Privacy Policy:

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC
1225 N Loop W, Suite 935
Houston, TX 77008
281-782-3396
elizabeth@flourishcounselinghouston.com

Privacy Officer: Elizabeth Wills, MA, LPC
Effective Date: August 24, 2026

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This notice describes how health information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can access this information, and the rights you have regarding your health information. Please review it carefully.

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your health information in accordance with applicable federal and Texas law.

Your Rights

You have certain rights regarding your health information. These include the right to:

Access your records

You may ask to see or receive an electronic or paper copy of your health record and other health information maintained about you.

In most circumstances, we will provide a copy or summary of your information within 30 days of your request. A reasonable, cost-based fee may be charged when permitted by law.

Certain information, including psychotherapy notes as defined by federal law, may be subject to different access rules.

Request a correction

If you believe health information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it.

We may deny your request in certain circumstances. If we do, we will explain the reason in writing as required by law.

Request confidential communications

You may ask us to communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular location. For example, you may request that we contact you only through a specific telephone number or email address.

We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Request restrictions

You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

We are not always required to agree to your request. However, when you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you may request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations, unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Receive an accounting of disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information during the six years prior to your request.

The accounting will not include every disclosure. For example, certain disclosures for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or disclosures that you specifically authorized may not be included.

One accounting within a 12-month period will be provided without charge. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply to additional requests during that period.

Receive a copy of this notice

You may request a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

Choose someone to act on your behalf

If another person has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a legal guardian or an individual holding an applicable medical power of attorney, that person may exercise rights concerning your health information as permitted by law.

We will verify the person's authority before allowing them to act on your behalf.

File a privacy complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC by contacting:

Elizabeth Wills, MA, LPC, Privacy Officer
Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC
1225 N Loop W, Suite 935
Houston, TX 77008
281-782-3396
elizabeth@flourishcounselinghouston.com

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences regarding what we share.

When appropriate and permitted by law, you may tell us whether you want us to share relevant information with family members, friends, or others involved in your care.

If you are unable to communicate your preference, such as during an emergency, we may disclose information when permitted by law and when we determine that doing so is in your best interest.

We will obtain your written authorization when required by law before using or disclosing your health information for purposes such as marketing or the sale of your health information.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

We may use or disclose your health information without your written authorization when federal or Texas law permits or requires us to do so.

Because mental-health information receives significant confidentiality protection under Texas law, Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC will not disclose confidential mental-health communications or records except with your authorization or as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.

Common permitted uses and disclosures include:

Treatment

We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your treatment and may share information with other healthcare professionals involved in your care when permitted by law.

Healthcare operations

We may use health information as necessary to operate the practice, manage services, conduct appropriate quality and compliance activities, maintain records, and contact you when necessary.

Payment

We may use or disclose information when necessary to obtain or facilitate payment for services, including providing documentation you request for out-of-network reimbursement.

Because Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC is a private-pay practice, disclosures to insurance companies generally occur at your request or as otherwise authorized or required by law.

Business associates

We may use third-party service providers that perform functions on behalf of the practice and require access to protected health information.

When required by HIPAA, these service providers are business associates and are contractually required to appropriately safeguard your information.

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC uses SimplePractice for electronic practice management and health records.

Public health and safety

We may use or disclose health information when permitted or required by law for certain public health and safety purposes. These may include circumstances involving suspected abuse or neglect, serious threats to health or safety, or other legally authorized reporting obligations.

Compliance with law

We may disclose health information when required to comply with applicable federal or state law.

Legal and administrative proceedings

Health information may be disclosed in response to certain court orders, subpoenas, administrative proceedings, law-enforcement requests, or other legal processes when the requirements for disclosure under applicable federal and Texas law have been satisfied.

The fact that information has been requested through legal process does not necessarily mean that confidential mental-health information will be disclosed. We will apply applicable confidentiality protections before releasing information.

Medical examiners and other legally authorized persons

We may disclose information to a medical examiner, funeral director, or other legally authorized individual when permitted or required by law.

Workers' compensation and government programs

We may disclose information as authorized by law for workers' compensation matters or certain government programs and activities.

Psychotherapy Notes

Psychotherapy notes receive additional protection under federal law.

When psychotherapy notes, as specifically defined by HIPAA, are maintained separately from the remainder of the clinical record, your written authorization generally is required before those notes may be used or disclosed, except in limited circumstances permitted or required by law.

Psychotherapy notes are different from routine clinical documentation maintained as part of your health record.

Substance Use Disorder Records

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC is not a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program subject to 42 CFR Part 2.

However, to the extent that Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC creates or maintains substance use disorder patient records that are subject to 42 CFR Part 2, additional federal confidentiality protections apply.

Information contained in Part 2 records generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order and subpoena meeting applicable federal requirements.

Adolescents and Personal Representatives

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC provides services to adults and adolescents.

Parents, guardians, and other legally authorized personal representatives may have rights regarding a minor client's health information as provided by federal and Texas law. Those rights can vary depending on who consented to treatment, the circumstances under which treatment was provided, and other legal considerations.

When permitted by law, we seek to protect an adolescent client's privacy while appropriately involving parents or guardians in treatment.

The specific confidentiality expectations and limits applicable to adolescent treatment will be discussed as part of the informed-consent process.

Electronic Communications

With your consent, Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC may communicate with you by email or text message for scheduling and other agreed-upon purposes.

Electronic communications may carry privacy risks. We will discuss appropriate communication methods with you, and you may request that we communicate with you in a different reasonable manner.

Email and text messaging should not be used for emergencies.

Telehealth

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC offers telehealth services when clinically and legally appropriate.

Health information created, communicated, or maintained in connection with telehealth is protected in accordance with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.

Reasonable safeguards are used to protect the privacy and security of telehealth communications.

Our Responsibilities

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC is required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• Follow applicable federal and Texas confidentiality laws.

• Provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.

• Follow the privacy practices described in the notice currently in effect.

• Notify you as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your protected health information.

We will not use or disclose your health information other than as described in this notice unless you authorize us to do so in writing or another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law.

If you provide written authorization, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance on it.

Texas Mental Health Confidentiality

Texas law provides additional confidentiality protections for mental-health information.

Communications between a client and a mental-health professional, as well as records relating to a client's identity, diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment, are confidential under Texas law and generally may not be disclosed except with appropriate authorization or when a disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

When Texas law provides greater privacy protection than federal law, Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC will follow the law that provides the applicable greater protection.

Changes to This Notice

Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC may change the terms of this notice and may make the revised notice effective for health information already maintained by the practice as well as information received in the future.

The current Notice of Privacy Practices will be available upon request, at the practice office, and on the Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC website.

Questions or Complaints

If you have questions about this notice or the privacy of your health information, please contact:

Elizabeth Wills, MA, LPC
Privacy Officer
Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC
1225 N Loop W, Suite 935
Houston, TX 77008
281-782-3396
elizabeth@flourishcounselinghouston.com

You may also submit a privacy complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

Filing a complaint will not affect your treatment, and Flourish Counseling Houston, LLC will not retaliate against you for exercising your privacy rights.