Notice of privacy practices
Beyond Psychology Center
Effective date: November 1, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
I. Our pledge regarding health information
We understand that health information about you and your health care is personal, and we are committed to protecting it. We create a record of the care and services you receive from us. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all records of your care created or kept by Beyond Psychology Center, including its therapists, associates, bodyworkers and staff.
This notice describes the ways in which we may use and disclose health information about you. It also describes your rights regarding the health information we keep about you, and our obligations regarding its use and disclosure.
We are required by law to:
Maintain the privacy of protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you.
Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI.
Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured PHI.
Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
II. How we may use and disclose health information about you
The categories below describe the ways we use and disclose health information. For each category, we explain what we mean and give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category is listed, but all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information fall within one of these categories.
For treatment, payment or health care operations. Federal privacy rules allow health care providers who have a direct treatment relationship with a client to use or disclose the client’s PHI without written authorization to carry out the provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. We may also disclose your PHI for the treatment activities of any health care provider without your written authorization.
Treatment: If your clinician consults with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we may use and disclose your PHI to help your clinician with diagnosis and treatment. “Treatment” includes coordinating and managing your care with a third party, consultations between health care providers, and referrals from one provider to another.
Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to bill for our services and to submit claims to your health plan on your behalf, including out-of-network claims.
Health care operations: We may use and disclose your PHI to run our practice, for example for clinical supervision of associate clinicians, quality review, training, scheduling and business management.
Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard, because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and complete information to provide quality care.
Business associates. We work with outside companies that perform services for us, such as electronic health records, billing and secure communication. These business associates may receive your PHI only to perform those services, and they are required by contract and by law to protect it.
III. Uses and disclosures that require your authorization
Psychotherapy notes. We keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501. Any use or disclosure of these notes requires your written authorization unless the use or disclosure is:
For use by the clinician who wrote the notes in treating you.
For our use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family or individual counseling or therapy.
For our use in defending ourselves in a legal proceeding brought by you.
For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate our compliance with HIPAA.
Required by law, and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of that law.
Required by law for certain health oversight activities relating to the clinician who wrote the notes.
Required by a coroner or medical examiner who is performing duties authorized by law.
Needed to help avert a serious threat to the health or safety of others.
Marketing. We will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.
Sale of PHI. We will not sell your PHI.
Other uses and disclosures. Uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke an authorization at any time by giving us written notice. Revoking it will not affect any use or disclosure we made while the authorization was in effect.
IV. Uses and disclosures that do not require your authorization
Subject to certain limitations in the law, we may use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following reasons:
When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of that law.
For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
For judicial and administrative proceedings. If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose it in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information. Our preference is to obtain your authorization first.
For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on our premises.
To coroners or medical examiners performing duties authorized by law.
For research, when the research has been approved by an institutional review board or privacy board that has reviewed the proposal and established protocols to protect the privacy of your information.
For specialized government functions, including ensuring the proper execution of military missions, protecting the President of the United States, conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations, and helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.
For workers’ compensation purposes. Although our preference is to obtain your authorization, we may provide your PHI to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
For appointment reminders and health-related benefits or services. We may use and disclose your PHI to remind you of an appointment, or to tell you about treatment alternatives or other health care services or benefits that we offer.
Where California law gives your health information more protection than federal law, we follow California law.
V. Uses and disclosures you have the opportunity to object to
Disclosures to family, friends or others. We may provide your PHI to a family member, friend or other person you identify as involved in your care or in paying for your care, unless you object in whole or in part. In an emergency, or if you are unable to agree or object, we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest, and we will give you the opportunity to object as soon as possible afterward.
VI. Your rights regarding your PHI
The right to request limits on uses and disclosures of your PHI. You have the right to ask us not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except as described in the next item, and we may say no if we believe it would affect your health care.
The right to restrict disclosures for services you paid for in full. If you have paid out of pocket in full for a health care item or service, you have the right to ask us not to disclose PHI about that item or service to your health plan for payment or health care operations. We will agree to this request unless a law requires us to share that information.
The right to choose how we contact you. You have the right to ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, by home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will agree to all reasonable requests.
The right to see and get copies of your PHI. Other than psychotherapy notes, you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your record and other information we have about you, and to ask us to send a copy to another person you designate. We will provide a copy of your record, or a summary if you agree to receive one, within 30 days of receiving your written request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
The right to get a list of the disclosures we have made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which we disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment or health care operations, or disclosures you authorized. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your request. The list will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter period. The first list in any 12-month period is free; we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for each additional request in that period.
The right to correct or update your PHI. If you believe there is a mistake in your PHI, or that important information is missing, you have the right to ask us to correct or add to it. We may say no, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
The right to be notified of a breach. You have the right to be notified if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs.
The right to get a paper or electronic copy of this notice. You have the right to a paper copy of this notice and to a copy by email. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice by email, you may still ask for a paper copy.
VII. Complaints, changes to this notice and contact information
Complaints. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us by contacting our Privacy Officer below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201, by calling 1-877-696-6775, or at www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Changes to this notice. We may change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available on request, in our offices and on our website.
Contact. For questions about this notice or to exercise any of your rights, contact:
Steven Bradshaw, LMFT, Privacy Officer Beyond Psychology Center 12401 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 303, Los Angeles, CA 90025 (323) 366-3433 hello@mail.beyondpsychologycenter.com