Private by default
Everything a client writes on Betterjournal (journal entries, mood check-ins, homework responses) is private by default. The clinician cannot see any of this content unless the client explicitly chooses to share it.
Sharing is a deliberate action the client takes. Nothing is shared automatically. Nothing is shared without the client's direct choice.
What the clinician can see: Only content the client has explicitly shared. The clinician cannot see unshared journal entries, private check-ins, or homework responses the client has not shared.
Who can see what
| Data type | Client | Clinician | Supervisor / RP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private journal entries | Yes | No | No |
| Shared journal entries | Yes | Yes (if shared) | No |
| Mood check-ins (private) | Yes | No | No |
| Mood check-ins (shared) | Yes | Yes (if shared) | No |
| Homework responses | Yes | Yes (if shared) | No |
| Session briefs (generated) | No | Yes | No |
| Consent and account records | Yes | Limited | Audit only |
Supervising Registered Psychologists (RPs) have read-only access to audit records only. They cannot see journals, mood data, or homework responses.
What Betterjournal is not
Not a crisis service. Betterjournal is not monitored for crisis situations in real time. It is not designed for or capable of clinical risk assessment. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline) or contact your local emergency services immediately.
Betterjournal is not a telehealth platform. Therapy sessions take place outside this application. Betterjournal does not deliver, replace, or replicate therapy in any form.
Betterjournal is not a messaging platform. Communication between clients and clinicians on the platform is asynchronous and is not monitored in real time.
Betterjournal is not a diagnostic or clinical assessment tool. The AI features detect patterns in journaling to assist clinicians. They do not make clinical assessments, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations.
AI and pattern detection
Betterjournal uses AI to assist clinicians in two ways: detecting emotional themes in journal entries the client has chosen to share, and generating pre-session briefs that summarize the client's week.
The AI is an instrument that clinicians review before use. It does not:
- Make clinical diagnoses or risk assessments
- Provide therapeutic interventions or advice
- Make treatment recommendations
- Manage crises or act autonomously in urgent situations
- Access any data the client has not shared with the clinician
The registered clinician retains full accountability for all clinical decisions. The AI does not replace clinical judgment.
Data storage and Canadian privacy law
Betterjournal is built for Canadian private practice and is designed to operate within Canadian privacy law, including PIPA (Alberta), HIA, and CAP's Use of Technology Guideline (September 2024).
- All client data is stored on Canadian servers only
- Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
- Each client-clinician relationship uses isolated encryption keys
- If a client revokes consent, their encryption key is rotated and existing data becomes permanently unreadable
- Every data access event is logged with timestamp and access record
- Retention supports the 10+1 year requirement under applicable regulations
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is required under HIA Section 64 before the platform handles real client data. This will be completed before public launch.
Consent
Before a client's first journal entry is saved, they are shown a clear consent screen explaining what Betterjournal is, what it is not, how their data is handled, and who can see what. Consent is required before any data is collected.
Clients may revoke consent at any time. Upon revocation, the encryption key is rotated and existing content becomes permanently unreadable by anyone, including Betterjournal.
Contact
If you have questions about how Betterjournal handles data, or if you are a clinician with questions about compliance, contact us at hello@betterjournal.ca.
This document reflects current design intent during the private beta period. It is not a legal privacy policy and will be replaced by a formal policy before public launch.