Notice of HIPAA Privacy Practice
Effective date: November 12, 2026
This notice describes how health information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
At Giovanna Kapsi Mental Health Counseling, PLLC ("Mind the Healing," "we," "us"), your trust matters. What you share with us is personal, and we are committed to protecting it. Federal law (HIPAA) and New York and Connecticut law require us to keep your health information private, to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
This notice applies to all therapists, clinicians, and staff of Mind the Healing, whether you see us in person at our Midtown Manhattan office or through telehealth.
You can find the current notice on our website at mindthehealing.com, in our office, or by contacting our Privacy Officer.
Privacy Officer: Giovanna Kapsi
Email: contactus@mindthehealing.com
Phone: 646.397.5255
Mailing address: 1115 Broadway 11 Fl Suite 1180, New York, NY 10010
What Information Is Protected
"Protected health information" is any information that identifies you and relates to your past, present, or future mental or physical health, the care you receive, or payment for that care. This includes the fact that you are a client of ours, appointment details, assessments, treatment plans, clinical records, billing and insurance information, and telehealth session information.
How We May Use and Share Your Information
We may use and share your health information without your written permission for the following purposes:
Treatment. To provide and coordinate your care, for example consulting with another provider involved in your treatment or sharing information with a provider you are referred to.
Payment. To bill and receive payment for your services, for example submitting claims to your health insurance plan or confirming coverage.
Health care operations. To run our practice and improve the quality of care, for example clinical supervision, quality reviews, training, and licensing or accreditation activities.
Appointment reminders and services. To contact you about appointments, or to tell you about treatment options or services that may help you.
Business associates. We work with trusted vendors, such as our electronic health record, telehealth, and billing platforms, that need access to information to support our services. Each signs a written agreement requiring them to protect your information as HIPAA requires.
Family and others involved in your care. If you agree, or do not object when given the chance, we may share limited information with a family member, friend, or other person involved in your care or in paying for it. In an emergency, or if you are unable to agree, we will use professional judgment about what is in your best interest.
Special Situations
The law permits or requires us to share information without your permission in certain limited situations:
As required by law, including federal, New York, or Connecticut law.
To prevent a serious threat to health or safety, shared only with someone able to help prevent or reduce the threat, including situations where you may be a danger to yourself or others.
To report suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or vulnerable adult to the appropriate authorities, as required by law.
Public health activities, such as preventing or controlling disease.
Health oversight activities, such as audits, investigations, and licensing reviews by government agencies.
Lawsuits and legal proceedings, in response to a court or administrative order, or to a subpoena or other lawful request when the legal requirements for doing so are met.
Law enforcement, in limited circumstances permitted by law.
Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors, as needed to carry out their duties.
Specialized government functions, such as military, national security, or protective services, when the law requires.
Correctional institutions, if you are in custody, as needed for your health and safety or the safety of others.
Workers' compensation, as authorized by law.
Research, only when approved under privacy protections required by law, or using information that does not identify you.
When We Need Your Written Permission
For any other use or sharing not described in this notice, we will ask for your written authorization. Your authorization is always required for:
Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes. These are your therapist's separate personal notes about the content of your sessions, kept apart from your main record.
Marketing communications that we are paid to make.
Selling your health information. We do not sell client information.
You may revoke an authorization at any time by writing to our Privacy Officer. Revoking it will not undo anything we already did while relying on it.
Extra Protections Under State and Federal Law
Some information receives stronger protection than HIPAA alone provides. This includes mental health and psychotherapy information, HIV/AIDS-related information, genetic information, and substance use disorder treatment records. New York and Connecticut laws set additional limits on how this information may be shared, and we follow whichever law gives you greater protection.
Optional – include if the practice receives or keeps substance use disorder records covered by 42 CFR Part 2:
Substance use disorder records. If we receive records from a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program, those records are protected by federal law (42 CFR Part 2). [Describe consent requirements for treatment, payment, and health care operations; the prohibition on using these records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order; and your right to opt out of fundraising communications, if applicable — confirm exact wording with counsel.]
Your Rights
You have the right to:
See and get a copy of your records. Ask in writing, and we will respond within 30 days. You may request an electronic copy. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. In limited circumstances, such as psychotherapy notes, we may deny access, and we will explain why in writing and tell you how to request a review.
Ask us to correct your records. If you believe information is incorrect or incomplete, ask in writing and explain why. If we say no, we will explain why in writing, and you may submit a statement of disagreement.
Request confidential communications. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific place, such as a personal email or a cell phone only. We will not ask why and will accommodate reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share. We are not required to agree, except in one case: if you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you can ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan, and we will agree unless the law requires us to share it.
Get a list of disclosures. You can request a list of times we shared your information in the past six years, other than for treatment, payment, operations, and certain other purposes. One list per year is free.
Choose someone to act for you. A legal guardian or someone with medical power of attorney may exercise your rights. Parents and guardians generally act for minors, except where the law allows minors to consent to their own care.
Be notified of a breach. We will notify you promptly, and no later than 60 days after discovery, if a breach compromises your unsecured health information.
Get a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer.
Telehealth and Your Privacy
We use a secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform for virtual sessions. For your own privacy, we recommend joining from a private space and a secure internet connection rather than public Wi-Fi.
Questions or Concerns
If you have questions about this notice, or believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact our Privacy Officer. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at hhs.gov/ocr/complaints or 1-800-368-1019.
We will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Changes to This Notice
We may change this notice, and any changes will apply to all information we hold. The updated notice will be posted in our office and on our website, with the new effective date at the top.