NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC
Effective Date: July 21, 2026
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This notice explains how health information about you or your child may be used and disclosed by Looking Glass Counseling, LLC and how you may access this information. Please review it carefully.
This notice applies to protected health information created, received, or maintained by Looking Glass Counseling, LLC while providing counseling, assessment, care coordination, billing, and related services.
Contact Information
Privacy Officer: JoAnn Ristau, MS, LPC, NCC
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC
Mailing Address: 289 Highway 90 E, Unit H, Little River, SC 29566
Telephone: 843-274-5010
Email: jristaulpc@gmail.com
Website: www.lookingglass-counseling.com
Your Rights
You have certain rights regarding your protected health information. Looking Glass Counseling, LLC is responsible for helping you exercise these rights.
Obtain a Copy of Your Health Record
You may request to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of your counseling record and other health information maintained about you.
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will usually provide the requested information or a summary within 30 days of receiving your request. A reasonable, cost-based fee may be charged for copying, supplies, postage, or preparing an agreed-upon summary.
Access may be limited or denied in certain circumstances permitted by law, including access to psychotherapy notes or information that could create a substantial risk of harm. When required, you will receive a written explanation of the denial and information about any available review process.
Request a Correction
You may ask Looking Glass Counseling, LLC to correct or amend health information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Your request should be submitted in writing and explain why the information should be changed. Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may deny the request in circumstances permitted by law but will ordinarily provide a written explanation within 60 days.
When an amendment is denied, you may submit a written statement of disagreement to be maintained with the record.
Request Confidential Communications
You may ask Looking Glass Counseling, LLC to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location. For example, you may request that calls be made only to a specific telephone number or that correspondence be sent to a different address.
Reasonable requests will be honored. Please remember that ordinary email and text messaging may not be completely secure.
Request Limits on Uses or Disclosures
You may ask Looking Glass Counseling, LLC not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health-care operations.
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC is not generally required to agree to every requested restriction. If a restriction is accepted, the practice will follow it except when information is needed to provide emergency treatment or disclosure is otherwise required by law.
When you pay in full out of pocket for a particular service, you may ask that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan for payment or health-care operations. Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Receive an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before your request.
The accounting does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health-care operations; disclosures made directly to you; disclosures you authorized; or certain other disclosures excluded by law.
One accounting will be provided without charge during any 12-month period. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply to additional requests within the same period.
Receive a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
The current notice is also available on the Looking Glass Counseling website.
Choose Someone to Act for You
A person who is legally authorized to act on your behalf—such as a legal guardian, personal representative, or person holding an applicable health-care power of attorney—may exercise your privacy rights.
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may request documentation confirming that person’s authority before taking action.
File a Privacy Complaint
You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
You may contact the Looking Glass Counseling Privacy Officer using the contact information at the beginning of this notice. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you may tell Looking Glass Counseling, LLC what you want shared.
Family Members and Others Involved in Your Care
With your permission, Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may share relevant information with a family member, close friend, caregiver, or another person involved in your care or payment for your care.
When you are unable to express a preference, information may be shared when permitted by law and when professional judgment indicates that doing so is in your best interest. Information may also be disclosed when necessary to reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Marketing, Sale of Information, and Psychotherapy Notes
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC does not sell protected health information.
Your written authorization will generally be required before protected health information is used for marketing purposes or before psychotherapy notes, if maintained separately from the clinical record, are used or disclosed. Limited exceptions permitted by law may apply.
Fundraising
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC does not currently use client health information for fundraising.
How Looking Glass Counseling May Use or Disclose Your Information
Treatment
Health information may be used and disclosed to provide, coordinate, or manage your treatment.
For example, with permission or when otherwise permitted by law, information may be shared with a physician, psychiatrist, school-based provider, hospital, or another professional involved in your care.
Payment
Health information may be used and disclosed to bill and receive payment for services.
This may include providing necessary information to an insurance company, Medicaid program, billing service, claims administrator, or other party responsible for payment.
Health-Care Operations
Health information may be used and disclosed to operate the practice and support the quality of services.
Examples include treatment planning, reviewing the quality of care, professional consultation, clinical supervision, credentialing, licensing, auditing, compliance, business planning, and administrative activities.
Reasonable safeguards are used when client information is discussed during professional consultation or supervision.
Appointment and Treatment Communications
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may use your contact information to:
Schedule or confirm appointments
Provide appointment reminders
Respond to messages
Discuss treatment alternatives
Provide information related to your care
Messages will be limited when possible to protect your privacy.
Business Associates
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may provide necessary health information to contracted service providers that perform work on behalf of the practice, such as billing, claims processing, records storage, technology, accounting, or legal services.
When required, these organizations must enter into agreements requiring them to safeguard protected health information.
Public Health and Safety
Health information may be used or disclosed when permitted or required for legally authorized public-health and safety activities, including:
Reporting suspected child abuse or neglect
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult
Preventing or reducing a serious and imminent threat to a person’s health or safety
Reporting information required by public-health laws
Responding to certain public-health investigations
Only information reasonably necessary for the permitted purpose will be disclosed.
Compliance With the Law
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will disclose health information when required by applicable federal or South Carolina law.
Information may also be disclosed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when necessary to demonstrate compliance with federal privacy requirements.
Health Oversight
Health information may be disclosed to legally authorized health-oversight agencies for audits, investigations, inspections, licensing proceedings, or other activities permitted by law.
Workers’ Compensation and Government Programs
Information may be used or disclosed as authorized by laws governing workers’ compensation, government benefit programs, military functions, national security, correctional institutions, or other governmental activities.
Law Enforcement
Health information may be disclosed for law-enforcement purposes only when the requirements of applicable state and federal law have been satisfied.
Legal and Administrative Proceedings
Health information may be disclosed in response to a valid court or administrative order or other lawful legal process after all applicable legal requirements have been satisfied.
Because counseling communications and records may be privileged under South Carolina law, a subpoena or request for records does not necessarily authorize immediate disclosure. Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may seek client authorization, legal guidance, or an appropriate court order before releasing information.
Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors
When permitted by law, information may be disclosed to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director following a person’s death.
Research
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC does not ordinarily use identifiable client information for research. If the practice participates in research in the future, information will be used or disclosed only as permitted by law, and authorization will be obtained when required.
Additional Protections for Counseling Records
South Carolina law protects communications between clients and licensed professional counselors and generally treats counseling communications and treatment records as confidential and privileged.
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will not disclose information acquired during treatment except when the client or legally authorized representative provides written authorization or when disclosure is otherwise required or permitted by applicable state or federal law.
When South Carolina law provides greater privacy protection than federal law, Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will follow the more protective requirement.
Information About Minors
A parent, legal guardian, or another legally authorized person generally acts as the personal representative of a minor client and may exercise rights concerning the minor’s health information.
A parent’s or guardian’s access may be affected by:
Custody or court orders
State or federal laws permitting a minor to consent independently to certain services
Situations involving suspected abuse, neglect, or endangerment
Other circumstances in which the law limits a representative’s access or authority
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may discuss with parents and guardians how information will be handled during a child’s or adolescent’s treatment. Appropriate parental involvement will be balanced with the privacy needed to support an effective counseling relationship, subject to safety concerns and legal requirements.
Substance-Use-Disorder Records
Some substance-use-disorder treatment records receive additional protection under federal law, including 42 CFR Part 2.
To the extent Looking Glass Counseling, LLC receives or maintains records protected by Part 2, those records will not be used or disclosed in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigation or proceeding against the client unless the client provides written consent or disclosure is authorized by an appropriate court order and accompanying legal process.
Part 2 records will otherwise be used or disclosed only as permitted by applicable law.
The revised federal model requires HIPAA-covered providers to include this information in their notices as of February 16, 2026. (HHS.gov)
Our Responsibilities
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC is required to:
Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information
Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice
Provide you with a copy of this notice
Use reasonable safeguards to protect health information
Limit uses, disclosures, and requests to the information reasonably necessary when the minimum-necessary rule applies
Notify affected individuals when a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of their information
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will not use or disclose your information in a manner not described in this notice unless you provide written authorization or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect information already used or disclosed in reliance on the authorization.
Changes to This Notice
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC may change the terms of this notice and apply the revised notice to health information already maintained by the practice as well as information received in the future.
When the notice is materially revised, the updated version will be available:
Upon request
At the Looking Glass Counseling office
On the Looking Glass Counseling website
The revised notice will display its effective date.
Questions or Complaints
Questions, requests, or complaints concerning this notice or your privacy rights may be directed to:
JoAnn Ristau, MS, LPC, NCC
Privacy Officer
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC
Telephone: 843-274-5010
Email:jristaulpc@gmail.com
Mailing Address: [INSERT THE ADDRESS CLIENTS SHOULD USE]
A complaint may also be submitted to:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775
Looking Glass Counseling, LLC will not retaliate against anyone for asking questions, exercising a privacy right, or filing a complaint.