Privacy Policy

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Effective Date: January 25, 2025

This Privacy Policy outlines how PNW Counseling's website collects, uses, and protects the personal and health-related information you provide when using our website PNWCounseling.com. We respect your privacy and are committed to safeguarding your health information in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable privacy laws.

By using this website, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

We collect both personal information and health-related information to facilitate your experience on our website. This may include:

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and other contact information that you voluntarily provide.
• Health Information: If you submit a request for therapy services or complete forms related to your treatment, this information may be used to assess your needs. This may include medical history, treatment preferences, or other details pertinent to therapy.
• Website Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, such as IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and session duration.

The information we collect may be used in the following ways:

• To respond to inquiries or provide services related to therapy.
• To send appointment reminders, treatment information, or other relevant communications.
• To personalize your experience and improve our website’s functionality.
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including HIPAA.
• To protect the security and integrity of our website and services.

We are committed to protecting your health information in accordance with HIPAA. The following applies to your health information:

• Confidentiality: Your health information will be treated as confidential, and will not be shared with any third parties without your consent, except as required by law or in accordance with our professional obligations.
• Protected Health Information (PHI): Please note that this website, while using encryption software is not HIPAA-compliant. While we prioritize your privacy and take reasonable steps to secure the information shared through this website, any communication sent through this platform (e.g., contact forms, appointment requests, or email) is subject to the typical risks associated with transmitting information online. This includes potential risks such as interception by unauthorized third parties or unintended data breaches. We strongly advise against sharing sensitive personal health information (PHI) through this website.

For discussions involving confidential or protected health information, please contact us directly using HIPAA-compliant methods, such as secure phone lines or encrypted communication platforms, where applicable.

By using this website to communicate, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks of online communication.

• No Electronic Transmission of PHI: We do not use the website for transmitting PHI. If you need to share sensitive health information, please contact us directly through secure communication channels, such as our encrypted email or phone service.

We may use third-party services for website hosting, analytics, or other administrative purposes. These third parties may have access to your information provided on this website, but they are obligated to maintain its confidentiality and are prohibited from using your information for any other purposes.

We may also link to third-party websites for convenience (including payment platforms), but we are not responsible for their privacy practices or content. Please review the privacy policies of those websites before providing any personal or health-related information.

We implement a variety of security measures to protect your personal and health information. These include:

• Access Control: Only authorized personnel have access to your information, and they are trained on privacy practices.
• Secure Storage: Health information (PHI) is stored in secure systems that comply with HIPAA regulations. Adrienne@PNWCounseling.com is HIPPA compliant and information stored within the email system will remain confidential in compliance with HIPPA policy.
• Security and Encryption (SSL/TLS): Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) to protect the data transmitted between your browser and our site. When you visit our website, you will see "https://" at the beginning of the URL, with the "s" standing for "secure." This indicates that we are employing SSL/TLS encryption to ensure a safe and secure browsing experience. This encryption prevents unauthorized parties, such as hackers, from reading or altering any information you send or receive. It ensures that your personal and sensitive information remains private and secure during transmission.

However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

Under HIPAA and other privacy laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal and health-related information, including:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the information we have collected about you, including any health-related information.
• Right to Correct Information: You can request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on how we use or share your information, though we are not required to honor all requests.
• Right to Confidential Communication: You may request that we communicate with you through alternative means or at alternative locations, especially regarding your PHI.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If you’ve provided consent to share certain health-related information, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at (503) 208-4226.

We may use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activity on our website. These technologies help us understand how visitors use our site, improve user experience, and monitor site performance. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect your ability to use some features of the site.

Our website is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect or maintain personal information from individuals under 13 years of age. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will take immediate steps to delete it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page, and the effective date will be revised accordingly. Please review this policy periodically for any updates.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or if you would like to exercise any of your rights under HIPAA, please contact us at:

PNW Counseling LLC
4168 W. 1st Ave, Eugene, OR 97402
(503) 208-4226
Adrienne@PNWCounseling.com

Website Privacy Policy for PNW Counseling LLC