The Heard Counseling Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 3rd, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how The Heard Counseling (“we” or “us”) collects, uses, and shares your personal information when you use our website www.theheardcounseling.com and any of our subdomains (the “Website”).
Topics:
● Personal information we collect
● How we use your personal information
● How we share your personal information
● How we store your data
● No Processing Children’s Data
● Email marketing
● Behavioral advertising
● Your data protection rights
● Third-party websites
● Changes
● Contact Us
Therapy Services, Coaching Services, and HIPAA
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through our Website, marketing activities, newsletters, contact forms, scheduling requests, and other online interactions.
If you become a therapy client of The Heard Counseling, information collected as part of your treatment may constitute Protected Health Information ("PHI") and is governed separately by our Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable federal and state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA").
Information submitted through this Website prior to establishing a therapeutic relationship may not be protected under HIPAA. Please avoid submitting sensitive or confidential health information through general website forms unless specifically directed to do so through a secure platform.
Coaching services offered through The Heard Counseling are educational, consultative, and personal development services. Information collected in connection with coaching services is governed by this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, but may not be subject to HIPAA protections.
A copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices is available upon request and will be provided to therapy clients as part of the intake process.
Coaching versus Therapy
Coaching services are educational and consultative in nature and are not healthcare services. Information submitted in connection with coaching services is not protected health information under HIPAA unless otherwise required by law.
Sensitive Information
Some information you voluntarily provide may relate to health, wellness, or personal circumstances. We request that you limit the information submitted through website forms to information necessary for us to respond to your inquiry. Please do not submit confidential health information through website forms unless specifically requested through a secure platform.
Personal Information We Collect
When you visit the Website, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Website, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Website, and information about how you interact with the Website. We refer to this automatically collected information as “Device Information”.
We collect Device Information using the following technologies:
● “Cookies” are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org
● “Log files” track actions occurring on the Website, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps.
● “Web beacons”, “tags”, and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Website.
Where required by applicable law, we obtain consent before placing non-essential cookies or similar tracking technologies on your device.
We use Device Information for:
● Functionality: To recognize you on our website and recognize your previously selected preferences, including your preferred language and your location.
● Advertising: To collect information about your visit, the content you viewed, the links you followed, and information about your web browser, device, and IP address. We sometimes share limited aspects of this data with third parties for advertising purposes.
● Affiliate Marketing: To track which member of our affiliate team referred you to us for the purpose of granting commissions to them if you purchase from us
You can set your browser not to accept cookies, and the website above tells you how to remove cookies from your browser. Some of our website features may not function if you disable cookies. Please note that we do not alter our Website’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser.
We also collect data you provide to us directly. We refer to the data you provide as “Provided Information.” We collect and process data you provide when you
● Fill out our contact form to express interest or request more information about our products or services
● Book a call with us, whether through a form on our website or through a third-party scheduling software
● Provide your email address in exchange for access to a free resource
● Sign up for our email newsletter or subscribe to any of our regular content
● Submit an intake form or application form for any of our services or programs
The Provided Information we collect may include:
● Personal identification information (name, email address, phone number, etc.)
● Billing information (billing address, shipping address, payment information, including credit card numbers, etc.)
When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Provided Information.
We may also receive your Personal Information from third parties. In particular:
● We may receive Personal Information from a third party connected to you or dealing with us, for example business partners, sub-contractors, service providers, merchants, referral partners, etc.
● We may collect personal data from our payment processors if personal data is received while executing payment operations
● We may receive Personal Information from third-party tools we use to collect such information from you, such as form tools
● We may receive Personal Information from other entities that we collaborate with
How we use your Personal Information
We use the Provided Information that we collect generally to provide requested services and/or fulfill any orders placed through the Website (including processing your payment information, delivering products, providing free content, initiating onboarding for services, and providing you with invoices and/or order confirmations). Additionally, we use Provided Information to:
● Communicate with you;
● Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud; and
● When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.
We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimize our Website (for example, by generating analytics about how our visitors browse and interact with the Website, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns).
How we share your Personal Information
We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use Google Analytics to help us understand how our visitors use the Website - you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.]
The types of third parties with whom we might share elements of your Personal Information include:
● Payment processors engaged by us to securely store and handle payment information, such as credit or debit card information
● Providers of email management and distribution tools
● Providers of security and fraud prevention tools and services
● Providers of advertising services and marketing tools for the purpose of targeted advertising and marketing optimization
● Providers of data aggregation and analytics software services that allow us to effectively monitor and optimize our site
● Providers of client management systems to help us track and communicate with potential clients
● Providers of scheduling and videoconferencing services to help us schedule and conduct meetings with potential clients or customers
See below for a list of third-party providers we may use to process your data.
We may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.
How we store your data
We process and store your data using the following third-party providers:
● Our website host, Simplepractice.com, payment processor through simplepractice.com, analytics tools.
Please visit their individual websites for information on the physical location of their servers where your information is stored.
We use commercially reasonable security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure, or destruction of any information that may be stored on our servers. Of course, no computer network or data transmission on the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so you submit your information at your own risk.
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and applicable legal requirements.
No Processing Children’s Data
The Website is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not intend to process children’s data and will delete it if we become aware of it.
Email Marketing
If you make a purchase on this Website, download a free resource in exchange for your email address, submit our contact form, and/or opt in to receive emails, you agree to receive email communications from us, including but not limited to newsletters, site updates, promotions, product or service updates, and other announcements and correspondence. We are not responsible for the receipt of any such emails. You are responsible for ensuring that our email address(es) are not blocked or forwarded to your spam folder.
You have the right at any time to stop us from contacting you for marketing purposes. If you opt to unsubscribe from receiving emails, you understand that you may no longer receive information or updates from us, including promotions or product updates.
Behavioral Advertising
As described above, we use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications we believe may be of interest to you. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) educational page at https://thenai.org/about-online-advertising/
You can opt out of targeted advertising by using the links below:
● Meta: https://accountscenter.facebook.com/ads
● Google: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous
● Bing: https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings/signedout
● TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/support/faq_detail?id=7543597461579881016&category=web_account
Additionally, you can opt out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at http://optout.aboutads.info/
Your Data Protection Rights
Please note that certain records may be retained as required by applicable healthcare, professional licensing, legal, ethical, or regulatory obligations.
If you are a European resident, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to ask that your personal information be corrected, updated, or deleted. Under certain conditions, you may also have the right to restrict or object to our processing of your data, and to request that we transfer your Personal Information to another organization. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the contact information below.
In addition to the rights described above, individuals located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and certain other jurisdictions may have the following rights under applicable data protection laws:
• Right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
• Right to data portability, allowing you to request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format
• Right to object to the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances
• Right to request restriction of processing under certain circumstances
• Right not to be subject solely to automated decision-making, including profiling, that produces legal or similarly significant effects
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below.
Additionally, if you are a European resident, we note that we are processing your information to fulfill contracts we might have with you (for example, if you make an order through the Website), or otherwise to pursue our legitimate business interests listed above. Please note that your information will be transferred outside of Europe, including to Canada and the United States.
Where personal information is transferred outside the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including reliance on Standard Contractual Clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms where required.
For United States residents, depending on the applicable law in your jurisdiction, you may have additional rights, such as rights to access, correction, and deletion of your Personal Information. If you have any questions about what rights and choices apply in your jurisdiction or wish to exercise those rights, please feel free to contact us.
Third Party Websites
Our privacy policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the data collection, privacy practices or policies of any third-party site to which we may provide a link or that may link to our site. We encourage you to read the privacy statement and terms of use of other sites.
Changes
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. The date of the last revision will be indicated by the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Any such changes are effective immediately upon publication on our Website.
Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)
For individuals located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions requiring a lawful basis for processing, we process personal information under one or more of the following legal bases:
• Consent
• Performance of a contract
• Compliance with legal obligations
• Legitimate interests
• Protection of vital interests where applicable
Complaints
Please contact us if you have any complaints about how we use your Personal Information so we can resolve the issue whenever possible. Residents of the European Union also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection regulator, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK. California residents can contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N 112, Sacramento, California 95834 or by telephone at (800) 952-5210 or (916) 445-1254.
Contact us
For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to exercise your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Email us: [email protected]
Privacy Rights Requests: [email protected]
Call us: 305 998 2665