Privacy Policy
Effective Date: September 20, 2026
Lotus Flower Counseling, LLC (“Lotus Flower Counseling,” “LFC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you provide when visiting www.lfcnm.com or using our online services.
This Privacy Policy explains the types of information we may collect through our website, how we may use and disclose that information, and the choices available to you.
This Website Privacy Policy is separate from Lotus Flower Counseling’s Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how protected health information (“PHI”) is used and disclosed in connection with the provision and payment of health care services in accordance with applicable law, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
1. Information We Collect
Depending on how you use our website, we may collect information that you voluntarily provide, including:
Name
Email address
Telephone number
Appointment availability
Insurance information
Information submitted through contact or appointment-request forms
Information regarding the type of services you are seeking
Behavioral health or diagnostic information you choose to provide
Other information you voluntarily submit to us
We may also automatically receive limited technical information when you visit our website, such as browser type, device type, pages visited, referring pages, and general website interaction information through cookies or similar technologies.
2. Appointment Requests and SimplePractice
Lotus Flower Counseling uses SimplePractice for certain practice-management functions, including appointment requests, scheduling, client communications, forms, and the client portal.
Information submitted through an appointment-request form may be transmitted to or processed through SimplePractice.
Submitting an appointment request does not guarantee that Lotus Flower Counseling will accept you as a client or that the requested appointment has been confirmed.
We may review information submitted through an appointment request to determine matters such as clinician availability, age requirements, insurance participation, and whether the requested services appear to fall within the scope of services provided by our practice.
If we are unable to accommodate an appointment request, we may contact you regarding the request.
3. Health Information and HIPAA
Some information you provide while requesting or receiving health care services from Lotus Flower Counseling may constitute protected health information under HIPAA or other applicable privacy laws.
When information is protected by HIPAA, Lotus Flower Counseling will use and disclose that information in accordance with applicable law and our Notice of Privacy Practices.
This Website Privacy Policy does not replace or modify the rights and responsibilities described in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
We encourage users not to submit unnecessary sensitive health information through general website contact forms or ordinary email.
4. How We Use Information
We may use information collected through our website to:
Respond to inquiries;
Review and process appointment requests;
Determine whether our services may be appropriate for a prospective client;
Communicate regarding scheduling and administrative matters;
Verify or obtain information necessary to facilitate services;
Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our website;
Understand general website usage;
Comply with legal, regulatory, professional, contractual, and insurance requirements;
Protect the safety, rights, and security of our clients, staff, practice, and others; and
Carry out other purposes disclosed at the time information is collected or as permitted by law.
5. Email and Electronic Communications
If you provide your email address, we may use it to respond to your inquiry or communicate with you regarding services, scheduling, or administrative matters.
Ordinary email may not provide the same level of security as communications conducted through a secure client portal. Please avoid sending highly sensitive clinical or health information through ordinary email unless specifically instructed to do so.
We do not use client health information for marketing purposes except as permitted by applicable law or with any authorization that may be required by law.
6. Cookies, Analytics, and Advertising Technologies
Our website is hosted through Squarespace and may use cookies and similar technologies necessary to operate, secure, and improve the website.
Lotus Flower Counseling may also periodically use advertising or analytics services, including Google services, to understand the effectiveness of advertising and how visitors find our website.
We do not intend to use advertising or analytics technologies to collect or disclose protected health information for advertising purposes.
We take steps intended to prevent advertising and analytics technologies from receiving information submitted through areas of our website used to request health care services when such disclosure would not be permitted by applicable law.
The availability and operation of cookies and similar technologies may change as we update our website and services.
7. Service Providers
We may use third-party service providers to support the operation of our website and practice, including website hosting, practice management, scheduling, communications, security, and other administrative functions.
Examples may include Squarespace and SimplePractice.
When a third party creates, receives, maintains, or transmits PHI on behalf of Lotus Flower Counseling and qualifies as a business associate under HIPAA, we require appropriate protections, including a Business Associate Agreement when required by law.
We do not sell PHI.
8. Information Security
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards that we believe are appropriate to the nature of the information we maintain and our legal obligations.
However, no website, email system, electronic transmission, or information-storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users should exercise care when transmitting sensitive information electronically.
9. Children and Adolescents
Lotus Flower Counseling provides clinical services to adolescents age 13 and older and adults.
Individuals ages 14–17 may be permitted to submit an appointment request through our website. Submission of an appointment request does not determine whether an adolescent may independently consent to treatment or determine the rights of a parent, guardian, or minor concerning health information.
Consent to treatment, authorization for services, parental or guardian involvement, confidentiality, access to records, and other matters involving minors will be handled in accordance with applicable New Mexico and federal law and the circumstances of the services being provided.
Our website is not designed to collect personal information from children under age 13.
If we become aware that information has been submitted by a child under age 13 through the website, we may take appropriate steps regarding that information.
10. Third-Party Websites and Services
Our website may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties. Lotus Flower Counseling does not control the privacy or security practices of independent third-party websites.
We encourage users to review the privacy practices of any third-party service they choose to use.
11. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and as necessary to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, insurance, professional, and record-retention requirements.
Health records and other information maintained as part of the clinical record may be subject to separate retention requirements.
12. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on the nature of the information involved and applicable law, you may have rights concerning access to, amendment of, or other treatment of your personal or health information.
Rights involving PHI are described more fully in Lotus Flower Counseling’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
To ask a question about information collected through our website or our privacy practices, please contact us using the information below.
13. Security Incidents and Breach Notification
If Lotus Flower Counseling becomes aware of a breach or unauthorized disclosure involving protected or personal information, we will evaluate the incident and provide notifications when required by applicable federal or state law.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, website, technology, legal requirements, or privacy practices.
The effective date appearing at the top of this policy identifies the most recent revision.
15. Contact Us
Questions regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices may be directed to:
Lotus Flower Counseling, LLC
5120 San Francisco Rd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
www.lfcnm.com
admin@lfcnm.com
For questions specifically involving protected health information or your rights under HIPAA, please refer to Lotus Flower Counseling’s Notice of Privacy Practices or contact our office.