Privacy Policy

Courageous Living / Elaine Turcotte Alexander, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Last updated: April 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Courageous Living ("we," "our," or "I") collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information when you visit courageousliving.me or engage with our services. We are committed to protecting your privacy in compliance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario privacy law.

If you have any questions, please contact us before using this site.

1. Who We Are

Courageous Living is a psychotherapy practice operated by Elaine Turcotte Alexander, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). We provide virtual therapy for adults across Ontario and in-person therapy in Ottawa, Ontario.

Practice address: Maia Counselling Centre, 1900 City Park Drive, Suite 408, Ottawa, ON
Booking platform: JaneApp (maiacentre.janeapp.com)
Contact: Via email.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

a) Information you provide directly

  • Contact form submissions: Your name, email address, and any message content you choose to share.

  • Booking information: When you book a session through JaneApp, that platform collects your name, contact details, health information relevant to your care, and payment information. JaneApp maintains its own privacy policy, which governs the data you submit through their platform.

  • Email communications: If you subscribe to updates or correspond with us by email, we collect your email address and the content of your messages.

b) Information collected automatically

  • Analytics data: This website may use Squarespace's built-in analytics or third-party tools (such as Google Analytics) to collect anonymized information about how visitors use the site, including pages visited, time spent, browser type, device type, and general geographic location (city/country level). This data does not identify you personally.

  • Cookies: This site may use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to support website functionality and analytics. See Section 6 for more detail.

  • IP addresses: Your IP address may be recorded automatically by our hosting provider (Squarespace) for security and technical purposes.

3. Why We Collect This Information

We collect personal information only for legitimate, defined purposes:

  • To respond to your inquiries and contact form submissions

  • To facilitate the booking and delivery of psychotherapy services

  • To communicate with you about your appointments or care (through JaneApp)

  • To send updates or resources you have requested (email list)

  • To understand how visitors use this website and improve its content

  • To comply with our professional, legal, and regulatory obligations as a CRPO-registered practitioner

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do not use it for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Consent

By submitting a contact form, subscribing to updates, or booking a session, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us (see Section 9). Withdrawing consent may limit our ability to provide services to you. For clinical records, note that our CRPO obligations require us to retain client records for a minimum period even after a therapeutic relationship ends.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service providers: We use Squarespace (website hosting), JaneApp (booking and clinical records), and potentially Google Analytics (website analytics). These providers receive only the information necessary to perform their function and are bound by their own privacy policies and applicable law.

  • Supervision: As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Elaine practices under the close clinical supervision of Aline Maia, RP. Clinical information may be discussed in supervision as required for safe, ethical practice. This is governed by professional confidentiality obligations.

  • Legal obligations: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or our professional regulatory obligations — including mandatory reporting requirements under Ontario law (e.g., where there is risk of serious harm to yourself or others).

  • Emergency situations: Where there is an imminent risk to the safety of you or another person, we may share relevant information with emergency services.

Outside of these circumstances, your information stays with us.

6. Cookies and Analytics

Cookies are small files stored on your device that help websites function and track usage patterns. This site may use:

  • Essential cookies: Required for the website to operate (e.g., Squarespace platform functions). These cannot be disabled without affecting site functionality.

  • Analytics cookies: Used to understand visitor behaviour in aggregate (e.g., which pages are most visited). This data is anonymized and not linked to your identity.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing ones. Note that disabling cookies may affect your experience on this site.

If we use Google Analytics, you can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

7. How We Protect Your Information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures include:

  • Using PIPEDA-compliant, encrypted platforms for booking and clinical records (JaneApp)

  • Limiting access to personal information to those who need it to deliver services

  • Using secure, HTTPS-encrypted website hosting through Squarespace

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we take your privacy seriously, we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted to or from this website. If you need to share sensitive information, please contact us to discuss a secure method.

8. How Long We Keep Your Information

  • Contact form inquiries: Retained only as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry, then deleted.

  • Clinical records: Retained for a minimum of 10 years from the last date of service (or until a minor client turns 28), as required by CRPO standards of practice.

  • Email list: Retained until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send.

  • Analytics data: Retained in anonymized, aggregated form per the policies of the analytics provider used.

9. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

As a Canadian resident, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you

  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Withdraw consent to the collection or use of your information (subject to legal and regulatory obligations)

  • Request deletion of personal information we are not legally required to retain

  • File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) if you believe your privacy rights have been violated: www.priv.gc.ca

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the form on this website. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to external websites (such as JaneApp for booking, or resources we reference in our blog). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.

11. Children's Privacy

This website and our services are directed at adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18 through this website. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information to us, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of this website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please reach out:

Elaine Turcotte Alexander, RP (Qualifying)
Courageous Living
Maia Counselling Centre, 1900 City Park Drive, Suite 408, Ottawa, ON
Website: courageousliving.me
Contact: Via the contact form on this website

We are committed to resolving privacy concerns promptly and transparently.