Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how The Calm Planet PLLC (“The Calm Planet,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects personal information when you visit thecalmplanet.com, contact us through our website, or communicate with us by email, phone, or text message. The Calm Planet is a telehealth mental health counseling practice based in Groton, Connecticut.

This policy and our HIPAA notice

This Privacy Policy covers our website and the general communications that come through it. It is not our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and does not replace it.

If you become a client of The Calm Planet, the health information we create or receive in the course of your care is protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable Connecticut law. How we use and disclose that information, and your rights regarding it, are described in our separate Notice of Privacy Practices. If anything in this Privacy Policy conflicts with our Notice of Privacy Practices regarding protected health information, the Notice of Privacy Practices controls. You may request a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices at any time using the contact details below.

As mental health professionals, our clinicians also follow the confidentiality obligations of their professional licenses and ethical codes.

Information we collect

Information you choose to give us

We collect information that you voluntarily provide, including when you:

• Use our contact form. Our form asks for your first and last name, email address, an optional telephone number, your message, and whether you are contacting us as an individual or an organization. Organizations may also provide a company name.
• Book a consultation. Our consultation links open a third-party scheduling service, where you may enter your name, email address, and other details requested on the booking page.
• Email, call, or text us. We receive your contact details and the content of your message.

Please do not include detailed clinical or health information in a website form, email, or text message. We are happy to discuss those details with you directly during a consultation or session.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically, such as your browser and device type, pages viewed, the website that referred you, approximate location derived from your IP address, and the date and time of your visit. This information comes from our website analytics (described below) and the standard server logs kept by our web hosting provider.

How we use information

We use personal information to:

• Respond to your inquiries and questions.
• Schedule consultations and appointments, and send appointment reminders.
• Send practice communications you have requested or authorized, such as scheduling updates and administrative messages.
• Respond to organizations about workplace wellbeing services.
• Operate, maintain, and improve our website.
• Comply with our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.

We do not sell personal information.

How we share information

We share personal information only as needed to operate our practice and website, including with service providers that help us:

• Host our website.
• Process website contact form submissions and deliver them to our inbox.
• Schedule consultations and appointments.
• Send and receive email, phone calls, and text messages.
• Understand how our website is used (website analytics).

These providers may use the information only to provide their services to us. We may also disclose information when required or permitted by law, such as in response to a valid legal process or to protect someone’s health or safety.

SMS communications and consent

The Calm Planet may send text messages about appointment scheduling, reminders, and other practice-related communications that you have authorized. We send text messages only to people who have given us consent to receive them. Submitting our website contact form, or including a phone number in it, does not by itself sign you up for text messages.

Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. You can reply STOP at any time to stop receiving text messages, or reply HELP for assistance. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of receiving our services. Full details are in the SMS Messaging Terms & Conditions section of our Terms & Conditions.

SMS Privacy and Data Sharing

We use your mobile number and text messaging consent only to send the messages you have agreed to receive and to honor your opt-out requests. Your mobile number is processed by our phone and messaging service provider and by wireless carriers only as needed to deliver those messages.

Cookies and website analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site, such as which pages are visited and how visitors arrive. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect this information, which is processed by Google. Our website also loads fonts from Google Fonts, which means your browser connects to Google’s servers when you view our pages.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics using Google’s Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The website will continue to work if you block analytics cookies.

How we protect information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. Our website is served over an encrypted HTTPS connection. However, no website, internet transmission, email, or text message is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of information you send to us electronically.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law or professional record-keeping obligations. Clinical records for clients are kept as required by applicable law and as described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Your choices

• Text messages: reply STOP to any message from us to opt out, or tell us by phone or email.
• Your contact information: you may ask us to update or correct the contact information you have given us, or ask what information we hold about you from our website and communications, subject to our legal and professional obligations.
• Cookies and analytics: you can manage cookies in your browser settings, as described above.
• Clients: your rights regarding your protected health information are described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Children’s privacy

Our website and services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted information to us through our website, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

External links

Our website links to third-party websites and services, including scheduling pages, social media profiles, and published research. Those websites have their own privacy practices, and we are not responsible for their content or how they handle your information. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated version on this page and change the effective date at the top. Changes take effect when posted.

Contact us about privacy

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, would like a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices, or have another privacy-related request, please contact us:

If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911 or call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Do not use our website, email, or text messaging for emergencies.