Privacy Policy

Welcome. Ruach Counseling ("Ruach Counseling," "we," "us," or "our") is a private mental health counseling practice led by Annu Vijayvargiya, LPC, providing online counseling to clients across Georgia. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how we collect, use, disclose, and otherwise process personal information in connection with our website at ruach-counseling.com and related content, forms, and communications (collectively, the "Services").

This Policy does not apply to protected health information ("PHI") created or received in the course of providing counseling services. Health information related to your care is governed by our separate Notice of Privacy Practices under HIPAA and by the privacy practices of our HIPAA-compliant practice-management and telehealth platform (SimplePractice). If you are an active client, please refer to the Notice of Privacy Practices you received at intake.

I. What Is Personal Information?

When we use the term "personal information" in this Policy, we mean any data or information that identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular natural person or household.

II. Our Collection and Use of Personal Information

We collect personal information in a limited number of ways. Most information comes directly from you when you contact us about counseling, submit our contact form, email or call the practice, or book a free 15-minute consultation.

Personal Information Collected From You

• Inquiry and contact information. When you submit our contact form or reach out to us by email or phone, we collect your name, email address, phone number (if you provide one), the subject of your inquiry, and the content of your message. We use this information to respond to your inquiry, schedule a consultation, and communicate with you about our services.
• Consultation and scheduling information. If you book a free 15-minute consultation, we collect the information needed to schedule and hold that meeting, including your name, email, phone, preferred contact time, and any information you choose to share about what brings you to therapy.
• Client intake information. If you become a counseling client, we collect additional intake, demographic, insurance-reimbursement, and health information required to provide clinical care. This information is treated as protected health information under HIPAA and is described in our separate Notice of Privacy Practices — not in this Policy.
• Payment information. Ruach Counseling is a self-pay practice. Card, HSA, or FSA payment information is handled by our HIPAA-compliant payment processor and practice-management system; we do not store full card numbers on our own systems.
• Automatically collected information. When you visit our website, our hosting provider automatically receives standard server logs, including your IP address, browser type, referring page, pages visited, and date and time of your visit. See "How We Use Cookies and Tracking Technologies" below.

Personal Information From Third Parties

• Referrals. If another provider, employer, or friend refers you to us, we may receive your name and contact information from them so that we can respond to the referral.
• Practice-management, scheduling, and telehealth vendors. Vendors that help us schedule appointments, host secure video sessions, and manage records (for example, SimplePractice) may share information with us that you provide to them for the purpose of your care with us.

How We Use Personal Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

• Respond to your inquiries and schedule consultations or appointments;
• Provide, personalize, and improve our Services;
• Send you administrative communications, such as appointment confirmations, reschedules, or updates to our policies;
• Provide billing statements you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement and process HSA/FSA payments;
• Maintain the safety, security, and integrity of our website and business;
• Comply with applicable legal, ethical, licensing, and professional obligations, including those imposed on Licensed Professional Counselors in Georgia;
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud or unlawful activity;
• Fulfill any other purpose you provide the information for, or that you consent to.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising.

III. How We Use Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses a small number of technologies to make the site work and to help us understand how visitors use it. These include:

• Essential cookies and local storage, which are required for basic site functions such as remembering that you have dismissed a notice or navigating between pages;
• Standard server logs, which record IP addresses, user agents, and page requests for security and diagnostic purposes;
• Basic analytics, which help us understand which pages are useful and where the site can be improved. We use analytics in an aggregated form and do not use them to identify you personally.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or ad networks. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Doing so may affect the functionality of the site.

IV. Our Disclosure of Personal Information

We share personal information only in the limited situations described below:

• Service providers. We work with a small number of vendors that help us run the practice, including our website host, email provider, practice-management and telehealth platform (SimplePractice), and payment processor. Vendors that handle health information are bound by HIPAA business associate agreements.
• Legal obligations and rights. We may disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that it is necessary to comply with the law, respond to lawful requests or legal process, enforce our policies, protect the rights, property, or safety of Ruach Counseling, our clients, or others, or as otherwise required by applicable law. Certain disclosures are required by Georgia law and by our licensing board — for example, if a client discloses imminent risk of harm to self or others, or reports of child, elder, or dependent-adult abuse.
• With your consent. We may disclose personal information at your direction or with your consent — for example, when you ask us to coordinate care with another provider, or when you agree to share a testimonial.
• Business transitions. If our practice is sold, dissolved, or restructured, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law and to any protections required for health information.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

V. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may link to third-party websites, tools, or services (for example, our practice-management platform, or a payment portal). This Policy does not apply to those third parties. We recommend reviewing the privacy notices of any third-party website you visit.

VI. Control Over Your Information

• Email preferences. If you have opted in to any newsletter or email updates, you can unsubscribe at any time by using the link in the email or by contacting us. Administrative messages related to your care or a specific inquiry are not promotional and cannot be opted out of while you are receiving services.
• Text messages. If you provide a mobile number, you may receive appointment reminders or scheduling messages. Reply STOP to any promotional SMS to opt out. Standard message and data rates may apply.
• Access, correction, and deletion. You may ask us to review, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you by contacting us using the details at the bottom of this Policy. Some information — including clinical records — must be retained under Georgia law and applicable professional standards, and cannot be deleted on request.
• Cookies. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies at any time.

VII. Data Retention

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy and to comply with our legal, regulatory, tax, professional-licensing, and accounting obligations. Clinical records are retained for the period required by Georgia law and the standards of the Licensed Professional Counselors Association. General website inquiries and contact-form submissions are retained for the shorter period necessary to respond to your request and to maintain reasonable records of our communications.

VIII. Children's Personal Information

Our website and Services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our website. Where minors are seen clinically, that care is arranged directly with a parent or legal guardian and is governed by our clinical intake documents and our Notice of Privacy Practices, not by this Policy. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us through the website, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

IX. Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the personal information we collect from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Health information is stored in a HIPAA-compliant practice-management and telehealth platform. No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage, however, is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

X. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice on our website. Your continued use of the Services after any update means you accept the updated Policy.

XI. Notice of Privacy Practices Under HIPAA

Ruach Counseling is a HIPAA-covered health-care provider. Detailed information about how we may use and disclose protected health information in the course of your care, and your rights with respect to that information, is provided in our Notice of Privacy Practices. Active clients also receive that Notice at intake. If you would like a paper copy, please contact us using the information below.

XII. Georgia Residents and Other Applicable Law

Ruach Counseling operates in the State of Georgia and serves clients located in Georgia. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under state privacy law — for example, the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information we hold about you, or the right to appeal certain decisions. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

XIII. Contact Us

If you have any questions or requests about this Privacy Policy, or about how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

• Ruach Counseling
• Annu Vijayvargiya, LPC
• Email: admin@ruach-counseling.com
• Phone: 229.515.2046
• Sessions: Online across Georgia