PRIVACY POLICY

The AUM Institute respects your privacy and takes the protection of your personal information seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and disclose personal information when you visit our website, contact us, book a consultation or session, make a payment, or otherwise interact with The AUM Institute.

1. Who We Are

The AUM Institute is a private somatic therapy and personal-development practice based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Our website is:

www.theauminstitute.com

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, contact:

Privacy Officer
The AUM Institute
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
[email protected]

The AUM Institute is responsible for personal information under its control in accordance with Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act, or PIPA.  

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you provide directly to us, including:

  • your name
  • email address
  • telephone number
  • consultation and appointment information
  • information submitted through contact, booking, or intake forms
  • information you voluntarily share when communicating with us
  • information related to the services you receive
  • billing and transaction information

Because our work involves therapy and personal development, information you choose to share with us can be sensitive and personal.

We collect information that is relevant to providing our services, communicating with you, administering our practice, and meeting applicable legal and professional responsibilities.

3. Information Collected Through Our Website

When you visit our website, certain technical information is collected through cookies and related technologies.

This includes information such as:

  • device and browser type
  • approximate geographic region
  • pages visited
  • referring website or advertising source
  • interactions with pages, buttons, and forms
  • advertising and cookie identifiers

We use this information to understand how people use our website, improve the experience, and measure the effectiveness of our advertising.

4. Google Ads and Conversion Tracking

The AUM Institute uses Google Ads and related conversion-measurement technology.

This allows us to understand whether someone who interacted with one of our advertisements later completed an action such as visiting a landing page or booking a consultation.

We do not intentionally provide Google with the contents of therapy sessions, intake responses, personal disclosures, or other sensitive information for advertising purposes.

Google processes information according to its own privacy practices.

You can control or restrict cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies can affect website functionality and advertising measurement.

5. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to:

  • respond to inquiries
  • arrange consultations and appointments
  • provide our services
  • communicate with prospective and current clients
  • determine which practitioner or service fits an inquiry
  • administer appointments and client relationships
  • process payments
  • maintain appropriate business and service records
  • improve our website and services
  • measure advertising effectiveness
  • protect our systems and accounts
  • meet applicable legal and professional responsibilities

We do not sell personal information.

6. Consent

We collect, use, and disclose personal information with your consent except where the law allows or requires otherwise.

Consent can be provided directly, through completing a form, booking a service, communicating with us, or taking another action that clearly indicates agreement with the stated purpose.

You can withdraw consent for future collection, use, or disclosure by contacting us at [email protected], subject to legal, contractual, and record-retention requirements.

7. Service Providers

We use third-party services to operate our website and practice.

These include:

  • Kajabi for website and landing-page services
  • Acuity Scheduling for consultation and appointment scheduling
  • Zoom for online sessions and consultations
  • Google and Google Ads for advertising and conversion measurement
  • Stripe for payment processing
  • PayPal for payment processing
  • email and communication services used in the normal operation of our practice

These providers process information necessary to provide their services to us and operate according to their own privacy and security practices.

Some personal information is processed or stored outside Canada, including in the United States, where several of our technology and payment providers operate. Information processed outside Canada is subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is processed and could be accessible to courts, governments, or law-enforcement authorities under those laws.

For information about our use of service providers outside Canada, contact our Privacy Officer at [email protected].

Alberta PIPA requires organizations using service providers outside Canada to disclose where the information is processed and the purposes for which those providers are authorized to handle it.  

8. Online Sessions and Electronic Communication

We offer consultations and sessions through online video technology.

Online communication carries privacy risks related to internet transmission, personal devices, email, video platforms, and third-party technology.

We use reputable services and take reasonable steps to protect personal information.

Clients are encouraged to use secure internet connections, private devices, and private locations when participating in online sessions.

9. Confidentiality

Information shared during consultations and therapy sessions is treated as confidential.

Access to personal information is limited to people who require it for legitimate service, administrative, legal, or professional purposes.

We do not disclose confidential information to other people without consent except where disclosure is required or permitted by law or another legal or professional obligation applies.

Additional confidentiality and consent expectations related to therapy services are addressed through our intake and informed-consent process.

10. Protecting Personal Information

We use reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect personal information against:

  • unauthorized access
  • loss
  • misuse
  • disclosure
  • alteration
  • theft
  • destruction

These safeguards include password-protected accounts, access controls, appropriate service providers, and limiting access to personal information according to need.

No electronic system provides absolute security, but we take the sensitivity of the information entrusted to us seriously.

11. Retention and Destruction

We retain personal information for as long as it is reasonably required to:

  • provide services
  • maintain appropriate client and business records
  • meet legal and professional responsibilities
  • resolve disputes
  • protect legitimate business interests

When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it.

12. Accessing or Correcting Your Information

You can contact us to request access to personal information we hold about you or request correction of inaccurate information.

Requests should be sent to:

[email protected]

We will verify your identity before providing access to personal information.

PIPA gives individuals rights relating to access to and correction of personal information held by private-sector organizations.  

13. Privacy Breaches

If personal information is lost, accessed without authorization, or otherwise involved in a privacy breach, we will assess the incident and take reasonable steps to contain and address it.

Where a breach creates a real risk of significant harm, Alberta PIPA requires organizations to notify the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.  

14. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and related technologies for:

  • website functionality
  • analytics and performance measurement
  • advertising attribution
  • Google Ads conversion tracking

Cookies are small files or identifiers used to recognize certain interactions with a website.

You can restrict or delete cookies through your browser settings. Doing so can affect website functionality and the accuracy of advertising measurement.

15. Links to Other Websites

Our website contains links to third-party websites and services.

Once you leave our website, the privacy practices of those third parties apply. The AUM Institute is not responsible for the privacy practices of websites or services that we do not control.

16. Minors

Our website is primarily intended for adults seeking information about our services.

Where services involve a minor, consent, privacy, and confidentiality are addressed according to the circumstances of the service, applicable law, and agreements with the client and parent or guardian where required.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We will update this Privacy Policy when our services, technology, or privacy practices change.

The current version will be posted on our website with the date of the most recent update.

18. Contact

Questions, concerns, access requests, correction requests, or privacy complaints can be directed to:

Privacy Officer
The AUM Institute
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
[email protected]

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you can contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.