Wildflower Psychotherapy

Accessibility Policy

Boundaries and Professional Standards

Commitment to Ethical Practice

Professional Boundaries

Compliance with CRPO Standards

Addressing Boundary Concerns

Exceptions and Special Considerations

Cancellation Policy

Confidentiality Policy

Emergency Procedures

Feedback and Complaints Procedure

Fees and Payment Policy

Informed Consent

Teletherapy Policy

Withdrawing Consent

Accessibility Policy

At Wildflower Psychotherapy, we are dedicated to providing accessible mental health services that meet the needs of all individuals, including those with disabilities. Our commitment to accessibility is reflected in the following policies:

Physical Accessibility:
- Our office includes a wheelchair accessible ramp and accessible parking spaces at the back of the building.
- We officer in-person, phone and virtual sessions for further accessibility.
- Your therapist is committed to accommodating any other physical accessibility need to the best of their ability.
Communication Accessibility:
- ASL Interpretation services are available through Canadian Hearing Services upon request with appropriate notice.
- Your therapist is committed to accommodating any other communication accessibility need to the best of their ability

Boundaries and Professional Standards

Commitment to Ethical Practice

As a Registered Psychotherapist, your therapist adheres to the CRPO’s Professional Practice Standards to ensure a safe, ethical, and professional therapeutic relationship. This includes maintaining clear boundaries to foster a therapeutic environment built on trust, respect, and integrity.

Professional Boundaries

To maintain an effective therapeutic relationship, the following boundaries apply:

a) Roles and Scope of Therapy

Your therapist's role is to provide psychotherapy within the scope of their training and expertise.
Your therapist does not provide services beyond their professional competencies, such as legal, financial, or medical advice.
Dual relationships (e.g., engaging with clients in a personal, social, or business capacity) are avoided to prevent conflicts of interest.

b) Communication Boundaries

Communication is limited to professional contexts via agreed-upon methods (e.g., phone, email, or secure messaging).
Your therapist does not engage with clients via social media (e.g., friend requests, personal messages) to maintain professional boundaries.
Emails and messages should be used for scheduling or administrative matters only. Therapeutic concerns should be addressed in sessions.

c) Physical and Emotional Boundaries

Physical contact (e.g., hugging) is not a standard part of therapy and will only occur if deemed therapeutically appropriate and with explicit consent.
Therapy is a professional relationship, and your therapist will maintain appropriate emotional boundaries to ensure ethical treatment.

Compliance with CRPO Standards

Your therapist adheres to the CRPO Code of Ethics and Practice Standards, which include:

Standard 3.2 – Maintaining professional boundaries.
Standard 3.4 – Avoiding dual relationships that could impair objectivity or cause harm.
Standard 5.3 – Ensuring client confidentiality and privacy.
Standard 6.1 – Engaging in ethical decision-making when navigating boundary concerns.

Addressing Boundary Concerns

If you have concerns about professional boundaries, you are encouraged to:

Discuss them with your therapist in session.
If needed, seek guidance from the CRPO (www.crpo.ca) or file a complaint if you believe ethical standards have been violated.

Exceptions and Special Considerations

In small communities or niche client populations, some degree of unavoidable dual relationships may occur. In such cases, your therapist will take steps to manage potential conflicts ethically.
If a boundary concern arises, your therapist will consult with colleagues, supervisors, or the CRPO to ensure ethical decision-making.

Cancellation Policy

Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapists’ day that could have been filled by another client. As such, we require 24-hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Clients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged for their missed session in full.

You may cancel online using your Jane profile or contacting your therapist directly.

Confidentiality Policy

All communication between you and your therapist is confidential. This means that your therapist will not discuss your case verbally or in writing without your expressed written permission. That being said, your therapist has an ethical and legal obligation to break confidentiality under the following circumstances:

If there is a reason to believe there is an occurrence of child, elder, or dependent adult abuse or neglect.
If there is reason to believe that you have serious intent to harm yourself, someone else, or property by a violent act you may commit.
If you introduce your emotional condition into a legal proceeding.
If there is a court order for release of your records.

Additionally, as a member of College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), our therapists are required and/or encouraged to engage in regular supervision. This may include the therapist discussing certain aspects of your case with their supervisor. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please bring it up to your therapist.

Emergency Procedures

Psychotherapy is a structured process focused on emotional and psychological well-being. While Wildflower Psychotherapy provides therapeutic support, our services are not designed for crisis intervention or emergency response.

What to Do in a Crisis or Emergency

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, immediate distress, or thoughts of harm to yourself or others, please seek emergency support by:

Calling 911 or going to your nearest hospital emergency room.
Contacting a 24/7 crisis service:
- Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (call) or www.talksuicide.ca (chat)
- Distress Centres of Ontario: www.dcontario.org (for local crisis lines)
- Hope for Wellness (Indigenous Support Line): 1-855-242-3310
If you require crisis support for domestic violence or abuse:
- Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 1-866-863-0511
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (text: CONNECT to 686868)

Limitations of Crisis Support

Wildflower Psychotherapy does not provide on-call, after-hours, or emergency crisis services.
If your therapist becomes aware of an immediate risk of harm, your therapist is ethically and legally required to take appropriate steps, which may include contacting emergency services or designated emergency contacts. See Confidentiality Policy.

Safety Planning

If you have ongoing concerns about safety, we can discuss strategies for crisis prevention and develop a personalized safety plan during sessions.
You are encouraged to identify support networks (friends, family, crisis resources) to rely on in difficult moments.

Feedback and Complaints Procedure

At Wildflower Psychotherapy, we are committed to providing high-quality psychotherapy services in accordance with professional and ethical standards set by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). If you have concerns about our services, we encourage you to bring them to our attention so that they can be addressed appropriately.

Informal Resolution

We believe that open communication can often resolve concerns effectively. If you have a complaint or concern, we encourage you to:

Discuss the issue directly with your therapist, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Express your concerns in writing or verbally, and we will strive to address them promptly and respectfully.

Formal Complaints Process

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of an informal resolution or prefer to file a formal complaint, you may do so by following these steps:

Submit your complaint in writing to Wildflower Psychotherapy, including details of the concern, relevant dates, and any supporting information.
You will receive an acknowledgment of your complaint within 5 business days.
We will conduct an internal review and may request additional information if necessary.
A response outlining our findings and any proposed resolutions will be provided within 30 days of receiving the complaint.

Complaints to the CRPO

If you feel that your complaint has not been adequately addressed, or if it pertains to a potential breach of professional standards, you may submit a complaint directly to the CRPO. The CRPO investigates concerns related to professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity of registered psychotherapists. Complaints can be submitted via:

CRPO Website: https://crpo.ca/complaints-reports/
Email: info@crpo.ca
Mail: College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, 375 University Avenue, Suite 800 Toronto, ON M5G 2J5

Confidentiality and Non-Retaliation

All complaints will be handled with sensitivity and confidentiality to the extent possible. Clients will not face retaliation for making a complaint in good faith.

Fees and Payment Policy

At Wildflower Psychotherapy we believe in a no-surprise approach to services. For that reason, transparency regarding the fees associated with services is important to us. At this time, the fee for a 50-minute session is $150.00.

We are happy to share that as of June 2024, psychotherapy services in Ontario are tax exempt.

Please pay your balance by the end of the day after your session. If you need to delay payment, please bring this to the attention of your therapist.

You can pay via e-transfer to allyson.gassner@wildflowerpsychotherapy.ca or through he Jane App with credit card. Cash is accepted if exact balance is provided. Your therapist is unable to make change.

Please note that the fee may increase at some point during your time as a client but not without proper and fair warning both in written form and verbally. Our policy is to provide 60 days notice of an increase.

If at some point you have a change in your financial situation, we encourage you to initiation a discussion with your therapist. Your therapist will be able to provide options to ensure continuation of care.

Insurance

Clients who plan on using insurance are responsible for checking if Psychotherapy Services delivered by a Registered Psychotherapist are covered. We do not offer direct billing at this time.

Informed Consent

Psychotherapy is a working cooperative relationship between you and your therapist. Each member of this cooperative relationship has certain responsibilities. Your therapist will contribute their knowledge, expertise, and clinical skills. You, as the client, have the responsibility to bring an attitude of collaboration and a commitment to the therapeutic process. While there are no guarantees regarding the outcome of the treatment, your commitment may increase the likelihood of a satisfactory experience.

Psychotherapy has both benefits and risks. Risks may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness, because the process of psychotherapy often requires discussing the unpleasant aspects of your life. However, psychotherapy has been shown to have benefits for individuals who undertake it. Therapy often leads to a significant reduction in feelings of distress, increased satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, greater personal awareness and insight, increased skills for managing stress and resolutions to specific problems. But, there are no guarantees about what will happen. Psychotherapy requires a very active effort on your part. In order to be most successful, you will have to work on things we discuss outside of sessions.

We reserve the right to discontinue therapy at any time including, but not limited to, a violation by you of this Consent to Treatment, a change or reevaluation of your therapeutic needs, our ability to address those needs, or other circumstances that lead us to conclude in its sole and absolute discretion that your therapy needs would be better served at an another psychotherapy facility. Under such circumstances, we will suggest an appropriate therapist(s) or counselling agency.

In addition to your right to confidentiality, you have the right to end your therapy at any time, for whatever reason without any obligation, with the exception of payment of fees for services already provided. You have the right to question any aspect of your treatment with your therapist. You also have the right to expect that your therapist will maintain professional and ethical boundaries by not entering into other personal, financial, or professional relationships with you. This includes social media.

Please review the following image as an aspect of Informed Consent:

Privacy Policy

At Wildflower Psychotherapy, we are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your information in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and other applicable laws.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

Personal information (e.g., name, contact details, date of birth)
Health information (e.g., medical history, presenting concerns)
Payment information (e.g., credit card details, billing address)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

To provide psychotherapy services and treatment
To communicate with you regarding appointments and billing
To maintain accurate records for legal and professional purposes
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

3. Confidentiality

We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your information. We will not disclose your personal health or contact information without your consent, except in situations where we are required to do so by law (e.g., risk of harm to self or others).

Please see the Confidentiality Policy for more information regarding information shared in sessions and limits of confidentiality.

4. Data Security

We implement various security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. This includes secure storage of paper records and the use of encrypted technology for electronic communications. We use Jane App to electronically store data, please see the following link for information on their security measures: https://jane.app/guide/security-faq.

5. Access to Your Information

You have the right to access your personal health information. If you wish to review or correct your information, please contact us at allyson.gassner@wildflowerpsychotherapy.ca.

6. Retention of Information

We retain your personal health information for a minimum of 10 years after your last appointment, or 10 years past your 18th birthday for younger clients.

7. Cookies and Tracking

Our website and Jane platform may use cookies and tracking technologies to enhance user experience. You can choose to accept or decline cookies through your browser settings.

8. Email and SMS Communication

We prioritize effective communication while ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of our clients. This email and SMS Communication Policy outlines how we use emailing and text messaging in our practice.

a) Purpose of email and SMS Communication

We may use email and SMS to:

Send appointment reminders (sent through Jane App)
Notify you of any schedule changes
Follow-up on a late arrival or no-show

b) Consent and Opting Out

Consent to receive email and SMS communications from us is as a part of the intake process and done so in creating your client account in Jane App. You may withdraw your consent at any time by logging into your Jane App account and changing your settings, notifying us in writing or replying "STOP" to any SMS message.

c) Confidentiality

While we strive to maintain confidentiality, please be aware that email and SMS are not completely secure methods of communication. We recommend not discussing sensitive personal health information electronically. For confidential matters, we encourage you to contact us directly through phone or disclosing during sessions.

d) Response Time

Please allow 24 to 48 hours for us to respond to your messages. For emergencies, please refer to crisis support services or 911.

e) Message Frequency

You may receive SMS messages at various times, particularly around appointment reminders. If you wish to limit the frequency of messages, please let us know.

f) Costs

Standard messaging rates may apply based on your mobile carrier. Please check with your provider for details.

Teletherapy Policy

Teletherapy (also known as online therapy, virtual therapy, or e-therapy) involves delivering psychotherapy services using secure video conferencing or telephone. Wildflower Psychotherapy offers teletherapy to provide flexible and accessible mental health support while maintaining professional and ethical standards.

Eligibility for Teletherapy

Teletherapy is available to clients residing in Ontario.
It may not be suitable for all concerns—during the initial assessment, you and your therapist will determine if teletherapy is appropriate for your needs.
If teletherapy is not the best fit, your therapist may recommend in-person sessions or referrals to other services.

Technology & Privacy Considerations

Sessions are conducted through Jane App, which meets privacy standards under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
You are responsible for ensuring you have:
- A private, quiet, and secure space for sessions.
- A stable internet or phone connection.
- An updated device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) with camera/microphone access.
Your therapist will take reasonable steps to protect confidentiality, but electronic communication carries inherent privacy risks (e.g., data breaches, hacking).

Confidentiality & Security

Teletherapy sessions are not recorded by either party unless explicit informed consent is provided.
Your therapist will be in a private location during sessions to maintain confidentiality.
You are encouraged to avoid using public Wi-Fi or shared devices for teletherapy.
If privacy is compromised (e.g., interruptions, technical issues), your therapist may opt to reschedule or adjust how the session proceeds.

Crisis Situations & Emergency Plan

Teletherapy is not suitable for crisis or emergency situations.
You must provide an emergency contact and your physical location at the start of each teletherapy session in case urgent intervention is required.

Technical Issues & Disruptions

If a session is interrupted due to technical difficulties:
- Your therapist will attempt to reconnect within 5-10 minutes.
- If reconnection is unsuccessful, your therapist will contact you via phone or email to reschedule.
The client is responsible for any internet or phone service costs related to teletherapy.

Fees & Cancellation Policy

Teletherapy fees are the same as in-person sessions.
Cancellation and rescheduling policies apply.
Payment must be completed via [e-transfer, credit card, etc.] before or after each session.

Informed Consent for Teletherapy

Before beginning teletherapy, you will be required to review and sign a Teletherapy Informed Consent Form.
By engaging in teletherapy, you acknowledge and accept the risks, limitations, and guidelines outlined in this policy.

Withdrawing Consent

As a client, you have the right to give or withdraw consent for psychotherapy at any time. Your participation in therapy is voluntary, and you are not obligated to continue if you choose to stop.

If you decide to withdraw consent for therapy services, you may do so by:

Informing your therapist verbally during a session, OR
Providing written notice to allyson.gassner@wildflowerpsychotherapy.ca

Once consent is withdrawn, your therapist will:

Discontinue psychotherapy services immediately, unless we agree on a transition or closure process.
Provide referrals or alternative resources upon request.
Retain your records in accordance with legal and professional standards (as required by the Personal Health Information Protection Act [PHIPA]).

Partial Withdrawal of Consent

You may also choose to withdraw consent for specific aspects of therapy, such as:

Sharing information with third parties.
Use of certain therapeutic approaches or interventions.
Participation in electronic communication (e.g., email, teletherapy).

If you choose to withdraw consent partially, we will discuss how this affects your treatment and make any necessary adjustments.

Exceptions to Withdrawing Consent

There are limited situations where withdrawal of consent may not be possible, including:

If your therapist is legally required to report concerns related to harm to yourself or others.
If there is a court order requiring disclosure of information.
If records must be retained to comply with regulatory obligations.
Communication and responsibility regarding payment of fees for services already provided and/or agreed upon, ex. session scheduled to begin within less than 24 hours.

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