Policies
Privacy policy
Your privacy matters. This page explains what information I collect, how I use and protect it, and when I may have to share it.
Draft for Jimmy’s review. Jimmy’s answers on records and retention are now included. Highlighted items still need to be confirmed before the site goes live.
My commitment
I’m responsible for the personal and health information I collect in my practice. I handle it in line with Nova Scotia’s Personal Health Information Act (PHIA), Canadian privacy law, and the Code of Ethics of the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists.
What I collect
- When you contact me: your name, phone number, email, and anything you share by phone, by email or on our first call.
- When you’re a client: intake and consent forms, session notes, and information about your health and history that’s relevant to counselling.
- For billing: payment details and, if I bill your insurer directly, your plan and member information.
How I use it
- To provide counselling and keep accurate records, as my college requires
- To contact you about appointments
- To bill you or your insurer, and to provide receipts
- To meet legal and professional obligations
I don’t sell your information or use it for marketing.
Confidentiality and its limits
What you share in counselling stays confidential. There are a few situations where the law or my professional standards may require me to share information without your consent:
- If there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else
- If I believe a child, or an adult in need of protection, is being abused or neglected
- If I’m subpoenaed to court, or a court orders me to release records
- As otherwise required or allowed by law
Apart from these situations, I only share your information with your written consent, for example with your insurer for direct billing. I may consult with other professionals to make sure you get good care, but I won’t share anything that identifies you without a release of information signed by you.
How I protect your information
Electronic records are kept in a secure, password-protected practice-management system. I don’t routinely keep paper client files. If I receive or create a paper document as part of counselling, I handle it securely and store it in line with privacy and professional requirements. Only I have access to your records, unless you consent otherwise or the law requires it.
How long I keep records
I keep client records in line with Nova Scotia legislation and the professional standards for Registered Counselling Therapists. Records are kept for the required retention period after counselling ends, then securely destroyed or deleted.
This website
- This site has no contact form and doesn’t collect personal information. If you email me, please keep it brief and save the details for our conversation.
- This site doesn’t use advertising or tracking cookies.
- The map and the fonts on this site are provided by Google, which may collect information under its own privacy policy.
Your rights
You can ask to see your records, ask me to correct information that’s wrong, or withdraw your consent to how your information is used (within legal limits). If you have a concern about how your information has been handled, please talk to me first. You can also contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Nova Scotia.
Contact
Jimmy Rose, RCT
Shifting Minds Counselling Services
7165 Highway 1, Suite 207, Coldbrook, NS B4R 1A2
[email protected] · 902-679-2225
Effective October 19, 2026. I may update this policy, and the current version will always be on this page.