Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 11, 2026

Stephanie Annesley (“I,” “me,” “my,” or “the Practice”) respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information and personal health information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, stored, and disclosed when you visit this website, contact me, or access psychotherapy services.

This policy applies to stephannesley.com and to information handled in connection with my psychotherapy practice.

1. About the Practice

Psychotherapy services are provided by:

Stephanie Annesley, MACP, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
CRPO Registration #18769
Email: [email protected]

As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), I am registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

2. Information I May Collect

The information collected depends on how you interact with the website and the Practice.

Information You Provide

You may provide information when you:

• complete a contact or inquiry form;

• schedule a consultation or appointment;

• communicate with me by email;

• complete intake or consent forms;

• participate in psychotherapy services; or

• use a screening, questionnaire, or other resource offered through the website.

This information may include your name, email address, telephone number, scheduling information, location, and other information you choose to provide.

If you become a psychotherapy client, additional personal and personal health information may be collected as reasonably necessary to provide psychotherapy services and maintain appropriate clinical records.

3. Website and Technical Information

When you visit this website, certain technical information may be collected automatically through website technologies and third-party service providers.

Depending on the technologies enabled on the website, this may include information such as:

• IP address;

• browser and device information;

• pages visited;

• approximate geographic information;

• referral source;

• website interactions; and

• cookie or similar technology data.

This information may be used to operate the website, understand how it is being used, maintain security, and evaluate website performance.

4. How Information May Be Used

Personal information may be used for purposes such as:

• responding to inquiries;

• determining whether my services may be an appropriate fit;

• scheduling and administering appointments;

• communicating about psychotherapy services;

• providing psychotherapy where a therapeutic relationship has been established;

• maintaining clinical and administrative records;

• processing payments;

• issuing receipts;

• meeting professional, regulatory, insurance, and record-keeping obligations;

• maintaining and improving website functionality; and

• responding to legal or regulatory requirements where applicable.

Information will not knowingly be used for purposes unrelated to those for which it was collected without appropriate authorization or another lawful basis.

5. Personal Health Information

When you become a psychotherapy client, information collected in connection with your care may constitute personal health information.

Personal health information may include information about your mental health, personal history, therapeutic goals, treatment, appointments, communications, and other information relevant to psychotherapy services.

I take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of personal health information and handle clinical information in accordance with applicable professional and privacy obligations.

6. Clinical Records

As part of providing psychotherapy, I maintain clinical records in accordance with applicable professional requirements.

Clinical records may include information such as:

• identifying and contact information;

• intake information;

• consent documentation;

• appointment information;

• clinical notes;

• treatment-related information;

• relevant communications; and

• billing or administrative information.

Records are retained for the period required by applicable professional and regulatory requirements.

7. Clinical Supervision

As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), I participate in clinical supervision as required by CRPO.

Information relevant to clinical work may be discussed with a qualified clinical supervisor for supervision purposes. Reasonable steps are taken to protect client confidentiality during supervision.

Additional information about clinical supervision and confidentiality is provided as part of the informed-consent process.

8. Third-Party Service Providers

I may use third-party service providers to support the operation of my practice and website.

These may include providers used for:

• appointment scheduling;

• secure video sessions;

• clinical record management;

• payment processing;

• website hosting;

• email and communications;

• forms;

• analytics; and

• other administrative or technological functions.

These providers may process information as necessary to perform their services.

Third-party websites and platforms have their own privacy practices and policies. I encourage you to review those policies when using their services.

9. Online Psychotherapy

Virtual psychotherapy involves the use of electronic communication technologies.

Although reasonable measures are used to protect privacy and confidentiality, no electronic communication or online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Clients participating in virtual psychotherapy are encouraged to use a private location, secure internet connection, and personal device where reasonably possible.

10. Email and Electronic Communications

Email and other electronic communications may carry privacy and security risks.

Please avoid sending sensitive clinical or personal health information through ordinary email unless we have discussed an appropriate method for doing so.

Email may be used for scheduling, administrative matters, and other appropriate practice communications.

11. Contact Forms

Information submitted through a website contact form is used to respond to your inquiry and determine appropriate next steps.

Submitting a contact form does not establish a therapist-client relationship and does not constitute psychotherapy.

Please avoid including highly sensitive personal or clinical information in an initial website inquiry.

12. Screening and Self-Assessment Tools

The website may provide or link to screening, questionnaire, or self-assessment tools.

These tools are intended to provide general information and are not a formal diagnosis, psychological assessment, or substitute for individualized professional assessment or care.

Information submitted through a screening tool may be handled differently depending on the platform providing the tool. Where a third-party platform is used, its privacy practices may also apply.

13. Cookies and Analytics

This website may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality and understand how visitors interact with the site.

Depending on the website tools enabled, third-party analytics or other service providers may also collect technical information about website activity.

You may be able to limit or disable cookies through your browser or device settings, although doing so may affect some website functionality.

14. Social Media

I maintain professional social media accounts for educational, informational, and marketing purposes.

Interacting with a public social media account may reveal information about you to the social media platform or other users. For this reason, social media should not be used to communicate confidential or sensitive clinical information.

My use of social media is also addressed in the Practice's Social Media & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy.

15. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist with non-clinical activities such as drafting, editing, organizing, or developing educational and marketing content.

AI tools are used as assistive tools rather than substitutes for professional judgment.

Client personal health information will not knowingly be entered into public or consumer AI tools for marketing or general content-creation purposes.

Where technology involving AI is used in connection with clinical or administrative services, its use will be considered in relation to applicable confidentiality, privacy, professional, and consent obligations.

16. Disclosure of Information

Personal information or personal health information may be disclosed where:

• you have provided consent;

• disclosure is reasonably necessary to provide an authorized service;

• another service provider is assisting with an appropriate practice function;

• disclosure is required or permitted by law;

• disclosure is required by applicable professional obligations; or

• another legally permitted exception applies.

The circumstances in which confidentiality may be limited in psychotherapy are explained more fully during the informed-consent process.

17. Information Security

Reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards are used to protect information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or loss.

However, no website, electronic communication method, or digital storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

18. Access and Correction

You may contact me if you would like to request access to or correction of personal information held by the Practice.

Requests involving psychotherapy records will be handled in accordance with applicable professional and privacy requirements.

Identity verification may be required before information is released or changed.

19. Retention and Disposal

Information is retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and as required by applicable professional, regulatory, insurance, or legal obligations.

When information is no longer required to be retained, reasonable measures are used to securely dispose of or anonymize it, as appropriate.

20. External Links

This website may contain links to third-party websites, resources, scheduling platforms, social media services, or other external services.

I am not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites or services. Their collection and use of information are governed by their own policies.

21. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes to the Practice, website technologies, service providers, or applicable professional requirements.

The date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was most recently updated.

22. Privacy Questions or Concerns

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, you can contact:

Stephanie Annesley, MACP
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
CRPO Registration #18769
Email: [email protected]