may also request correction of information they believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

Requests may require identity verification and will be addressed within applicable legal timelines.

Where permitted, reasonable fees may apply to certain requests for copies or transfers of records.

Where records contain information about multiple individuals, including couples therapy records, requests will be assessed in accordance with the privacy rights of everyone involved.

13. Privacy Questions, Requests and Complaints

For questions about our privacy practices, requests concerning personal information, or privacy-related concerns, please contact:

Privacy Contact

Katherine Ridolfo, MSW, RSW, CH
UN/Stuck Mental Health
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Email: info@unstuckmentalhealth.com
Website: www.unstuckmentalhealth.com

We will review privacy concerns and respond in accordance with applicable laws and professional requirements.

Individuals may also contact the relevant privacy authority:

14. Changes to This Policy

This policy may be updated to reflect changes in our services, technology, privacy practices, professional requirements, or applicable legislation.

The most recent version will be made available on our website with its effective date.

15. Emergency and Crisis Services

UN/Stuck Mental Health does not provide emergency or crisis-response services.

Website forms, email, and voicemail should not be used for emergencies.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

For suicide-related crisis support in Canada, call or text 988, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.