Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 3, 2026
Your privacy matters to me. This policy explains what information I collect through this website, how I use it, and the choices you have. It covers the website itself, not the clinical record I keep once you become a client, that's governed separately by HIPAA and covered in the Notice of Privacy Practices you'll receive at intake.
Information I Collect
When you contact me through this site, whether by phone, email, or the New Client Form, I may collect:
Your name, email address, and phone number
Information you volunteer in the New Client Form, which may include details about what brings you to therapy
General technical information collected automatically by the site, such as browser type, device type, and pages visited (see Cookies & Analytics below)
I do not collect payment or insurance information through this website. That happens later, directly, once we're working together.
How I Use Your Information
I use the information you provide to respond to your inquiry, schedule appointments, and communicate with you about starting or continuing services. I do not use it for marketing, and I do not add you to a mailing list without your separate, explicit consent.
How I Protect Your Information
I take reasonable steps to protect the information collected through this site, including relying on reputable, secure third-party platforms for hosting, forms, and scheduling. No website or method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so I can't guarantee absolute security, but anything you share with me directly as a client, in session or through the clinical record, is protected under HIPAA regardless of what happens on the website side.
A note on the New Client Form specifically: the New Client Form runs through SimplePractice, a HIPAA-compliant practice management platform, so information you submit there is protected in transit and in storage. Direct email, by contrast, is not a fully secure channel, so I'd still ask that you avoid including sensitive health details in an unsolicited email before we've had an initial session.
Third Parties
I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone for marketing purposes. I do share limited information with the third-party service providers who help operate this website and my practice, and only to the extent necessary for them to do that job:
Squarespace, for website hosting
Google Workspace, for practice email
SimplePractice, for scheduling, intake, and clinical record-keeping (HIPAA-compliant)
Google Analytics, for website traffic data (see Cookies & Analytics below)
I may also disclose information if required to do so by law, such as in response to a valid subpoena or court order.
Cookies & Analytics
This site may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to understand how visitors use it and to improve your experience. These tools do not collect information that identifies you personally unless you provide it voluntarily through a form.
Google Analytics
I use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to understand how visitors interact with this website. Google Analytics may collect:
Device type and operating system
Browser type and settings
IP address (anonymized in this site's configuration)
Pages visited and actions taken on the site
Date and time of your visit
The site that referred you here
Google may use this information to evaluate site usage, compile activity reports, and provide related services. IP addresses are anonymized in this site's Analytics configuration so they cannot be used to identify you personally.
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. For more on how Google handles data, see Google's Privacy & Terms.
Children's Privacy
This website is not directed at children, and I do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 through the site.
Your Choices and Rights
You can ask what information I hold about you as a result of your contact with this website, and ask me to correct or delete it, by emailing me directly. If you're a resident of a state with its own privacy law, such as California, you may have additional rights under that law.
Changes to This Policy
I may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the site, the law, or how I operate. The date at the top shows when it was last revised. Continued use of this website after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy can be sent to:
Sydney Carter, LPC
Shadow Work Psychotherapy
900 Trail Ridge Road, Aiken, SC 29803
(803) 216-5885