Biodynamic Therapies ("the Clinic", "we", "us") is an osteopathic manual therapy, acupuncture and wellness clinic located at 155 Frobisher Dr, Unit G 113, Waterloo, Ontario. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we protect it, and the choices you have. It applies to our clinic, our website and any form, phone call, email or booking request you send us.
1. Our legal obligations
As a health information custodian we collect, use and disclose personal health information in accordance with Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). Information that is not health information, such as website analytics or marketing preferences, is handled under the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Electronic messages we send are governed by Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).
Our registered practitioners also follow the record-keeping, confidentiality and consent standards of their regulatory colleges, including the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario and the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario.
2. Information we collect
We collect only what we need to provide safe, effective care and to run the clinic:
- Contact and identity details: name, phone number, email address, mailing address, date of birth and emergency contact.
- Personal health information: your health history, current concerns, medications, allergies, assessment findings, treatment notes, consent forms, progress and outcomes, and any reports you share with us.
- Insurance and payment information: extended health plan details you choose to provide and records of payments made. We do not store full credit card numbers.
- Website and booking information: details you enter in our consultation, booking or newsletter forms, and limited technical data collected by our own website analytics: the pages you visit, the link or campaign that brought you to the site, your device type and browser, and a one-way hashed (irreversible) version of your IP address used only to prevent abuse. A random identifier is stored in your browser so that repeat visits can be recognised; it contains no personal details.
3. Why we collect it
- To assess, plan and deliver treatment and to monitor your progress.
- To communicate with you about appointments, care instructions and follow-up.
- To prepare invoices and receipts you can submit to your insurer.
- To meet our professional, regulatory and legal obligations, including maintaining clinical records.
- To improve our services and our website.
- With your express consent, to send you news, offers or health tips by email.
4. Consent
We collect, use and disclose your personal health information with your knowledge and consent. By providing your information and receiving care, you consent to its use for your treatment and for the related purposes described above. You may withdraw or limit your consent at any time by telling us, subject to legal or professional requirements, and we will explain any effect this may have on your care. For minors or people unable to consent, we obtain consent from a parent, guardian or substitute decision-maker as permitted by law.
Marketing emails are sent only with your express consent, and every message includes an unsubscribe link. Appointment reminders and messages about your care are not marketing.
5. How we share information
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We share it only:
- within the Clinic, among the practitioners and staff involved in your care;
- with other health care providers, at your request or where needed for your care, such as your family physician;
- with your insurer, if you ask us to provide information for a claim;
- with service providers who help us operate, such as our practice management, booking, email and payment systems, under contracts that require them to protect your information;
- where required or permitted by law, for example in response to a court order, a regulatory college investigation, a public health requirement or a duty to report.
Some service providers may store data outside Canada. Where that happens, your information may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction. We choose providers with strong security and contractual safeguards.
6. How we protect it
We use physical, administrative and technical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including locked storage, password-protected and encrypted systems, access limited to staff who need it, confidentiality agreements and staff training. Our website uses secure (HTTPS) connections. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will notify you and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario where the law requires if your personal health information is lost, stolen or accessed without authority.
7. How long we keep it
Clinical records are retained for at least ten years after your last visit, or, for patients under eighteen, for at least ten years after they turn eighteen, in line with Ontario regulatory college requirements. Other personal information is kept only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law, and is then securely destroyed.
8. Your rights
- Access: you may request a copy of your record. We respond within 30 days and may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
- Correction: you may ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. If we do not agree, you may attach a statement of disagreement.
- Withdraw consent: you may withdraw consent for non-essential uses, such as marketing, at any time.
- Lockbox: you may ask that specific information not be shared with particular providers.
- Complaint: you may raise a privacy concern with us directly. You also have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (ipc.on.ca, 1-800-387-0073) or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
9. Website, cookies and third-party services
Our website uses its own first-party analytics, not Google Analytics or advertising pixels, to understand which pages and campaigns bring people to the clinic. It stores a random identifier in your browser's local storage and records page views, clicks on our phone number and booking buttons, and the source of your visit (for example a search engine or an advertising campaign). This information is not sold or shared with advertisers. You can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's site data, and blocking JavaScript storage will stop it entirely without affecting your ability to contact us.
Our website and its database are hosted by Vercel Inc. and Neon Inc. on servers located in the United States; form submissions and analytics may therefore be stored and processed outside Canada and be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction. New-enquiry notifications are delivered to the clinic by Resend, Inc. These providers act as our service providers under contract and may not use your information for their own purposes. Pages may embed content from third parties such as Google Fonts, Google Maps and Instagram, which may collect information under their own privacy policies. Links to other websites are provided for convenience and we are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.
Information you submit through our consultation and booking forms is used only to contact you about your request and to prepare for your visit. Please do not include detailed medical information in web forms; we will collect that securely at your appointment.
10. Children
Our website is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them online. Care for minors is provided with the consent of a parent or guardian.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always posted on this page with the date it was last updated. Material changes will be highlighted at the clinic or on our website.
12. Contact our privacy officer
Questions, access requests or complaints can be directed to our Privacy Officer:
Christian Pinnau, Privacy Officer
Biodynamic Therapies
155 Frobisher Dr, Unit G 113, Waterloo, ON
Phone: (548) 255-9800
Email: info@biodynamictherapies.ca
