Privacy policy

What this policy covers

This policy covers steadyplacetherapy.com, the free Nervous System Check-In, and the emails you can sign up for here. It's written by Ally Stuckless, LPC, who runs Steady Place Therapy in Southlake, Texas, so when it says "I" or "me," that's who it means.

It doesn't cover your records as a therapy client. Those are protected health information, and they're described in the Notice of Privacy Practices you get when you start working with me. There's more on that below.

What I collect and why

When you send a note through a contact form

The form asks for your name, your email address and a short message. Squarespace, which hosts this website, stores what you send and emails it to me so I can reply and set up your free consult. I use it only to get back to you, and sending a note doesn't add you to my email list.

Please keep your note brief and leave out anything you'd rather share on the call. Website forms and regular email aren't built for private health information, and they aren't watched for emergencies.

When you take the Nervous System Check-In

Your answers are scored inside your own browser. They're never sent to me or saved anywhere, and they're gone when you close the page.

If you choose to get your results and free guide by email, you give me your first name and email address, confirm you're 18 or older and agree to receive emails. Those details, plus the name of your results pattern (for example, "Running Hot"), go to Mailchimp so I can send your guide and a short series of follow-up emails. Your individual answers and score are never sent.

When you sign up for my emails

You can join my email list through the check-in or through a signup form on the blog, and either way it's your choice. You give me your first name and email address, and you'll receive new posts, practical tools, and occasional emails about therapy, mental health, nervous system regulation, and other topics I think may be useful.

Emails are sent through Mailchimp. Like most email services, Mailchimp records whether an email was opened and which links were clicked, which helps me understand what's useful to readers. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing takes effect right away.

I don't use Mailchimp for anything related to therapy clients, and being on my email list does not mean you're a client.

When you browse the site

I use Google Analytics, set up through Google Tag Manager, to understand how people find and use the site. It records things like which pages were viewed, the type of device and browser, the general area you're browsing from (about city level) and how you arrived, such as from a search. It also counts a few actions, like clicking a consult button or sending the contact form.

It never receives your check-in answers, your results pattern or anything you type into a form. Google's advertising features and Google signals are turned off for this site. If you'd rather not be counted at all, Google offers a browser add-on to opt out of Google Analytics.

Maps, fonts and social links

The contact page shows a Google map of the office, and the site uses Google Fonts. Loading either one means your browser connects to Google, which receives basic technical details like your IP address. The Facebook and Instagram links only share information with those companies if you click them.

Advertising

This site doesn't use advertising pixels or build advertising audiences. If that ever changes, this page will be updated first, and nothing from the check-in or the contact form will ever be shared with an advertiser.

What I don't do

• I don't sell your personal information, and I never will.
• I don't share it with advertisers or data brokers.
• I don't store your check-in answers or send them anywhere.
• I don't add you to my email list unless you sign up for it yourself.

Services that help run the site

A few companies handle information on my behalf so the site can work. Each one has its own privacy policy.

• Squarespace hosts the website and stores contact form messages.
• Google provides Analytics, Tag Manager, Maps, Fonts and my practice email.
• Mailchimp (Intuit) keeps my email list and sends the check-in guide and my emails. Only people who sign up are on it.
• SessionsHealth runs the client portal and client records. It only comes into play once you're a client, and it's covered under HIPAA as described below.

I may also share information if the law requires it, such as a valid court order.

Cookies

Cookies are small files your browser saves. Squarespace uses a few that the site needs to work and stay secure, and Google Analytics uses cookies to count visits. You can clear or block cookies in your browser settings at any time. The site will still work, although analytics won't count your visit.

How long I keep it

Contact form messages are kept for 12 months and then deleted, unless you become a client, in which case what you need to have on file moves into your protected client record. Email list details stay until you unsubscribe or ask me to delete them. Google Analytics keeps its data for a limited period set in my account, no longer than 14 months.

Your choices

You can unsubscribe from emails at any time using the link at the bottom of any email. You can also email me to ask what information I have about you from this website, or to have it corrected or deleted, and I'll respond within 45 days. If I turn down a request, you can ask me to reconsider, and if you're still not satisfied, you can contact the Texas Attorney General.

If you become a client

Once we start working together, your therapy information is protected health information under HIPAA and Texas law. It lives in the SessionsHealth client portal, separate from this website and from my email list. How it's used and protected, and your rights to see and correct it, are explained in my Notice of Privacy Practices, which you'll get during intake. You can ask me for a copy at any time.

Children and teens

This website is meant for adults. The check-in asks you to confirm you're 18 or older, and I don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. For teen therapy, a parent or legal guardian must reach out first. If you think your child has sent me information through this site, contact me and I'll delete it.

Security

The site uses encryption (HTTPS), and I use trusted services with their own security safeguards. No website or email system is perfectly secure, though, which is one more reason to keep private details out of forms and email.

Changes to this policy

If the way this site handles information changes, I'll update this page and the date at the top. For a significant change, like adding a new service that uses your information in a new way, I'll say so on this page before it takes effect.