Privacy & Your Information

James Miklos, Registered Psychotherapist, is the health information custodian responsible for your records. Contact james@newhopecounselling.com with privacy questions or requests about your information.

James collects your contact details and information relevant to your concerns, health history and care. Your record may include clinical notes, consent forms, appointment details, communications and billing information.

This helps James provide care, arrange appointments, receive payment, keep accurate records and meet professional or legal duties. Only information reasonably needed for these purposes is collected, used or shared. You can ask why information is needed.

Your information is handled with your consent, or where the law permits or requires it. You may ask questions, set limits or withdraw permission for future uses that depend on your consent. James will explain any effect on your care. Withdrawing consent does not remove records that must be kept.

James may consult without identifying you. Sharing identifiable information requires your express consent unless another lawful basis applies. Paying your fees does not give a parent, partner, employer or insurer access to your counselling information.

Confidentiality has legal limits. These can include child-protection and other mandatory reports, a lawful court order, or disclosure reasonably needed to reduce a significant risk of serious bodily harm. Only necessary information is disclosed. James will try to discuss a disclosure with you unless prohibited by law.

The practice mainly serves adults and occasionally teenagers from about age 12. Consent depends on the young person’s ability to understand the decision and its consequences, rather than a fixed age. Parents do not automatically receive session details. Special privacy rules apply under age 16, including protection for treatment a capable young person consented to independently. An authorized substitute decision-maker may act when a person cannot make the particular decision.

Sessions are for Ontario residents.

Counselling takes place by video. Telephone is a backup only when video fails and both you and James agree it is suitable. Email, text and portal messages are for administration, not counselling. They are not continuously monitored. In an immediate emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Owl Practice is used for client records and forms. Use the portal or agreed administrative email for scheduling, billing and documents. Online services can involve interception, mistakes, unauthorized access or information being handled outside Canada. James will explain relevant services and privacy choices. Use a private setting and protected device; avoid sending sensitive session details in ordinary email.

QuickBooks emails your invoice. You complete payment through its payment link or use an agreed alternative. After payment, you receive a paid invoice or receipt and submit any insurance claim yourself. NHCC does not bill insurers directly. An insurer’s request alone does not authorize access to your clinical information.

With separate informed permission, James can use Zoom AI Companion Meeting Summary to prepare a draft note from the session audio. He checks that you still agree before starting. This does not authorize a saved audio or video recording. The separate saved-transcript option stays off, although Zoom uses temporary text to prepare the summary. Shared-screen text and meeting-chat messages are excluded.

You can decline, pause or stop AI note taking and continue with notes written by James. In couples counselling, each client must agree. James reviews the draft, corrects errors and adds needed information before saving the final clinical note.

Zoom and its service providers process the information. This account uses the United States for transcript processing and storage of notes and summaries; other AI processing locations have not all been confirmed. Foreign laws may apply. The separate consent form explains these risks before you decide.

Only James automatically receives the summary. Email notices contain a link, not summary text. The checked final note is kept in Owl Practice, with a protected backup. After saving it, James deletes the temporary summary and checks its removal from his summary list, unless there is a legal reason to keep it. Automatic summary deletion is currently off. Zoom may retain temporary processing or backup copies after visible copies are deleted.

Reading this page or signing the general treatment consent does not give permission for recording or AI note taking.

The practice uses physical, technical and administrative safeguards, with access limited to authorized purposes. Service providers handle necessary information under privacy obligations. No online system can remove every risk.

Clinical records are kept for at least 10 years after the last client interaction, or until 10 years after the client’s 18th birthday, whichever is later. They may need to be kept longer for a legal reason. Records are securely disposed of when retention duties end. Temporary AI drafts are handled separately from the final clinical record.

Contact James to request a copy of your information or correction of an error. You may need to make a written request and verify your identity. Access and correction have legal exceptions; a professional opinion is not necessarily changed on request.

A response is generally required within 30 calendar days, with an extension where the law permits. Any permitted fee, extension or refusal will be explained, along with your review options.

You’re welcome to discuss privacy concerns with James during your Zoom consultation. Existing clients may email James directly using the contact information already provided.

James Miklos is a registered psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.