Informed consent document collection for Ontario psychotherapists

Elements of valid informed consent

Informed consent for psychotherapy should be documented and cover the nature of treatment, fees and billing, limits of confidentiality (including mandatory reporting), cancellation policy, and how records are kept. CRPO Professional Practice Standards expect an accurate, complete clinical record that includes consent documentation.

Consent is not a one-time checkbox — updates may be needed when treatment changes, fees change, or modality shifts from in-person to virtual.

• Nature and goals of psychotherapy.
• Fees, payment, and cancellation policy.
• Limits of confidentiality and mandatory reporting.
• Record-keeping and client access rights.
• Risks and benefits of treatment.

Telepsychotherapy addendum

Virtual sessions require additional consent covering technology platforms, privacy risks of video therapy, emergency procedures, and client location verification. Collect telehealth consent before the first video session — not during it.

Secure collection vs email PDF

Password-protected PDFs sent by email are still email. Health information custodians should implement reasonable safeguards under PHIPA. A Canadian-hosted client portal with encryption and access controls may support your intake workflow — alongside a written agent agreement and privacy impact assessment where required.

Hivi-X lets you add informed consent and telehealth consent as checklist line items. Clients upload signed forms through the my-id.ca portal; you approve or reject each submission before session one.