Privacy Policy
You Matter CounsellingLast updated: July 4, 2026
You Matter Counselling Service, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clients and website visitors. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information, in accordance with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and applicable professional and ethical standards for counselling practice.
By using this website or engaging our services, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of personal information:
Website visitors:
Contact form submissions (name, email, phone number, message content)
General browsing data (pages visited, time on site) via analytics tools
Cookies used for site functionality and analytics (see Section 6)
Clients:
Contact and identifying information (name, address, phone, email, date of birth, emergency contact)
Health and personal history information relevant to counselling care, including mental health history, presenting concerns, and clinical notes
Billing and payment information
Insurance or extended health benefits information, where applicable
Information shared during sessions, which is treated as confidential clinical information
2. How We Use Your Information
We use personal information to:
Provide, coordinate, and improve counselling services
Schedule and manage appointments
Process payments and insurance claims where applicable
Maintain clinical records as required by professional and legal standards
Communicate with clients about appointments, services, or account matters
Respond to inquiries submitted through this website
Comply with legal, regulatory, or professional obligations (e.g., mandatory reporting requirements)
We do not use client information for marketing purposes without explicit, separate consent.
3. Disclosure of Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We may disclose information only in the following circumstances:
With your consent — for example, coordinating care with another healthcare provider
As required by law — including mandatory reporting obligations (e.g., risk of harm to self or others, child protection concerns), court orders, or regulatory requirements
To service providers who support our practice operations, Jane App, Jane App payments, for booking/scheduling software, EMR/practice management system, payment processor who are contractually bound to protect your information and only use it for the purposes we specify
In an emergency — where disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or another person
4. Confidentiality of Counselling Records
Information shared in counselling sessions is held in strict confidence in accordance with professional and ethical standards for regulated and registered counsellors in British Columbia. Limits to confidentiality include:
Disclosure of intent to harm yourself or another person
Suspected abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult
Court-ordered disclosure of records
Situations required by law or professional regulatory bodies
These limits are also explained and discussed with clients at the outset of the counselling relationship as part of informed consent.
5. Data Storage & Security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. This includes:
Secure, encrypted electronic health record and file storage systems
Restricted access to client records
Secure destruction of records at the end of the legally required retention period of 13 years
Where personal information is stored or processed by third-party service providers located outside Canada (e.g., certain cloud-based software), that information may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction, including potential access by foreign authorities.
6. Cookies & Website Analytics
This website may use cookies and similar technologies to:
Enable core website functionality
Understand how visitors use the site (via analytics tools)
You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect website functionality. This website does not use cookies to build advertising profiles or share browsing data with third-party advertisers.
7. Your Rights
Under BC's Personal Information Protection Act, you have the right to:
Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information (subject to legal, contractual, or professional recordkeeping obligations)
Ask questions about how your information is collected, used, or disclosed
To make a request, contact us using the information below.
8. Retention of Information
Clinical records are retained in accordance with the recordkeeping requirements of our governing professional regulatory body and applicable BC legislation. Website inquiry information not related to an ongoing client relationship is retained only as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "last updated" date at the top of this policy will indicate when it was last revised.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy, or wish to make a request regarding your personal information, please contact:
You Matter Counselling Services: Naamat Dickie, MA, RCC, CCC | E: ymcounsellingbc@gmail.com | P: (778) 716 - 5152
If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled and feel they have not been adequately addressed, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.
This policy is intended to work alongside, not replace, informed consent documents provided directly to clients at the start of the counselling relationship, which cover confidentiality and its limits in more clinical detail.