Effective Date: April 7, 2026
Horizon West Counseling, PLLC ("we," "us," or "our") operatesthe website https://www.hw-counsel- ing.com/ (the "Site"). We arecommitted to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clientsand website visitors. This Privacy Policydescribes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your in-formation when you visit our Site or engage with our mental health services.
By using the Site or our services,you agree to the termsof this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or device ("Personal Information").
A. Information You Provide to Us
• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and any message content you submit via our contact forms, appointment request forms, or other Site fields.
• Optional Information: Any other information you choose to provide when you communicate with us (for example, preferred contact method and general scheduling details).
Important Note About Clinical Information:
We encourage you not to submit sensitive clinical or health information through our general website contact forms. If you become a client, clinical information collected in the context of treatment is handled under HIPAA and our separate Notice of Privacy Practices.
B. Information Collected Automatically
When you access the Site, our servers and service providers may automatically record information, including:
• Technical and Usage Data: IPaddress, browser type, device identifiers, operating system, approximate location derived from IP address, referring URLs, pages viewed, and dates/times of access.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enable Site functionality, remember preferences, and understand how the Site isused (see Section 6).
2. HIPAA, Confidentiality, and Protected Health Information (PHI)
If you receive clinical services from Horizon West Counseling, PLLC, information collected in connection with your treatment may constitute Protected Health Information ("PHI") and is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") and applicable Florida confidentiality laws. This Privacy Policy primarily addresses information collected through the Site and general business communications. Our handling of PHIis governed by our separate Notice of Privacy Practices (provided to clientsas part of intake and available upon request). In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Policy and our Notice of Privacy Practices regarding PHI or clinical care, the Notice of Privacy Practices controls.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
• To provide services and operate our business: including scheduling, responding to inquiries, providing requested information, and delivering services you request.
• To communicate with you: including responding to messages, sending administrative notices, and providing customer support.
• To improve the Site and our offerings: including understanding Site usage, trouble shooting, and improving content, functionality, and user experience.
• To maintain security and prevent misuse: including protecting the Site, our systems, and users from fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access.
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations: including professional, ethical,and licensure related requirements. When you are a client, we use and disclose PHI as described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
4. Disclosure of Your Information / Third-Party Sharing
We do not sell your Personal Information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
• Service Providers: We may share information with vendors that help us operate our business and the Site (for example, website hosting, analytics, email and communications tools, scheduling tools, and other IT providers). These providers are permitted to use the information only to perform services for us and are required to protect it consistent with applicable obligations.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal process, or as otherwise necessary to protect our rights, safety, and property, and/or the rights, safety, and property of others.
• Consent: We may share information with third parties when you directus to do so or provide authorization.
Clinical information / PHI: Any uses and disclosures of PHI for treatment, payment, and health care operations (and other permitted or required purposes) are described in our Noticeof Privacy Practices.
5. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect the integrity and confidentiality of your Personal Information. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Cookies, Tracking Technologies, and Your Choices Cookies and similar technologies.
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We may use cookies and similar technologies (such as pixels or similar scripts) to:
• operate and secure the Site;
• remember preferences; and
• understand Site traffic and usage trends so we can improve the Site.
Your choices / opting out.
• Browser controls: Most browsers allow you to control cookies through settings (including deleting existing cookies and blocking some or all cookies). If you disable cookies, some parts of the Site may not function properly.
• Analytics controls (if applicable): If we use analytics services, you may be able to opt out through available tool specific settings or browser add ons provided by the analytics vendor, where offered.
We do not respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals in all cases, as there is no uniform industry standard for compliance.
7. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your data:
• Access: The right to request access to certain Personal Information we maintain about you.
• Correction: The right to request that we correct inaccurate Personal Information.
• Deletion: The right to request deletion of certain Personal Information, subject to legal, regulatory, and operational requirements (for example, record retention, security, and dispute resolution).
• Opt-Out: The right to opt out of marketing communications (if any) and manage non-essential cookies as described above.
• Clinical Records / PHI: Clients have specific rights regarding PHI and clinical records as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable law. To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in the “Contact Us” section. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.
8. Third-Party Links
Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
9. Children’s Privacy
Our services and this Site are intended for adults aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that a minor has provided us with personal information, we will delete such information from our records.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will post the updated policy on this page and update the "Effective Date" above. If we make material changes, we may also provide additional notice (for example, via a prominent notice on the Site or by email if you have provided an email address).
11. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Horizon West Counseling, PLLC (Florida)
Email: privacy@hw-counseling.com
Website:https://www.hw-counseling.com/
Horizon West Counseling
