Privacy Policy​

Last updated: October 3, 2025

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Part I: Clinical Privacy Policy

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1. Regulation & Legal Framework

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I am registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), which regulates psychotherapy in the public interest. While psychotherapy itself is not a regulated profession in Alberta, my practice operates under Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA), which governs the collection, use, and disclosure of health information. This Privacy Policy reflects both CRPO’s professional standards and Alberta’s privacy laws.

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2. What Counts as Personal Health Information

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“Personal health information” means any identifying information about you that relates to your health, history, treatment, or care. This includes:

• Your name and contact details

• Health history, assessments, and reports

• Session notes, consent forms, billing information, and correspondence

• Information you authorize me to receive from other professionals

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3. Collection of Information

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I collect your information directly from you (or from a parent/guardian if you are a minor), unless you authorize me to obtain it from others. Information is collected only when necessary to:

• Provide psychotherapy services

• Maintain contact with you

• Ensure safety in case of emergency

• Meet professional or legal obligations

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4. Use and Storage of Information

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Your information is used only to provide psychotherapy, counselling, or consultation services.

• Paper records are kept in locked storage.

• Electronic records are kept securely in OwlPractice (encrypted and compliant with Canadian privacy law).

• Fax or email may occasionally be used but only with safeguards (e.g., cover sheets, minimum information necessary).

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5. Disclosure of Information

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Your information will not be shared without your written consent, except where required or permitted by law:

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• Clear and imminent risk of serious harm

• Suspected child abuse or neglect

• Reporting a regulated health professional who has sexually abused a client

• Court order or other legal requirement

• Professional or legal consultation

• As a registered psychotherapist (qualifying), I work with experienced counsellors who serve as my supervisors, with whom I consult to ensure you receive quality and safe services from me. The same confidentiality obligations bind them as they do me, and they share some responsibility for my actions. My supervisor’s name and registration number will appear on your receipts.

• In rare cases, your record may also be reviewed by CRPO during a quality assurance process. These reviews are confidential, and all information is protected by law.

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In all cases, disclosure is limited to the minimum information necessary.

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6. Access to Your Record

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Health records are retained as required by law and professional regulations, and to fulfill the purposes for which personal health information is collected of clients.

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My professional body, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), requires that clinical records be 
retained for at least 10 years after the last contact with a client, or 10 years after the client turns 18, whichever is 
later. Financial records must be retained for at least 5 years. These timelines also align with the Alberta Health In‐
formation Act (HIA).

Personal health information that is no longer required to be retained by law, or to fulfill the identified purposes, is securely destroyed, erased, or made anonymous.

You have the right to see or receive a copy of your health record. To do this, please make a written request that includes what information you are asking for, along with your signature and date.

I will respond within 30 days. If more time is needed (for example, if a large amount of information is requested or 
consultation is required), I may extend the time by up to another 30 days. If this happens, I will notify you in writing.

A note will be placed in your file describing:

• What information was shared 

• When it was shared

• Who shared it

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When Access May Be Limited

In rare cases, I may not be able to provide access to all or part of your record. This may happen if:

• Sharing the information could reasonably be expected to cause serious harm to you or another person

• The record contains information about another person that cannot reasonably be separated 

• The information is subject to legal privilege (e.g., related to a court proceeding)

• The information identifies someone who provided information in confidence

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If your request is denied in whole or in part, I will give you written notice and explain the reason.

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Complaints
If you are not satisfied with my response, you may file a complaint with: 
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
Suite 2460, 801 – 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3W2
403-297-2728 | 1-888-878-4044
www.oipc.ab.ca

You also have the right to contact the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO.ca), my regulatory 
body, about my professional conduct.

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7. Communications between sessions

OWL, my scheduling service, offers a messaging service. It is important to understand that this service is not for therapy between sessions. It will be used for communication about scheduling, to share worksheets, and summaries of our work, if I agree to do so.

I will respond to messages within 24 business hours. If I believe the communication is outside these boundaries, I 
will simply reply: "This is best discussed in session." Please understand this is for your protection.

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8. If we see each other in the community 

To protect your privacy, I won’t approach you if we see each other outside of sessions (for example, in public or in the
community). I want you to know that I often keep to myself when I’m out and about and may not even notice if we’re 
in the same place. 
If you’d like to say hello, please feel free to approach me. I’ll follow your lead and respect your comfort level. Please 
note that if others are present, your confidentiality may be limited, as they may become aware of our connection.

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9. Virtual Counselling
 

Technology is not always reliable, and there may be interruptions such as poor internet connection, sound or video 
problems, or dropped calls.

To help reduce these risks:

• Use a private space where you feel safe and cannot be overheard.

• Make sure your device and internet connection are working.

• Protect your own devices with passwords and security updates.

• Let me know right away if something doesn’t feel private or safe.

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My responsibilities are to:

• Use secure, encrypted platforms for online sessions.

• Conduct sessions in a private room where the conversation will not be overheard, walked into, or interrupted. 

• Have a backup plan if technology fails (e.g., switching to phone).

• Answer questions you may have.

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10. Retention and Destruction

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• Records are retained for at least 10 years after the last date of service, or 10 years after a client turns 18, whichever is later (per CRPO Standards).

• Paper records are destroyed by shredding; electronic records are securely deleted; hardware is physically destroyed when retired.

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11. Concerns or Complaints

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If you have a concern, please speak with me directly. If we cannot resolve your concern, you may contact CRPO:

College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
375 University Avenue, Suite 803
Toronto, ON M5G 2J5
Tel: 416-479-4330 | 1-844-712-1364
Email: info@crpo.ca
Website: www.crpo.ca

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Part II: Website Privacy Policy

This section applies to visitors of viacounselling.ca. It is separate from clinical privacy practices.​

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1. Information We Collect

When you visit this website or contact us, we may collect:

• Personal information you provide (such as name, phone number, email address, or other contact details).

• Information you share through  contact forms.

• Technical information automatically collected through cookies or analytics tools (such as IP address, browser type, or pages visited).

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2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide requested services.

• Improve our website and services.

• Fulfill professional, legal, and ethical obligations.

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We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

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3. Consent

By providing personal information, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure as described in this Privacy Policy. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions, by contacting us with the contact details below.

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4. Data Storage and Security

Our company is hosted on the Wix.com platform. Wix.com provides us with the online platform that allows us to connect with you and share information about counselling. Your data may be stored through Wix.com’s data storage, databases and the general Wix.com applications. They store your data on secure servers behind a firewall.  

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5. Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to your personal information and to request corrections if information is inaccurate or incomplete.

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6. Cookies and Website Analytics

This website may use cookies or analytics tools to improve functionality and user experience. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, though this may affect site functionality.

The following links explain how to access cookie settings in various browsers:

• Cookie settings in Firefox

• Cookie settings in Internet Explorer

• Cookie settings in Google Chrome

• Cookie settings in Safari (OS X)

• Cookie settings in Safari (iOS)

• Cookie settings in Android

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit this link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

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7. Social Media Presence

Via Counselling Services Ltd. does have a social media presence, so it’s important to note that these social media accounts and sites are not a substitution for therapy, nor are they an acceptable contact method for current or former clients. We do not interact with current or former clients online. We will not respond to comments, direct messages, or any other form of social media contact from current or former clients in order to protect their confidentiality. We do not provide clinical assessment or therapeutic advice via social media.

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8. Blogging

We maintain a blog as part of our web presence in order to market to potential clients and provide useful information and free resources related to our scope of practice. These articles are not a substitute for therapy and should not be interpreted as professional advice.

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9. Friend Requests, Follows, Connections, and Page Likes

We don’t accept friend requests, connect requests, or follow requests from clients. However, there are some social media platforms where we are not able to screen followers. For example, people are free to “Like” our Facebook page. It’s important to note that if you choose to follow/like these accounts, your confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, we do not encourage follows from clients, and we will not follow them back or reciprocate any offers for interaction.

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10. Comments and Interaction

If current or former clients comment on social media content from Via Counselling Services Ltd. , or other social media accounts or sites owned and operated by Via Counselling Services Ltd. or any counsellors associated with us, please know that we will not respond to these comments or interactions. 

 

Please note that we cannot provide responses to requests for specific advice, and we cannot help you if you are in crisis or needing to talk with a professional. We may not be able to respond to some messages due to ethical considerations. 

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We will, however, occasionally interact with non-clients online but we will not provide clinical assessment or therapeutic advice via social media.

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Non-clients should not use comments to solicit professional advice or help. If one of our counsellors is not your therapist and you have not provided your consent for treatment withVia Counselling Services Ltd., we cannot provide therapy services to you. You should seek the support of a trusted professional who is contracted to provide therapy services to you.

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11. Direct Messages and Text/SMS Messaging

Current or former clients should not use social media to send direct messages to discuss their treatment, provide updates between sessions, or otherwise interact with us as their therapist. These sites are not secure, and we do not review these messages in a timely fashion. We will not respond to direct messages and will only talk with clients using a secure platform to discuss these concerns.

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Non-clients should not use direct messaging to solicit professional advice or help. If one of our psychologists is not your therapist and you have not provided your consent for treatment with Via Counselling Services Ltd., we cannot provide therapy services to you. You should seek the support of a trusted professional who is contracted to provide therapy services to you.

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In the case of an emergency or mental health crisis, you should contact your local mental health crisis hotline or your own providers. You should never use direct messages or text messages to seek mental health support. We may not see it for several hours or at all. This puts your safety at risk, and you may risk the confidentiality of your Protected Health Information.

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We do not use text/SMS messaging to conduct therapy or crisis management for current or former clients. Via Counselling Services Ltd.  requires that all therapy or crisis management concerns be communicated via phone call or secure voicemail message.

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NOTE: Any comments, emails, texts, messages, or “DMs” (direct messages) you send that contain information related to your treatment will very likely become part of active clients’ health records.

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12. Reviews and Ratings

You may find our practice on sites like Google Business, Yelp, Bing, or other places which list businesses. Some of these sites include forums in which users rate their providers and add reviews. Some of these sites comb search engines for business listings and automatically add listings regardless of whether the business has added itself to the site. If you should find our listing on any of these sites, please know that our listing is NOT a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from current or former clients.

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The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario "do not request or solicit testimonials or use them in their advertising" We adhere to this guideline.

 

Clients have a right to express their thoughts and feelings on any site they wish, but due to confidentiality, we cannot respond to reviews, positive or negative. And in doing so they make public their protected health information. Because of this, we strongly encourage past and former clients to refrain from leaving business profile reviews for Via Counselling Services Ltd., even if they are positive reviews.

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While we truly appreciate the positive feedback, we would rather clients share it directly with their therapist than risk their privacy. The same goes for negative reviews. We welcome constructive feedback and want our clients’ experience in therapy to be positive and productive. We encourage clients to bring concerns directly to their therapist so we can work on it together versus taking it to a public forum, risking confidentiality in the process. Current and former clients should also be aware that if they plan to use these sites to communicate indirectly with us about their feelings or concerns, there is a good possibility that we may never see it.

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Past or current clients who are unsatisfied with their therapist's response to their concerns may contact The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.

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13. Contact Us

For website privacy questions, please refer to the WIX privacy Policy: https://www.wix.com/about/privacy

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Practice Information

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Via Counselling Services Ltd.
Owner: Corey Skrypnek
612 Boulder Creek Drive
Langdon, AB T0J 1X3
📞 587-284-9583

admin@viacounselling.ca

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Via Counselling Services Ltd. is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you visit this website or engage in