Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 2, 2026
Laura Cohen Mental Health & Consulting is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how personal information may be collected, used, stored, and disclosed when you visit this website, contact me, or interact with the Practice online.
Personal information connected with counselling services is also subject to applicable professional, ethical, and legal requirements, including Nova Scotia privacy requirements concerning personal health information and, where applicable, federal privacy law.
1. Information That May Be Collected
Depending on how you use this website or communicate with the Practice, information collected (on the website or on Jane App) may include:
your name;
email address;
telephone number;
information you voluntarily include in a contact or inquiry form;
appointment or booking information;
billing or payment-related information;
technical information such as browser type, device information, IP address, and information collected through cookies or similar website technologies.
Please avoid including detailed or highly sensitive clinical information in an initial website contact form or ordinary email unless specifically requested.
If you become a counselling therapy client, additional personal and personal health information may be collected as reasonably necessary to provide professional services. This may include information concerning your health, personal history, counselling goals, assessment information, session records, and other information relevant to your care.
2. How Information Is Used
Personal information may be used for purposes including:
responding to inquiries;
determining whether my services may be an appropriate fit;
scheduling and administering appointments;
communicating with current or prospective clients;
providing counselling, career counselling, assessment, consulting, or related professional services;
processing payments and maintaining appropriate business and professional records;
meeting professional, ethical, regulatory, insurance, accounting, and legal obligations;
maintaining the security and functionality of this website; and
understanding general website use and improving the website and services.
I collect and use only the information reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
3. Counselling Therapy and Personal Health Information
Information collected as part of a counselling relationship is treated as confidential and is handled in accordance with applicable professional standards, informed-consent agreements, and privacy law.
Nova Scotia's Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) governs the collection, use, disclosure, retention, disposal, and destruction of personal health information by health-information custodians. Clients also have rights concerning access to and correction of their personal health information.
The privacy and confidentiality practices that apply specifically to counselling records and the limits of confidentiality are discussed more fully during the informed-consent process.
4. Confidentiality and Disclosure
Personal information is not sold to third parties.
Personal information is generally used or disclosed only for the purposes for which it was collected, with consent, or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
There are circumstances in which information may be disclosed without consent where professional or legal obligations require or permit disclosure. These circumstances are addressed in greater detail in the counselling informed-consent process when applicable.
5. Service Providers and Third-Party Platforms
The Practice may use reputable third-party service providers to support functions such as:
website hosting;
appointment scheduling;
secure practice management;
videoconferencing;
payment processing;
email and communications; and
other administrative or technology services.
These providers may process information necessary to perform their services and are governed by their own privacy and security practices.
This website is hosted through Squarespace. Appointment booking or client-management services may be provided through separate secure platforms. When you follow a link to or use a third-party platform, that provider's privacy policy and terms may also apply.
Reasonable efforts are made to select services appropriate for the sensitivity of the information being handled.
6. Cookies and Website Analytics
Like many websites, this site may use cookies and similar technologies that help the website operate, remember preferences, maintain security, or provide information about how visitors use the site.
Some cookies may be set automatically by the website platform or related services.
You can generally control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect how some parts of the website function.
7. Email and Electronic Communication
Email and ordinary internet communications cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Please use discretion when sending sensitive information by email. Where appropriate, a more secure method of communication may be recommended.
Electronic communication with the Practice does not by itself establish a counselling relationship.
8. Safeguarding Information
Reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are used to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification.
The level of protection used is appropriate to the sensitivity of the information involved.
No method of electronic communication or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but reasonable steps are taken to reduce foreseeable privacy and security risks.
9. Retention and Destruction
Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected and to meet applicable professional, legal, insurance, regulatory, and record-retention obligations.
When information is no longer required, reasonable steps are taken to securely destroy or anonymize it, as appropriate.
Clinical records may be subject to specific professional and legal retention requirements that differ from ordinary website information.
10. Access and Correction
You may contact me to ask whether I hold personal information about you and, where applicable, to request access to or correction of that information.
Access may be subject to limited exceptions permitted by professional or privacy law.
Requests concerning counselling records will be handled in accordance with the requirements applicable to personal health information.
11. Privacy Questions and Complaints
I am responsible for the privacy practices of Laura Cohen Mental Health & Consulting.
Questions, access requests, correction requests, or privacy concerns may be directed to:
Laura Cohen, MA, RCT, CCC
Laura Cohen Mental Health & Consulting
Email: info@lauracohen.org
Website: lauracohen.org
If you believe your personal health information has been handled inappropriately, you may submit a privacy complaint to me in writing.
Where the Personal Health Information Act applies, privacy complaints will be reviewed, investigated, and responded to within the time period required by law.
If you are not satisfied with the response to a privacy matter involving personal health information, you may also have the right to request a review by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia.
12. External Websites
This website may contain links to other websites or resources.
I am not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of external websites. I encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party websites before providing personal information to them.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in technology, professional practice, services, or applicable requirements.
The date at the top of this page indicates when it was most recently updated.