1. Overview

This Privacy Policy applies to the website operated by Augustin & Augustin Psychology (“Augustin & Augustin Psychology,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), including augustinpsychology.com and pages that form part of that website.

This policy applies primarily to information collected through our public website. Information obtained from you once you become a patient or client may also be protected by additional federal and state health-privacy laws and by our separate Notice of Privacy Practices.

2. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with our website and practice.

Information You Provide

When you submit an inquiry or contact form, you may provide information such as:

• Your first and last name;
• The name of the prospective client, if different;
• Telephone number;
• Email address;
• Age of the prospective client;
• Insurance information;
• The type of service you are seeking;
• Information about presenting concerns or reasons for seeking services;
• Goals or other information related to treatment or services; and
• Any information you voluntarily include in a message to us.

Information Collected Automatically

Like many websites, our site and its hosting or technology providers may automatically receive limited technical information when you visit, such as your browser type, device type, IP address, pages viewed, referring page, approximate location derived from an IP address, and date or time of access.

3. Health-Related & Sensitive Information

Because Augustin & Augustin Psychology provides mental health services, information you choose to submit through our website may relate to your mental or physical health, psychological concerns, insurance coverage, or treatment needs.

If you become a client, clinical documentation and other treatment-related records are maintained separately from this public website as described below.

4. How We Use Information

We may use information collected through our website to:

• Respond to inquiries and requests for information;
• Determine which service or provider may be appropriate for you;
• Contact you regarding scheduling or next steps;
• Review insurance information relevant to a service inquiry;
• Provide requested information about our practice;
• Send newsletters when you have chosen to subscribe;
• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our website;
• Identify or troubleshoot technical issues;
• Protect against fraud, abuse, or security threats; and
• Meet applicable legal, professional, and regulatory requirements.

We do not use information submitted through our contact form to send unsolicited promotional text messages.

5. How Information May Be Shared

We do not sell your personal information or your health information.

Information may be disclosed when reasonably necessary to operate our practice or website, including to vendors or service providers that support functions such as website hosting, email, information technology, electronic health records, or other business operations.

We may also disclose information when required or permitted by applicable law, regulation, court order, legal process, professional obligation, or when reasonably necessary to protect the rights, safety, or security of our practice or others.

6. TheraNest & Client Records

Augustin & Augustin Psychology currently uses TheraNest as an electronic health record and practice-management platform. Clinical records and other patient information entered into our electronic health record are managed separately from the public pages of augustinpsychology.com.

When you use a secure portal or service provided through TheraNest, the handling of information through that platform may also be governed by the terms, privacy practices, and security protections applicable to that service.

Our website does not process patient payments directly. Payments may instead be handled through the applicable clinical, insurance, billing, or third-party platform.

7. Email & Electronic Communications

Website contact-form submissions are sent to our practice by email. If you contact us by email or provide an email address, we may respond by email regarding your inquiry, scheduling, services, or other practice-related matters.

Although we take privacy seriously, standard email can involve privacy and security risks. Please use discretion when choosing what information to send electronically.

Once you are an established patient, we may direct you to a secure patient platform or another communication method when appropriate for sensitive clinical information.

8. Newsletter Communications

If you voluntarily subscribe to a newsletter or email update offered through our website, we may use the email address you provide to send those communications.

Subscription to a newsletter is optional and is not required to receive psychological services.

You may unsubscribe from newsletter communications using the unsubscribe method included in the email or by contacting us. Unsubscribing from a newsletter will not prevent us from sending non-marketing communications that may be necessary regarding services you request or receive.

We do not use newsletter subscriptions to send promotional text messages.

9. Cookies & Website Technology

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies that help pages function properly, remember preferences, maintain security, or provide information about how visitors use the site.

Some cookies may be necessary for basic website functionality. Other technologies, if enabled on the site, may provide aggregated website-performance or usage information.

You can generally control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect how parts of the website function.

Augustin & Augustin Psychology does not use advertising pixels or website tracking for targeted advertising based on the practices represented in this policy.

10. Third-Party Websites & Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services, including platforms related to scheduling, insurance, healthcare administration, related psychological services, or other resources.

For example, our website may link to outside services such as Headway or Step Up Child Psychological Assessment Services. When you leave our website, the privacy policy and terms of the third-party website apply.

We encourage you to review the privacy practices of any external site before submitting personal information to it.

11. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures intended to protect personal information under our control from unauthorized access, use, alteration, loss, or disclosure.

However, no website, email system, wireless transmission, or electronic storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. For that reason, we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted over the Internet.

12. How Long We Keep Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, to meet legitimate practice needs, or to comply with applicable legal, insurance, regulatory, professional, and record-retention requirements.

Patient clinical records may be subject to different retention requirements than ordinary website inquiries or newsletter subscription information.

13. Children & Minors

Our public website is not designed to solicit personal information directly from young children for independent use of the website.

A parent, guardian, or other authorized individual may contact us regarding services involving a minor. Information involving minors is handled in accordance with applicable legal, professional, consent, and confidentiality requirements.

14. Your Choices & Privacy Rights

Depending on the type of information involved and applicable law, you may contact us to:

• Ask questions about information you submitted through our website;
• Update or correct contact information;
• Unsubscribe from optional newsletter communications;
• Ask about deletion of ordinary website information when legally and operationally appropriate; or
• Ask how to exercise rights involving your patient health information.

Requests involving your clinical record, billing information, or protected health information may be subject to separate procedures and legal requirements described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.

15. HIPAA & Our Notice of Privacy Practices

This Website Privacy Policy explains privacy practices related primarily to augustinpsychology.com and information submitted through the public website.

It is not a substitute for Augustin & Augustin Psychology’s formal Notice of Privacy Practices.

If the online Notice of Privacy Practices link is temporarily unavailable, you may contact our office to request a current copy.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our website, technologies, services, vendors, or privacy practices change, or when an update is appropriate because of legal or regulatory requirements.

When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date shown at the top of this page. Material changes affecting patient protected health information may also require updates to our separate Notice of Privacy Practices.

17. Questions About Your Privacy?

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our website practices, or how to obtain our Notice of Privacy Practices, please contact us.