Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 1, 2021

Last Updated: September 1, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Rebecca McCartney, LCSW (“I,” “me,” “my,” or “the Practice”) collects, uses, and protects information provided through rebeccamccartneylcsw.com (the “Website”).

I respect your privacy and understand the importance of protecting personal information, particularly when you are seeking mental health services. This Privacy Policy describes information that may be collected through your use of this Website. It does not replace or modify my Notice of Privacy Practices, which explains how protected health information is handled in connection with therapy services.

1. Information You May Provide

You may voluntarily provide information through this Website, including when you:

• Contact me through a contact or inquiry form;

• Send an email;

• Request information about services;

• Request an appointment or consultation;

• Sign up for a newsletter or other communication, if offered; or

• Otherwise communicate with me through the Website.

Depending on how you interact with the Website, this information may include your name, email address, telephone number, and the information you choose to include in your message.

Please Do Not Submit Sensitive Information Through Website Forms

Because ordinary website contact forms and email may not provide the same protections as a secure patient portal or other secure communication system, please do not include detailed information about your mental health, diagnosis, treatment history, medications, trauma history, or other sensitive health information in a website contact form or ordinary email unless specifically instructed to do so.

If you become a client, information related to your therapy services is handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws and my Notice of Privacy Practices.

2. How I Use Information

Information submitted through the Website may be used to:

• Respond to your questions or requests;

• Communicate with you about services;

• Respond to appointment or consultation inquiries;

• Provide information you have requested;

• Maintain and improve the Website;

• Protect the security and functionality of the Website; and

• Comply with applicable legal and professional obligations.

I do not sell your personal information.

3. Website Analytics and Cookies

The Website may use cookies, analytics tools (through host Squarespace and Google), or similar technologies to understand how visitors use the Website and to improve its content, functionality, and performance.

These technologies may collect information such as:

• Your IP address;

• Browser and device type;

• Pages you visit;

• Date and time of your visit;

• Referring website;

• General geographic information; and

• Other technical information about how you interact with the Website.

Where applicable, you may be able to control cookies through your browser settings or through a cookie-consent tool provided on the Website.

4. Third-Party Services

The Website may use third-party service providers to operate certain website functions, such as website hosting (Squarespace), scheduling (Simple Practice), contact forms (Squarespace), analytics (Squarespace and Google), email communications (Google), or other administrative services (Mailchimp).

These providers may have access to information necessary to perform services on my behalf. Where applicable, I seek to use service providers that provide appropriate privacy and security protections.

If a third-party service is used to handle protected health information on behalf of the Practice, additional HIPAA requirements may apply, including business associate requirements where applicable.

5. Therapy and Protected Health Information

This Website is intended primarily to provide information about my professional services and is not itself a substitute for a secure patient portal or other secure method of communicating protected health information.

Information associated with your treatment as a therapy client may constitute protected health information (PHI) and may be subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable federal and state privacy laws.

My practices regarding protected health information are described in my Notice of Privacy Practices, which is separate from this Website Privacy Policy.

6. Email and Electronic Communication

If you contact me by email or through a Website contact form, I may use the information you provide to respond to your inquiry.

Please be aware that standard email and internet communications may involve privacy and security risks. For this reason, please use appropriate caution when communicating sensitive information electronically.

If you become a client, I will provide information about appropriate methods of electronic communication as part of the intake and informed-consent process.

7. Information About Children

This Website is not intended to knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without appropriate parental or guardian involvement.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information through the Website without appropriate authorization, please contact me so that I can address the situation appropriately.

8. Information Security

I take reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect information collected through the Website from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website, electronic transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted through the Internet.

9. Links to Other Websites

The Website may contain links to websites operated by third parties. Those websites have their own privacy policies and practices.

I am not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of third-party websites. I encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external websites before providing personal information.

10. Your Privacy Choices

Depending on the information involved and applicable law, you may have rights concerning personal information collected through the Website.

You may contact me to:

• Ask what personal information you have provided through the Website;

• Request correction of inaccurate information;

• Ask questions about how information submitted through the Website is used; or

• Request that certain information be deleted, where deletion is permitted by applicable law.

These Website privacy rights are separate from the rights you may have regarding protected health information under HIPAA or other applicable laws.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in my Website, technology, services, legal requirements, or privacy practices.

When changes are made, the updated version will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the privacy practices of this Website, please contact:

Rebecca McCartney, LCSW

Email: rebeccamccartneylcsw@gmail.com

Phone: 713-635-9742

Website: www.rebeccamccartneylcsw.com

For questions or concerns regarding the privacy of protected health information associated with therapy services, please refer to my Notice of Privacy Practices or contact me directly using the information above.