Privacy Policy
With Kindness and Care Counseling, a Florida-based mental health practice owned and operated by Samantha Benenati, LMHC, is dedicated to maintaining the confidentiality and security of our clients' personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and safeguard your data to ensure professional and compassionate care.
Last Updated: May 24, 2024
Information We Collect
At With Kindness and Care Counseling, we collect information that is necessary to provide safe, effective, and professional therapeutic services. This includes information you provide directly to Samantha Benenati, LMHC, as well as data collected automatically through your use of our website.
- Personal Identifiers: We collect your name, phone number, email address, and mailing address to facilitate communication and scheduling.
- Protected Health Information (PHI): To provide clinical care, we collect details regarding your mental health history, symptoms, medical background, and session progress notes.
- Billing & Financial Details: We collect payment card information and billing addresses to process fees through our secure, HIPAA-compliant payment processors.
- Technical & Usage Data: We may collect IP addresses, browser types, and pages visited to improve our digital experience and ensure site security.
How We Use Your Information
With Kindness and Care Counseling utilizes your information to provide effective therapeutic support while maintaining the highest confidentiality. We use your data for the following purposes:
- Facilitating clinical assessments and personalized treatment plans.
- Managing appointment scheduling and care coordination.
- Processing secure billing and insurance claims.
- Fulfilling legal and ethical mandates, including HIPAA compliance in Florida.
We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. Any aggregate information used for practice enhancement is strictly anonymized to ensure your identity remains protected.
Data Security & Protection
With Kindness and Care Counseling implements industry-standard technical and organizational measures to safeguard your personal and sensitive health information. Our commitment to data integrity ensures that your records are protected from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse through the following practices:
- Encryption: We utilize end-to-end encryption for all digital communications and electronic health records.
- HIPAA Compliance: All virtual sessions and data storage systems are conducted through platforms that meet or exceed HIPAA security standards.
- Access Control: Access to personal data is strictly limited to authorized personnel on a 'need-to-know' basis.
- System Monitoring: Our digital environment is regularly updated and monitored to prevent vulnerabilities.
Please note that while we take every reasonable precaution, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. We encourage you to use our secure portal for sensitive information.
Disclosure of Information
With Kindness and Care Counseling takes your privacy seriously. We do not sell, rent, or lease our customer lists to third parties. Your personal information is only shared under specific professional, ethical, or legal circumstances as outlined below.
Professional Consultation and Service Providers
We may share data with trusted partners to help perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to With Kindness and Care Counseling, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your data.
Legal Requirements
We will disclose your personal information, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Samantha Benenati, LMHC or the practice; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of With Kindness and Care Counseling; and, (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the site, or the public.
Mandatory Reporting and Safety
As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida, Samantha Benenati is legally and ethically mandated to disclose information in instances involving a clear and imminent threat of harm to self or others, or suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly person, or disabled adult.
Right to Access
You have the right to request copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service.
Restrict Processing
You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
Your Privacy Rights
Right to Rectification
You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
Right to Object
You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
Right to Erasure
You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions, such as when it is no longer necessary.
Data Portability
You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you.
Updates
With Kindness and Care Counseling may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. You are encouraged to review this policy periodically for any changes, as they are effective immediately upon posting to this website.