Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 30, 2025  Last Updated: March 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Hildegard Herbals (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you use our services — including herbal consultations, custom herbal remedy preparation, digital books, webinars, and online courses. We are committed to compliance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

1. Who We Are

Hildegard Herbals is a herbalism practice based in Alberta, Canada. We provide wellness consultations, custom herbal remedies, and educational products to clients across Canada. Our contact information is provided at the end of this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information only to the extent necessary to deliver our services.

a) Information You Provide Directly

  • Contact information: name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
  • Health and wellness information: health history, current medications, allergies, symptoms, and wellness goals (collected during consultations)
  • Payment information: billing details processed through our secure third-party payment processor (we do not store full card numbers)
  • Account credentials: username and password if you create an account to access courses or digital products
  • Communications: messages, emails, or notes exchanged with us

b) Information Collected Automatically

  • Technical data such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited when you use our website or online learning platform
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 9)

c) Information from Third Parties

If you enroll in a webinar or course through a third-party platform (e.g., Google Hangouts, Teachable, Zoom), that platform may share registration or participation data with us as permitted by their own privacy policies.

    3. How We Use Your Information

    We use your personal information to: provide and personalize herbal consultations and custom remedy recommendations; prepare and ship custom herbal products; deliver digital products, webinars, and course content you have purchased; process payments and maintain records for accounting and tax purposes; communicate with you about orders, appointments, or inquiries; send newsletters or health information where you have opted in; comply with legal obligations; and improve our services and website.

    We will not use your personal information for purposes beyond those listed above without your consent, unless required by law.

    4. Legal Basis and Consent

    Under PIPEDA and Alberta’s PIPA, we collect, use, and disclose personal information with your knowledge and consent, except where the law permits otherwise. By providing us with your information and using our services, you consent to its collection and use as described in this policy.

    For sensitive health information collected during consultations, we obtain your express consent. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions, by contacting us (see Section 11). Please note that withdrawing consent for certain uses may affect our ability to provide services to you.

    5. Disclosure of Your Information

    We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share it only in the following circumstances:

    • Service providers: Third-party vendors who assist us in operating our business (e.g., payment processors, shipping companies, email platforms, online course hosts). These parties are contractually required to protect your information and may only use it for the purposes we specify.
    • Legal requirements: Where we are required by law, court order, or government authority to disclose information.
    • Business transfers: In the event of a merger, sale, or transfer of assets, your information may be disclosed subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.
    • With your consent: In any other situation where you have given express permission.

    6. Health Information

    Health and wellness information you share during consultations is treated as sensitive personal information. It is collected solely for the purpose of providing you with personalized herbal wellness guidance and is not shared with other practitioners or third parties without your express consent, except where required by law.

    Please note that Hildegard Herbals does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Our services are complementary wellness support and are not a substitute for professional medical care.

    7. Data Retention

    We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law:

    • Consultation and health records: minimum of 7 years
    • Financial and transaction records: minimum of 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
    • Course and digital product records: as long as your account remains active
    • Marketing communication records: until you unsubscribe

    When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed or anonymized.

    8. Data Security

    We take reasonable technical and organizational precautions to protect your personal information, including encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure third-party payment processing, and password-protected systems with limited internal access. While we take these precautions, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure.

    9. Cookies and Online Tracking

    Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and collect analytics data. You may control cookie settings through your browser preferences, though disabling cookies may affect certain website functionality. We do not use cookies to collect sensitive personal information or track you across unaffiliated sites for advertising.

    10. Cross-Provincial Services

    Hildegard Herbals is based in Alberta and primarily governed by Alberta’s PIPA. As we serve clients throughout Canada, our practices also comply with the federal PIPEDA and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

    If your personal information is stored or processed on servers outside Alberta or Canada (e.g., by third-party platforms), it may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. We take reasonable steps to ensure our service providers maintain Canadian-equivalent privacy protections.

    11. Your Privacy Rights

    Under applicable Canadian privacy law, you have the right to:

    • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
    • Correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
    • Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information (see Section 4)
    • Unsubscribe: Opt out of marketing communications at any time
    • Complaint: File a complaint with us or the applicable regulator

    We will respond to requests within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

    • Alberta: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta — www.oipc.ab.ca
    • Federal: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — www.priv.gc.ca

    12. Children’s Privacy

    Our services are not directed at individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If a parent or guardian believes their child has provided us with information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

    13. Changes to This Policy

    We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updated versions will be posted on our website with a revised effective date. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

    14. Contact Us

    Hildegard Herbals — Privacy Inquiries Kristina Thomas kristina [at] hildegardherbals.ca Website: www.hildegardherbals.ca