Privacy Policy
Effective Date: July 6, 2026
Website: meredithvenderlcsw.com
Practice: Meredith Vender, LCSW
Contact: (310) 975-5157
2525 W. Washington Blvd
Suite 104
Los Angeles, CA 90018
Meredith Vender, LCSW (“Practice,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, stored, and protected when you visit or interact with meredithvenderlcsw.com.
This Privacy Policy applies only to this website and general website communications. It does not replace the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, informed consent documents, or any other clinical, legal, or administrative forms provided to clients.
1. Important Notice About Website Communications
Please do not use this website, contact forms, email, voicemail, or other non-emergency communication methods to send urgent, emergency, or highly sensitive information.
If you are experiencing a medical, psychiatric, or life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are in the United States and are experiencing a mental health crisis, you may call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Submitting information through this website does not create a therapist-client relationship. A therapist-client relationship is established only after the Practice confirms availability, completes appropriate intake and consent procedures, and agrees to provide services.
2. Information We May Collect
Depending on how you use this website, we may collect the following types of information:
Information you voluntarily provide
You may choose to provide information when you contact the Practice, submit a form, request a consultation, or communicate by email or phone. This may include:
- Your name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Preferred method of contact
- General reason for contacting the Practice
- Information you choose to include in a message
Please limit the information you submit through the website to what is necessary to request contact or services.
Automatically collected website information
The website or its service providers may automatically collect limited technical information, such as:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Device type
- Pages visited
- Referring website
- Date and time of visit
- General usage and performance information
This information is generally used to operate, secure, maintain, and improve the website.
3. Protected Health Information and HIPAA
If you become a client of the Practice, certain information about your care may be considered protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and its implementing regulations, commonly known as HIPAA.
When HIPAA applies, the Practice uses and discloses protected health information as described in its HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. The HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices explains, among other things, how health information may be used and disclosed for treatment, payment, and health care operations, as well as your rights regarding your health information.
You may request a copy of the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices at any time by contacting the Practice.
4. How We Use Information
We may use information collected through this website to:
- Respond to inquiries or consultation requests
- Communicate with you about services
- Schedule or coordinate appointments
- Operate and maintain the website
- Improve website performance and user experience
- Protect the security and integrity of the website
- Comply with legal, ethical, licensing, or regulatory obligations
We do not use information submitted through this website to make automated decisions about eligibility for care.
5. Email, Contact Forms, and Electronic Communication
Electronic communications may not be fully secure. While the Practice takes reasonable steps to protect information, standard email and website contact forms may involve risks such as unauthorized access, misdirected messages, or transmission through third-party systems.
By contacting the Practice through the website, email, phone, or text, you acknowledge that the Practice may respond using the contact information you provide. You may request a different method of communication.
Please do not include detailed clinical information, sensitive health information, or emergency information in website forms or standard email unless specifically instructed to do so through a secure system.
6. Cookies, Analytics, and Similar Technologies
This website may use cookies, analytics tools, security tools, hosting services, or similar technologies to help the website function, understand general website traffic, and improve user experience.
These tools may collect technical information such as browser type, device type, pages visited, and general location based on IP address. You can usually adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies, although some website features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.
The Practice does not knowingly use website tracking tools to sell personal information.
7. Third-Party Services
The website may rely on third-party service providers for functions such as website hosting, analytics, security, forms, scheduling, email delivery, or embedded content.
These third-party providers may process information as needed to provide their services. When required by HIPAA and applicable law, the Practice seeks to use appropriate safeguards, including business associate agreements, with vendors that create, receive, maintain, or transmit protected health information on behalf of the Practice.
This website may also contain links to third-party websites or services. The Practice is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of third-party websites.
8. Scheduling, Client Portals, and External Platforms
If the Practice uses an online scheduling system, client portal, telehealth platform, payment processor, or electronic health record system, those services may have their own privacy notices and terms of use. Please review those notices carefully.
Clinical communications, intake forms, payment information, and telehealth sessions should occur only through systems designated by the Practice for those purposes.
9. How We Share Information
The Practice does not sell personal information.
Information may be shared only as reasonably necessary for purposes such as:
- Responding to your request
- Providing services you request
- Operating and securing the website
- Working with vendors or service providers
- Complying with legal, ethical, licensing, or regulatory obligations
- Protecting the rights, safety, or security of clients, the Practice, or others
If you are a client, uses and disclosures of protected health information are governed by the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and applicable law.
10. Data Security
The Practice takes reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
However, no website, email system, or electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You use the website and electronic communication methods with this understanding.
11. Data Retention
The Practice retains information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, to comply with legal and professional obligations, to resolve disputes, and to maintain appropriate business and clinical records.
Client records are retained according to applicable legal, ethical, licensing, and professional requirements.
12. Children’s Privacy
This website is intended for adults seeking information about therapy services. The Practice does not knowingly collect personal information from children through this website without appropriate consent.
If a parent or guardian believes a child has submitted personal information through the website, they may contact the Practice to request review or deletion, subject to applicable legal and clinical recordkeeping requirements.
13. California Privacy Notice
If you are a California resident, you may have rights under California privacy laws depending on the nature of your relationship with the Practice and the type of information involved.
You may contact the Practice to request information about the personal information collected through the website, to request correction of inaccurate information, or to request deletion of certain information, subject to legal, ethical, clinical, security, and recordkeeping obligations.
Protected health information subject to HIPAA may be handled under HIPAA and applicable medical privacy laws rather than general consumer privacy laws.
14. Your Choices
You may:
- Choose not to submit information through the website
- Contact the Practice by phone instead of using a website form
- Request a different method of communication
- Adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies
- Request access to the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
- Ask questions about how your information is handled
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
The Practice may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the website after changes are posted means you acknowledge the updated Privacy Policy.
16. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, the Practice’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, or how your information is handled, please contact:
Meredith Vender, LCSW
[Insert mailing address, if desired]
[Insert phone number]
[Insert email address]
meredithvenderlcsw.com