Annie Dantowitz LICSW

Topics

• Personal information we collect
• How we use your personal information
• How we share your personal information
• How we store your data
• Email marketing
• Behavioral advertising
• Your data protection rights
• Third party websites
• Changes
• Contact information

Personal Information We Collect

This Site is designed to be informational and respect your privacy. We do not use marketing, tracking, or analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics) to monitor your behavior.

However, when you visit the Site, certain technical information is automatically generated by the web infrastructure:

• “Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps. These log files are routinely generated and stored by our web hosting provider, NixiHost, Inc., as part of standard server maintenance, security monitoring, and ensuring the Site functions properly.

Communication Information

If you choose to contact me via the email address provided on the Site, we collect your email address and any information you choose to include in your message.

Please note that this Site does not directly host intake forms or process payments. For secure contact forms, scheduling, and portal access, the Site provides links that redirect you to a secure, third-party platform (SimplePractice).

How We Use Your Information

We use Device Information for:

• Functionality: To recognize you on our website and recognize your previously selected preferences, including your preferred language and your location. 

We use the automatically collected technical information and log files solely to:

• Ensure the Site loads correctly and remains secure.
• Monitor for potential risk, malicious activity, and fraud (in particular, verifying IP addresses).
• Respond to your inquiries submitted via email.

We also collect data you provide to us directly. We refer to the data you provide as “Provided Information.” We collect and process data you provide when you:

• Submit an intake form or application form for any of our services or programs

The Provided Information we collect may include:

• Personal identification information (name, email address, phone number, etc.)

When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Provided Information. 

How We Share Your Personal Information

We share your Personal Information with trusted third parties to help us maintain our website infrastructure and run our professional practice safely, as described above.

• Web Hosting: Our Site is hosted by NixiHost, Inc. They provide the server infrastructure that powers this Site, which means your website visit data (such as IP addresses and log data) is processed through their servers. NixiHost, Inc. operates under strict data security standards and does not sell or independently use your data except to maintain server stability and security.
• Email Communication: We use Google Workspace. We maintain a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Google to ensure that email communications are handled in compliance with federal privacy standards. However, please be aware that standard email may not be fully encrypted end-to-end, and you should limit email to scheduling and keep clinical communication via the secure client portal.
• Practice Management & Payments: For clinical contact forms, intake, scheduling, and billing, we use SimplePractice. Any health, personal, or payment information you submit through their system is governed by SimplePractice’s privacy policy, terms of service, and applicable federal and state health privacy laws (such as HIPAA).

Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant, or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights. 

How We Store Your Data

Standard server logs held by NixiHost, Inc. are automatically rotated and deleted after a standard retention period. 

Please visit their individual website for information on the physical location of their servers where your information is stored.

Any clinical, email, or administrative records are maintained and retained according to Massachusetts state licensing boards, federal HIPAA regulations, and medical record retention laws.

This document constitutes our website privacy policy. Clinical clients should also review the formal Notice of Privacy Practices provided during the intake process.

We use commercially reasonable security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of any information that may be stored on our servers. Of course, no computer network or data transmission on the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure and so you submit your information at your own risk.

We will maintain your Personal Information for our records unless and until you ask us to delete this information. 

Email Marketing

We do not engage in email marketing, newsletters, or promotional campaigns. Email communication is used exclusively for scheduling purposes and administrative inquiries related to our professional services. We do not use your email address for marketing purposes.

Behavioral Advertising

We do not engage in behavioral advertising. Our website does not utilize tracking cookies, pixels, or third-party advertising tools to build profiles of your behavior or target advertisements to you based on your activity on this site.

Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location and the nature of our engagement, you may have rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, correct, or request the deletion of the information we hold about you. For clinical records, please note that we are required by state law and HIPAA regulations to retain records for a specific period, which may supersede requests for deletion. To exercise your rights, please contact us via the information provided in the ‘Contact Us’ section.

Third Party Websites

Our website contains links to third-party platforms (such as SimplePractice) to facilitate secure scheduling, intake, and billing. While we select these partners for their commitment to security and HIPAA compliance, we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external websites. We encourage you to review the individual privacy policies of any site you visit through our links.

Changes

We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons.

Contact Information

For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to make a complaint, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at [email protected].