Privacy Policy
Real Counseling Services, PLLC · Last updated 31 August 2026
Who this covers
This policy covers realcounselingservices.com, the client portal at portal.realcounselingservices.com, and the Real Counseling Services mobile app.
If you become a client, your health information is also protected by HIPAA and by the Notice of Privacy Practices you receive at intake. Where the two differ, the Notice of Privacy Practices governs your health information.
What we collect
If you only visit the website: nothing that identifies you. We do not run advertising trackers.
If you use the free screening questionnaires: nothing at all. Your answers are scored and shown to you. They are not written to any database, not tied to you, and not used for marketing. Close the page and they are gone.
If you create an account: your name, email address, and phone number if you choose to give one. Your password is stored only as a bcrypt hash — it cannot be read back, by us or by anyone else.
If you become a client: the records that counseling produces — appointments, messages you send, questionnaire results, session notes, and any files you share.
If you pay: the amount, the date, and what it was for. Card numbers are handled by Stripe and never reach our systems. We can see the last four digits and the card type. Nothing more.
What we do not do
- We do not sell your information. Not to anyone, for any price.
- We do not share it with advertisers or data brokers.
- We do not use your health information for marketing.
- We do not read files you share for any purpose other than your care.
Who can see your information
Your counselor. That is the point of it.
Nobody else at the practice unless they are directly involved in your care. Where the practice has more than one clinician, each sees only their own clients.
Service providers who help run the practice — our hosting provider (Amazon Web Services) and our payment processor (Stripe). AWS has signed a Business Associate Agreement, which legally binds them to protect health information. Stripe never receives health information.
When the law requires it. The limits on confidentiality are set out in your consent form: risk of serious harm to you or someone else, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, older adult or person with a disability, and court orders.
How it is protected
- Encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest.
- Access requires a password; repeated failed attempts lock the account.
- Every access to a record is logged.
- Backups run nightly to encrypted storage.
No system is perfect and we will not claim otherwise. If a breach affects your information, you will be notified as the law requires.
How long we keep it
Clinical records are kept for the period state law requires. Account information is kept while your account is open and for the retention period afterwards.
Ending your membership does not delete your records. Retention requirements apply regardless, and the record exists partly for your protection.
The mobile app
The app shows you the same account as the website and stores nothing extra. Your sign-in token is held in your device’s secure storage. The app does not use location, your microphone, or your contacts. If you attach a photo or document, it is sent to your counselor and stored with your record — nothing else on your device is read.
Your rights
You may:
- See your own record and get a copy
- Ask for a correction if something is wrong
- Ask us to communicate with you in a particular way
- Ask who your information has been disclosed to
- File a complaint, with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, without retaliation
Ask your counselor, or send a message through the portal.
Children
The portal and app are not for people under 18 without a parent or guardian involved. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes
If this policy changes materially, the date above changes and current clients are told.
Contact
Message us through the portal at portal.realcounselingservices.com.
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