NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Last Updated: October 6, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION, AND YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
This Notice applies to protected health information maintained by Hearts Journey Counseling PLLC, including information related to in-person and telehealth counseling services.
Our Responsibilities
Hearts Journey Counseling is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (“PHI”).
Provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices.
Follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect.
Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
Provide you with a copy of this Notice upon request.
We may change the terms of this Notice. Changes may apply to all information we maintain about you, including information created or received before the change. The current Notice will be available upon request and on our website.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
Treatment
We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care.
For example, with appropriate legal authority, we may communicate with another health care professional involved in your treatment.
Payment
We may use or disclose health information as needed to obtain payment for services.
This may include billing, invoicing, processing payments, or communicating with an Employee Assistance Program or other payer when applicable.
Health Care Operations
We may use or disclose health information for activities necessary to operate the practice.
Examples may include scheduling, appointment reminders, quality improvement, professional consultation, business administration, compliance activities, and other functions necessary to provide services.
When required, individuals or companies that perform services involving PHI on behalf of the practice are required to appropriately safeguard that information.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
We may use or disclose PHI without your authorization when permitted or required by federal or Texas law.
These situations may include:
Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.
Reporting abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly person or other person when required by law.
Responding to a serious and imminent threat to health or safety when disclosure is legally permitted.
Public health activities authorized by law.
Health oversight activities.
Workers’ compensation matters.
Certain law-enforcement requests.
Court orders, subpoenas, judicial proceedings, or other legal processes when applicable legal requirements have been satisfied.
Medical examiner, coroner, or other legally authorized requests.
Other disclosures required by law.
When applicable, we will disclose only the information permitted or required by law.
Mental Health Records and Texas Law
Mental-health information may receive additional protection under Texas law.
Texas law generally gives patients the right to access their mental-health records, subject to certain exceptions. In limited circumstances, access to portions of a record may be restricted when disclosure is determined to be harmful to the patient’s physical, mental, or emotional health, as permitted by law.
Requests for access to mental-health records will be handled in accordance with applicable federal and Texas law.
Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes, when created and maintained separately from the clinical record as defined by HIPAA, receive additional protection.
In most circumstances, your written authorization is required before psychotherapy notes may be used or disclosed.
HIPAA permits certain limited uses or disclosures without authorization, including uses by the clinician who created the notes for treatment and other situations specifically permitted or required by law.
Substance Use Disorder Records
Certain substance use disorder records may receive additional protections under federal law, including 42 CFR Part 2.
To the extent Hearts Journey Counseling receives or maintains records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, those records will be used and disclosed in accordance with applicable federal law.
Part 2-protected information generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you unless you provide written consent or another legally authorized exception applies.
Telehealth and Electronic Communication
Telehealth sessions are provided through technology intended to support secure communication.
We take reasonable safeguards to protect PHI transmitted electronically. However, no electronic communication method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Clients are encouraged to:
Participate from a private location.
Use a trusted device.
Use a secure internet connection when possible.
Avoid public or shared Wi-Fi when discussing confidential information.
Take reasonable steps to prevent others from overhearing sessions or viewing confidential communications.
Telehealth sessions will not be recorded by Hearts Journey Counseling unless appropriate authorization is obtained and recording is otherwise permitted by law and practice policy.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
Certain uses and disclosures generally require your written authorization.
These may include:
Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
Certain marketing activities involving PHI.
The sale of PHI.
Other uses or disclosures not otherwise permitted by law.
If you provide written authorization, you may generally revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on it or another legal exception applies.
Marketing and Testimonials
Hearts Journey Counseling does not sell PHI.
We will not use your protected health information for marketing purposes when authorization is required without obtaining appropriate written authorization.
Because online reviews and testimonials can affect confidentiality, Hearts Journey Counseling will not confirm that a person is or was a client in response to a public review unless legally permitted and appropriately authorized.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
Right to Access Your Records
You may request to inspect or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your health information.
Requests will be handled within the time required by applicable law. Under Texas law, written requests for mental-health records generally must be addressed no later than the 15th day after receipt, subject to applicable exceptions.
A reasonable fee may be charged when permitted by law.
Right to Request an Amendment
If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that it be amended.
We may deny your request in certain circumstances. If a request is denied, you may receive a written explanation and may have the right to submit a written statement of disagreement.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a particular location.
For example, you may request that we communicate with you by telephone, secure portal message, or another reasonable method.
We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Right to Request Restrictions
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
We are not required to agree to every restriction.
However, if you pay for a service completely out of pocket and ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations, we will honor that request when required by law unless disclosure is otherwise legally required.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made during the period permitted by law.
This accounting generally does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, health care operations, or certain other disclosures excluded by law.
Right to a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time.
Right to Be Notified of Certain Breaches
You have the right to be notified if a breach of unsecured PHI occurs and notification is required by law.
Right to a Personal Representative
If another person is legally authorized to act on your behalf regarding health care information, we will recognize that person as your personal representative when required by law.
Additional rules may apply regarding parents, guardians, minors, and other legally authorized representatives.
Complaints and Privacy Questions
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, have questions about this Notice, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, you may contact:
Privacy Contact:
Cassandra Cumbie-Freeney, MA, LPC
Hearts Journey Counseling PLLC
(903) 345-3102
Cassandra@heartsjourneycounseling.com
https://www.heartsjourneycounseling.com/
You may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
Website: hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775
You may also contact the:
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
Website: bhec.texas.gov
Telephone: 512-305-7700
Hearts Journey Counseling will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising your privacy rights.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice and our privacy practices as permitted by law.
Any revised Notice may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information created or received in the future.
The current version of this Notice will be available upon request and posted on our website.