LEGAL
Privacy Policy
Effective date: November 1, 2026
Your privacy matters to Growth Counseling, LLC ("Growth Counseling," "we," "us," or "our"). This policy explains how information is handled when you visit our website or contact us through it.
We take the privacy of mental health information seriously. This website policy is separate from our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which explains how protected health information may be used and disclosed and the rights you have as a client. Please contact our office for a copy of that notice.
1. Information We Collect
Information you choose to provide: Our consultation request form asks for your name and email address, with optional fields for your phone number and a message. We also receive information you choose to share when you call or email us.
Please keep website messages brief. Do not include your date of birth, insurance member numbers, Social Security number, payment card information, detailed symptoms, or treatment history. Contact our office to arrange an appropriate way to share sensitive information.
Technical information: Website hosting and security services may process information such as your IP address, browser and device details, requested pages, and the date and time of a request to deliver the website and protect it from misuse.
2. How We Use Information
We use website inquiries to respond to questions, follow up on consultation requests, and provide information about our services. Technical information may be used to maintain the website, troubleshoot problems, and prevent spam or abuse.
Sending a website inquiry does not establish a therapist-client relationship. This website is not a patient portal or an emergency service.
3. Sharing and Disclosure
Our website is hosted through Theo. When you submit the consultation form, Theo processes and stores the submission and emails it to our practice so we can respond. Website hosting, form delivery, and security services may process information as part of providing those services.
Information may also be disclosed when required by applicable law or a valid legal process. The use and disclosure of clinical records and protected health information are addressed separately in our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
4. Cookies and Tracking
This website does not currently include Google Analytics or advertising pixels added by Growth Counseling. Hosting and security services may use cookies or similar technologies to support website operation and protect against abuse.
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking them may affect certain website functions. If we introduce additional analytics or marketing tools, we will update this policy to describe those practices.
5. Third-Party Links
Our website links to external websites, including professional directories and social media. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. Please review those policies before sharing information with them.
6. Information Security
No website, email service, or method of electronic storage can guarantee absolute security. Please do not use the website form or ordinary email to send sensitive clinical information. Contact our office for guidance on sharing information through the appropriate intake or care process.
7. Children and Teens
Growth Counseling provides care to children, teens, and adults, depending on the clinician and service. This public website form is intended for general inquiries, not for a child to submit personal or clinical information. Parents and guardians can contact our office to discuss services and the appropriate intake process.
If you believe a child has submitted personal information through this website, please contact us so we can review the situation and respond appropriately.
8. Your Choices and Policy Updates
You may contact us to ask about information you submitted through the website or request a correction or deletion. We will review requests in accordance with applicable law and any recordkeeping obligations. Requests concerning clinical records and HIPAA rights are handled through our practice, not through this website policy.
We may update this policy when website practices change. The revised policy and effective date will appear on this page.
9. Contact Us
For questions about website privacy, or to request our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, contact Growth Counseling:
Email: brendarueda@growthcounseling.net
Phone: (915) 263-1070
Address: 11680 Montana, Suite 215B, El Paso, TX 79936
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
YOUR INFORMATION. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
Growth Counseling LLC is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information. This notice explains how your protected health information (PHI) may be used or disclosed, your rights regarding that information, and our responsibilities under applicable federal and Texas privacy laws.
Please review this notice carefully.
1. How We May Use and Disclose Your Information
We may use or disclose your protected health information for the following purposes:
Treatment
We may use and share information with treating clinicians and other healthcare providers involved in your care when permitted by law.
Payment
We may use information to obtain payment for services, including submitting claims to insurance companies, verifying benefits, and processing payments.
Healthcare Operations
We may use information to manage our practice, coordinate care, conduct quality improvement activities, supervise clinical services, and meet professional and regulatory obligations.
As Required by Law
We may disclose information when required by federal or state law, including certain public health, safety, and regulatory reporting requirements.
Other Permitted Disclosures
Additional disclosures may be permitted or required for certain legal proceedings, oversight activities, law enforcement purposes, or situations involving serious threats to health or safety, as allowed by law.
2. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization when required by law, including for:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
- Marketing activities requiring authorization.
- Sale of protected health information.
- Other uses or disclosures not otherwise permitted by law.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already relied upon it.
3. Your Privacy Rights
You have the right to:
Access Your Records
Request to inspect or obtain copies of your health records, subject to applicable legal exceptions.
Request Corrections
Ask us to amend information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
Request Confidential Communications
Ask us to contact you through a specific phone number, email address, or mailing address.
Request Restrictions
Ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures of your information. We are not required to agree to every request, except where applicable law requires it.
Request an Accounting of Disclosures
Request a list of certain disclosures of your protected health information.
Receive a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper or electronic copy of this notice at any time.
Choose a Personal Representative
You may designate someone legally authorized to act on your behalf regarding your health information.
4. Special Protection for Mental Health Information
Growth Counseling LLC recognizes the sensitive nature of behavioral health records.
We take additional care to protect information related to:
- Mental health assessments and diagnoses.
- Psychotherapy and counseling sessions.
- Treatment plans and progress notes.
- Trauma histories and personal disclosures.
- Clinical consultations and supervision.
Psychotherapy notes maintained separately from the general medical record receive additional protections under HIPAA. Their disclosure generally requires your written authorization, subject to limited legal exceptions.
Texas law may provide additional confidentiality protections for mental health records. We will follow applicable federal and state requirements.
5. Substance Use Disorder Records
Certain substance use disorder treatment records may receive additional protection under federal law, including 42 CFR Part 2.
When those protections apply, we will follow applicable restrictions concerning the use and disclosure of those records, including restrictions on their use in legal proceedings against patients.
6. Our Responsibilities
Growth Counseling LLC is required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- Provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
- Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
- Notify affected individuals following a reportable breach of unsecured protected health information.
- Only use or disclose your information as permitted by law or with your written authorization when required.
We reserve the right to revise this notice. Any revised notice will be made available on our website and upon request.
7. Your Right to File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Growth Counseling LLC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
Website: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/
8. Contact Information
For questions about this notice, requests concerning your health records, or privacy-related concerns, contact:
Growth Counseling LLC
Attention: Privacy Officer
El Paso, Texas
Email: [Insert Secure Practice Email]
Phone: (915) 263-1070
Website: https://growthpsychotherapyservices.com
Your privacy matters to us. Thank you for trusting Growth Counseling LLC with your behavioral health care.