Privacy policy

My commitment

Through Line Therapy is a private psychotherapy practice operated by Daniel Gallagher, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), in Ontario. Protecting your privacy is a legal and ethical obligation of my profession and central to trustworthy therapy.

As a health information custodian, I handle personal health information in accordance with Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) and the professional standards of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

What information is collected

I collect only the information needed to provide safe, effective care and to run the practice. This may include:

• Contact details, such as your name, email address, phone number and home address
• Date of birth and emergency contact information
• Information about your health, history and circumstances that you share during consultations and sessions
• Session notes, as required by professional record-keeping standards
• Billing and payment records, and insurance details if you choose to use direct billing
• Messages you send through the website contact form or by email

How your information is used

Your information is used to:

• Provide psychotherapy services and plan your care
• Schedule appointments and communicate with you
• Issue receipts and process payments or insurance claims
• Participate in clinical supervision, as required for Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying), sharing only what is needed
• Meet legal and regulatory obligations, including CRPO record-keeping requirements

Consent and disclosure

I will not share your personal health information with anyone outside the practice without your express consent, except where permitted or required by law. Situations where disclosure may be required include: a significant risk of serious harm to you or others; reasonable grounds to suspect a child is or may be in need of protection; reporting sexual abuse of a client by a regulated health professional; and a court order or subpoena.

You may withdraw consent for certain uses of your information at any time, subject to legal and professional limits.

How information is stored and protected

Client records are kept in an electronic practice-management system designed for health care providers, which uses encryption and access controls and stores data in Canada. Access is limited to me and any service providers bound by confidentiality agreements who are necessary to operate those systems.

In line with CRPO standards, clinical records are retained for at least 10 years from the date of the last client contact, or 10 years after a client's 18th birthday, whichever is later. After that period, they are securely destroyed.

Virtual therapy and platform security

Sessions take place through a secure video platform that meets Canadian health privacy requirements. Sessions are never recorded.

No online platform can be made completely risk-free. You can help protect your privacy by joining from a private space, using a secure internet connection rather than public Wi-Fi, keeping your device up to date, and not sharing your session links.

Email and the website contact form

Email and web forms are not fully secure communication methods. Please use them only for scheduling and general questions, and avoid including detailed personal health information. Messages sent through the contact form are delivered by a third-party form service (Formspree) and may be processed outside Canada.

This website does not use advertising trackers. Basic, non-identifying technical information may be collected by the hosting provider for security and performance purposes.

Your rights

You have the right to access your personal health information and to request corrections if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete. To make a request, please email daniel@throughlinetherapy.ca. I will respond within the timelines set out in PHIPA.

If you have concerns about how your information has been handled, please contact me first so I can try to resolve them. You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (www.ipc.on.ca).

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent to daniel@throughlinetherapy.ca.