Privacy Policy

The privacy of personal information is of utmost importance to Dr. Lianne Trachtenberg. She is committed to collecting, using, and disclosing personal information responsibly and only to the extent necessary for the services provided.

Your personal information is protected by privacy legislation. As a healthcare provider, Dr. Trachtenberg is required to inform you about the personal information that is being collected, used and protected.

What is Personal Information?

The term “personal information” has the same meaning as set out by the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act, 2011 (PIPEDA), and means any information about an identifiable individual. It includes information that relates to an individual’s personal characteristics (e.g., name, gender, age, income, home address, phone number, ethnic background, family status), health (e.g., health history, health conditions, health services received), or activities and views (e.g., religion, politics, opinions expressed by an individual, an opinion or evaluation of an individual).

How is your Personal Information Used?

Dr. Trachtenberg collects, uses, and discloses personal information only to provide psychological services to clients. For example, Dr. Trachtenberg may collect information about client’s health history including family history, physical conditions, and functioning, and social situations in order to provide appropriate services as well as identify changes that occur over time.

Dr. Trachtenberg uses some consultants that may, in the course of their duties, have limited access to personal information. These include office supports, accountants, and lawyers. Dr. Trachtenberg restrict their access to any personal information. Dr. Trachtenberg holds as much as is reasonably possible. Dr. Trachtenberg also has their assurance that they follow appropriate privacy principles.

Collecting Personal Information: Primary Purposes

Dr. Trachtenberg’s primary purpose for collecting personal information is to provide psychological services. For example, she collects information about a client’s health history including family history, physical conditions and function and social situations in order to help us provide the appropriate services, as well as identify changes that occur over time.

Dr. Trachtenberg’s website only collects, with the exception of cookies, the personal information you provide and only use that information for the purpose you gave it to her (e.g., respond to your email message). Cookies are only used to help you navigate the website and are not used to monitor you.

Collecting Personal Information: Related and Secondary Purposes

Dr. Trachtenberg also collects, uses and, discloses information for purposes related to, or secondary to, our primary purpose. The most common examples are as follows:

• To invoice clients for services that were not paid for at the time, to process credit card payments or to collect unpaid accounts
• The cost of some services provided by the organization to clients is paid for by third parties (e.g., WSIB, private insurance). These third-party payers often have your consent or legislative authority to clarify details about services directly with Dr. Trachtenberg so they can process your claim.
• Trachtenberg is regulated by the College of Psychologist of Ontario, who may inspect her records as a part of their regulatory activities in the public interest. The College of Psychologists of Ontario has its own strict privacy obligations and policies.
• As a healthcare professional, Dr. Trachtenberg will report serious misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity of regulated practitioners.  External regulators have their own strict privacy obligations.
• Like all organizations, various government agencies (e.g., Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Human Rights Commission, etc.) have the authority to review client files and interview Dr. Trachtenberg as a part of their mandates. In these circumstances, Dr. Trachtenberg may consult with professionals (e.g., lawyers) who will investigate the matter and report back.

Protecting Personal Health Information

Dr. Trachtenberg understands the importance of protecting personal information and for that reason has taken the following steps:

• All patient information is stored either in paper or electronic form. Paper information is either under supervision or locked securely.
• Electronic hardware is either under supervision or is locked securely at all times. In addition, passwords and encryption are used on computers.
• Paper information is transmitted through sealed envelopes by reputable couriers.
• Electronic information is transmitted either through a direct line, has identifiers removed, or is encrypted.
• External consultants and agencies with access to personal information must enter into privacy agreements with Dr. Trachtenberg.
• If Dr. Trachtenberg were to become incapacitated or die, your records would be placed in the care of another psychologist for protection, not examination. If you were to see another psychologist, your records could be sent to them at your request.

Retention and Destruction of Personal Information

Our regulatory body, the College of Psychologists of Ontario, requires that we keep our client files for at least 10 years after last contact.

Paper files are destroyed by shredding. Dr. Trachtenberg destroys electronic information by deleting it and when the hardware is discarded, she ensures that the hard drive is physically destroyed.

Access to Your Information

With only a few exceptions, you have the right to see what personal information Dr. Trachtenberg holds about you. Dr. Trachtenberg holds a right to charge a nominal fee for such requests.

If Dr. Trachtenberg cannot give you access, she will tell you within 30 days if possible and tell you the reason as to why access cannot provide granted. If you believe there is a mistake in the information, you have the right to ask for it to be corrected. This applies to factual information and not to any professional opinions we may have formed. Dr. Trachtenberg may ask you to provide documentation that your records are incorrect. Where there is collective agreement that Dr. Trachtenberg made a mistake, the correction will be made, and she will notify anyone to whom this information was sent. If Dr. Trachtenberg does not agree that a mistake has been made, she will still agree to include in the file a brief statement from you, and we will forward that statement to anyone else who received the earlier information.

Questions about Information Privacy

If you have any additional questions about privacy, please contact Dr. Trachtenberg at info@DrTrachtenberg.com or call 647-905-5131.

For general inquiries about personal information, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario oversees the admission of the privacy legislation for personal health information. The Commissioner can be reached at:

2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8

Toronto Area: 416-326-3333
Long distance: 1-800-387-0073

Email: info@ipc.on.ca

I have read and agree to the terms of Dr. Trachtenberg’s privacy policy.