Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 21, 2026

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

Introduction

GroundPoint Marriage & Family Counseling, P.C. (doing business as "GroundPoint Counseling," referred to throughout this policy as "the Practice" or "GroundPoint Counseling") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy describes how the Practice collects, uses, shares, and protects information you provide when you visit groundpointcounseling.com (the "Website"), contact the Practice through the Website, or interact with the Practice's online services.

Important distinction — Website vs. Clinical Privacy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the Website only. Once you become a client of GroundPoint Counseling, your protected health information (PHI) is governed by a separate document — the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) — which complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The NPP is provided to all clients at intake and is available upon request.

Information GroundPoint Counseling Collects

Information You Provide Directly

When you contact the Practice through the Website or request a consultation, you may provide:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • General reason for contact (e.g., interest in services, scheduling questions)
  • Any other information you choose to share in a message or inquiry

The "Request a Consultation" button on the Website links to SimplePractice, a HIPAA-compliant practice management platform. When you complete a consultation request through SimplePractice, information you provide is governed by SimplePractice's privacy policy and the Business Associate Agreement (BAA) between SimplePractice and GroundPoint Counseling.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Website, certain information is collected automatically through standard web technologies, including:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Device type (mobile, tablet, desktop)
  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • Referring website (the site that brought you to the Website)
  • Approximate geographic location (based on IP address)

This information is collected through web server logs and analytics tools provided by Squarespace (the Website's hosting platform). The Practice may also use Google Analytics and Google Ads conversion tracking to understand Website usage and the effectiveness of advertising.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies — small data files stored on your device. Cookies are used to:

  • Remember your preferences and settings
  • Analyze how the Website is used
  • Improve user experience
  • Support advertising and remarketing efforts (if applicable)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be notified when cookies are being placed. Disabling cookies may affect Website functionality.

For more information about managing cookies, visit your browser's help section or www.allaboutcookies.org.

How GroundPoint Counseling Uses Information

The Practice uses information collected through the Website to:

  • Respond to inquiries and consultation requests
  • Provide information about services
  • Schedule and coordinate initial consultations
  • Improve the Website's content, functionality, and user experience
  • Analyze usage patterns to better understand visitor needs
  • Ensure the security and proper functioning of the Website
  • Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Send administrative communications when necessary

GroundPoint Counseling does not use Website information for clinical or therapeutic purposes. Clinical information is collected separately, with your explicit informed consent, only after you become a client of the Practice.

How GroundPoint Counseling Shares Information

Service Providers

The Website relies on the following third-party service providers, who may have access to limited information for the purpose of providing their services:

  • Squarespace — Website hosting and analytics platform
  • SimplePractice — HIPAA-compliant practice management platform used for consultation requests, client portal access, and clinical documentation. SimplePractice has executed a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with GroundPoint Counseling, ensuring HIPAA compliance for any PHI handled through the platform.
  • Google Analytics and Google Ads — Website analytics and advertising services (when in use). You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Each of these providers has their own privacy policies governing how they handle data. GroundPoint Counseling reviews provider practices to ensure they meet appropriate security standards.

Legal Requirements

GroundPoint Counseling may disclose information if required by law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or if disclosure is necessary to:

  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of clients, the Practice, or others
  • Investigate or prevent illegal activity
  • Comply with a government or regulatory request

Sale or Rental of Personal Information

GroundPoint Counseling does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for any purpose, including marketing or advertising.

Data Security

GroundPoint Counseling implements reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information collected through the Website. The Website is hosted on Squarespace, which provides industry-standard security including SSL/TLS encryption (indicated by "https://" in the URL).

For clinical information shared after becoming a client, GroundPoint Counseling uses SimplePractice — a HIPAA-compliant platform with enhanced security protections including end-to-end encryption, secure messaging, and audit logging.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While reasonable measures are taken to protect your information, absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Data Retention

Information collected through the Website is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law:

  • Contact form inquiries and consultation requests: Retained for up to 2 years from the date of submission, then deleted unless you become a client of the Practice.
  • Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely; identifiable analytics data follows Squarespace's and Google's standard retention periods.
  • Client records (once you become a client): Retained in accordance with California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) requirements for licensed marriage and family therapists — typically 7 years after the last date of service for adult clients, or until a minor client reaches age 25, whichever is later.

Your Privacy Rights

Rights Available to All Visitors

You have the right to:

  • Request access to personal information GroundPoint Counseling has collected about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request deletion of your information (subject to legal and regulatory retention requirements)
  • Opt out of non-essential communications
  • Disable cookies through your browser settings

Rights for California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

  • Right to Know — Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information GroundPoint Counseling has collected about you, the sources of that information, the purposes for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom it has been shared.
  • Right to Delete — Request deletion of personal information collected from you, subject to certain exceptions (such as information needed to comply with legal obligations or to complete a service requested by you).
  • Right to Correct — Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
  • Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing — Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. Note: GroundPoint Counseling does not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or any other purpose.
  • Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information — Request limitation on the use of certain categories of sensitive personal information.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination — You will not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact GroundPoint Counseling using the information at the end of this policy. The Practice will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days as required by law. In some cases, GroundPoint Counseling may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

Authorized Agents

You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. To do so, the agent must provide written permission signed by you, and the Practice may require you to verify your identity directly.

Children's Privacy

The Website is intended for adults seeking mental health services for themselves or others. GroundPoint Counseling does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Website. If you believe a child under 13 has provided information to GroundPoint Counseling, please contact the Practice immediately so the information can be removed.

For clinical services, GroundPoint Counseling currently provides therapy to adults (18 and older) only.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want your activity tracked. There is no industry standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. At this time, the Website does not respond to DNT signals. However, you can control tracking through cookie management and the opt-out tools described in this policy.

External Links

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, including the SimplePractice client portal, professional association resources, and other external sites. GroundPoint Counseling is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of these external websites. You should review the privacy policies of any third-party site before providing personal information.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

This Privacy Policy applies to the Website only. Once you become a client of GroundPoint Counseling, your protected health information (PHI) is governed by the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which is provided to you at intake and complies with HIPAA requirements. The NPP describes:

  • How your PHI may be used and disclosed
  • Your rights regarding your PHI (including access, amendment, accounting of disclosures, and restrictions)
  • The Practice's legal duties to protect your PHI
  • How to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

You may request a copy of the NPP at any time by contacting the Practice.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

GroundPoint Counseling may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in practices, services, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When changes are made, the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy will be revised. Significant changes will be communicated through the Website or, where appropriate, by direct notice.

Your continued use of the Website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. You are encouraged to review this policy periodically.

Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, your privacy rights, or how your information is handled, please contact:

GroundPoint Marriage & Family Counseling, P.C. DBA GroundPoint Counseling

Christian Lozano, LMFT, CCTP, C-DBT, CMIP Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist CA License: LMFT153173

Email: christian@groundpointcounseling.com

Phone: 213-663-4206

Website: groundpointcounseling.com

For administrative or privacy-related inquiries only. Clinical questions, service inquiries, and requests for therapy should be submitted through the consultation request link on the Website.