The Practice Policies below support clarity, transparency, and emotional safety in our work together at BelongSpace Counselling.
Privacy & Confidentiality
Couples & Relationship Therapy
"No Secrets" Policy
Access to Records & Information Sharing
Privacy & Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an important part of creating a safe, trusting, and supportive therapeutic space where clients can speak openly, honestly, and with care. At BelongSpace Counselling, protecting your privacy is a meaningful part of nurturing emotional safety and connection within our work together.
Exceptions to Confidentiality
Couples & Relationship Therapy Policy
Scopes of Services
Couples & Relationship therapy at BelongSpace Counselling is provided as a therapeutic service to support communication, relational understanding, and emotional well-being within the relationship system. Services are delivered in accordance with the professional standards, Code of Ethics, and practice guidelines of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and informed by best practices in couple and family therapy, including those of the Canadian Association for Couple and Family Therapy (CACFT) and, where applicable, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
These services are not a substitute for legal, medical, or other specialized professional services.
Limits of Service (Legal & Forensic Matters)
Couples & Relationship therapy does not include the provision of legal or forensic services. As such:
- I do not provide custody or access evaluations, recommendations, or reports for legal proceedings.
- I do not conduct parenting capacity assessments or develop formal co-parenting plans for court or legal use.
- I do not offer opinions regarding the division of assets or other legal determinations.
If you are involved in or anticipating legal processes (e.g., separation, divorce, custody, or access matters), you are encouraged to seek independent legal advice or consult with appropriately qualified professionals (e.g., family lawyers, mediators, parenting coordinators, or court-authorized assessors). This helps ensure that decisions are legally sound and in the best interests of any children involved.
Client System & Informed Consent
In couples & relationship therapy, "all partners" are considered part of the “client system.” This means that the therapeutic relationship extends to the relationship as a whole, rather than to any one individual alone.
- Therapy decisions, goals, and interventions are approached collaboratively.
- Informed consent is obtained from all participating partners.
- The therapist maintains a balanced and neutral stance, supporting the relationship process rather than taking sides.
Client Safety & Appropriateness of Service
At BelongSpace Counselling, therapy is offered within a framework that prioritizes safety, respect, and emotional well-being for all involved. In some situations (e.g., active violence, coercion, or significant power imbalances), couples or relationship therapy may not be clinically appropriate. In such cases, alternative supports or referrals may be recommended.
“No Secrets” Policy
At BelongSpace Counselling, when providing couples or relationship therapy, the relationship itself is considered the “client.” This means the therapeutic work is centred on the well-being, honesty, and emotional safety of the relationship system as a whole, rather than any one individual partner.
At times, I may meet individually with one or more partners as part of the ongoing relationship therapy process. These individual conversations remain connected to the shared therapeutic work.
Please understand that information shared individually, which may significantly impact the relationship, safety, trust, or goals of therapy, may need to be addressed within the joint sessions as clinically appropriate. Whenever possible, I will encourage and support the individual in sharing the information directly within the relationship space.
Examples may include:
- Emotional or sexual involvement outside the relationship
- Significant financial concerns or hidden debt
- Medical concerns that may impact partners (including sexually transmitted infections)
- Legal matters affecting the relationship
- Ongoing substance use, gambling, compulsive sexual behaviour, or other addictive concerns
- Physical aggression, intimidation, or safety concerns within the relationship
The purpose of this policy is not to create fear or punishment, but to support honesty, relational integrity, and meaningful therapeutic work. Holding significant secrets that directly affect the relationship can interfere with trust, emotional safety, and the effectiveness of therapy.
If important information cannot be safely or appropriately brought into the shared therapeutic space, I may need to pause, reassess, or discontinue relationship therapy and recommend individual support instead.
If you are seeking a space for completely private individual therapy, separate from the relationship work, it may be helpful to work with an individual therapist outside of the couple or relationship therapy process.
At BelongSpace, Therapy Records are kept for 10 years.
Access to Records & Information Sharing
Informed Consent: Written consent is required from all partners to release the joint couples & relationship session records to a third party, such as a lawyer, insurance company, or another therapist.
Access to Records: All partners in the couples & relationship have a right to access the record, but they are generally only entitled to view information about themselves and "communal" information (general themes). Information that can be clearly attributed only to the other partner (or partners) cannot be released without that partner's (or partners’) consent.
Third-Party Requests: If a lawyer subpoenas the records, the therapist must comply but will inform the other partner (or partners) and attempt to protect the privacy of all partners as best as possible.
Safety Exceptions: Confidentiality can be broken without consent at the Therapist’s clinical judgement, for example, if there is a risk of imminent serious harm to self or others, child abuse, or a court order.
Email Communication Policy
"Virtual Therapy" at BelongSpace Counselling consists of live video-based psychotherapy sessions and is not text-based or app-based “chat therapy.
Virtual and electronic communication practices are guided by:
- The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
- OCSWSSW Standards of Practice
- CRPO Professional Practice Standards for Electronic Practice
- Applicable Ontario privacy and record-keeping legislation
Email communication is intended for administrative or non-urgent communication only and is not a substitute for psychotherapy, clinical assessment, crisis intervention, or emergency services.
Risks of Email Communication
While reasonable efforts are made to protect the privacy and security of electronic communication, email carries inherent risks. These risks include, but are not limited to:
- Email communication may not be fully secure or confidential.
- Emails may be intercepted, forwarded, copied, stored, or accessed by unintended individuals without the knowledge or consent of the sender or recipient.
- Email providers, internet service providers, employers, or electronic systems may retain copies of messages.
- The identity of the sender or recipient cannot always be verified.
- Technical issues, human error, or cybersecurity breaches may result in delayed, failed, or misdirected communication.
- Emails may become part of the clinical record where clinically or administratively appropriate.
- Electronic communications may be subject to legal disclosure where required by law or court order.
- Communication through unsecured devices, shared computers, or public Wi-Fi networks may increase privacy risks.
- Although safeguards are used, BelongSpace Counselling cannot guarantee the complete security of electronic communication.
Appropriate Uses of Email
- Appointment scheduling or changes
- Administrative communication
- Sharing forms, invoices, receipts, or resources
- General questions regarding services
- Brief follow-up communication is clinically appropriate
Email should not be used for:
- Crisis or emergencies
- Urgent mental health concerns
- Detailed therapeutic discussions
- Time-sensitive clinical matters
- Sharing highly sensitive personal information unless specifically requested and clinically appropriate
Clients are encouraged to participate in virtual and electronic communication from a private, secure location to help protect confidentiality.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and/or require immediate support, please:
- Call 911
- Call or text 9-8-8. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Contact your local crisis service in the region you live in, or attend your nearest emergency department.
For First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples
Hope for Wellness Help Line
Call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or connect to the online Hope for Wellness chat. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples seeking emotional support, crisis intervention, or referrals to community-based services. Support is available in English and French and, by request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut.
