Carey Bergeron, LPC

Carey Bergeron & Associates

Licensed Professional Counseling Practice

WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY

Effective: 2026    |    Last Updated: 2026-04-15

1. Introduction

Welcome to the website of Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Carey Bergeron, operating under the practice brand name Carey Bergeron & Associates ("we," "our," or "us"). We are a licensed clinical therapy practice committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals who visit our website or contact us for services.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our website [www.bergerontherapy.com]. Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of our site.

This policy does not govern protected health information (PHI) collected in the context of a therapeutic relationship, which is separately governed by our Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable law, including HIPAA.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

•        Complete a contact or intake inquiry form

•        Send us an email or message through our website

•        Schedule a consultation or appointment

•        Subscribe to newsletters or email communications

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, and a brief description of your reason for reaching out.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and analytics tools, including:

•        IP address and general geographic location

•        Browser type and operating system

•        Pages visited and time spent on each page

•        Referring website or search terms used to find our site

This information is used in aggregate to understand how visitors use our website and to improve our online presence. It is not used to identify you personally.

2.3 Sensitive Information

We strongly advise against sharing sensitive personal, medical, or mental health information through our website contact forms or email. Such communications are not encrypted and may not be fully secure. If you are an existing client, please use the secure client portal provided to you at intake.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

•        To respond to your inquiries and schedule initial consultations

•        To provide information about our services and approach

•        To send appointment reminders or administrative communications (with your consent)

•        To improve our website content and user experience

•        To comply with applicable legal and ethical obligations

We do not use your information for marketing purposes beyond what you have explicitly consented to, and we never sell your personal information to third parties.

4. HIPAA and Therapeutic Confidentiality

As a licensed mental health practice, we are bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable state laws governing the confidentiality of mental health records and communications.

Information shared in the context of a professional therapeutic relationship is governed by our separate Notice of Privacy Practices, which you will receive and sign at the commencement of services. Therapeutic communications are held to the highest standards of confidentiality and are not governed by this website Privacy Policy.

Nothing shared through this website creates a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911, or go to your nearest emergency room.

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website (e.g., web hosting, scheduling software, email platforms). These parties are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and use it only for the services they provide to us.

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or other legal process. We will notify you of such requests to the extent permitted by law.

5.3 Protection of Rights

We may disclose information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of our practice, our staff, our clients, or the public.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to enhance functionality and gather analytics. We use the following types:

•        Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly

•        Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics)

•        Preference cookies: Remember your settings and choices

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that doing so may affect certain features of the website. We honor Do Not Track (DNT) signals and do not track users who have enabled DNT in their browsers.

7. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including professional directories, mental health resources, or scheduling platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect the information we collect through our website. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We do not store sensitive health information through our website. All clinical records are maintained through a HIPAA-compliant electronic health record system.

9. Data Retention

We retain website-collected information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected or as required by applicable law. Contact form submissions are retained in our secure cloud storage account and may be securely deleted if requested by the submitter. Therapeutic records are retained according to state law and professional licensing requirements.

10. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including:

•        The right to access and receive a copy of the information we hold about you

•        The right to correct inaccurate information

•        The right to request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements)

•        The right to opt out of marketing communications at any time

•        The right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the information provided in Section 13. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. If we learn we have collected information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it.

For therapy services involving minors, please refer to our intake documentation and Notice of Privacy Practices, which addresses parental rights and minor confidentiality in accordance with applicable state law.

12. State-Specific Privacy Rights

Residents of certain states may have additional privacy rights under local law. For example:

•        California residents may have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected and to opt out of its sale (we do not sell personal information).

•        Other states with comprehensive privacy laws (e.g., Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut) may provide similar rights.

Please contact us if you would like to exercise rights available under your state's law.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Carey Bergeron, LPC

Carey Bergeron & Associates

Phone: +1 (504) 800-3656

Email: clarity@bergerontherapy.com

Website: www.bergerontherapy.com

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

This Privacy Policy was prepared in accordance with HIPAA, applicable state mental health confidentiality laws, and general best practices for clinical practice websites. It is recommended that you have this policy reviewed by a licensed attorney familiar with healthcare privacy law in your jurisdiction.