Privacy Policy

Overview and scope

This Privacy Policy applies to this website only — stepbystepsupport.net — and to information you submit through it, such as the contact form. It describes the practices of Step By Step Support, LLC as the operator of the site.

It does not govern the confidential clinical relationship between you and your counselor. Information you share during counseling, and your treatment records, are protected separately and more strictly under federal and Pennsylvania health-privacy law and our professional and ethical obligations. See the next section for that important distinction.

This website vs. your health records

Because we are a counseling practice, it is important to be clear about two very different kinds of information:

• Website information. The name, email, phone number, and message you enter into our contact form. This is general contact information governed by this Privacy Policy.
• Protected health information. The clinical details you share once you are a client — your history, diagnoses, session notes, and treatment records. This is protected under health-privacy law and our professional duty of confidentiality, and it is handled through our secure clinical systems, not through this website.

Information we collect

Information you give us

When you use our contact form, we collect only what you choose to enter:

• Your first and last name
• Your email address
• Your phone number (optional)
• The message you write in the "How can we help?" field

If you call us instead, we may keep a note of your name and contact details so we can follow up. We do not collect anything you do not voluntarily give us.

Information collected automatically

Like nearly all websites, our hosting and security provider records basic technical information when a page loads — for example, your device type, browser, general geographic region, and the pages you view. This is aggregate, cannot ordinarily identify you, and is used to keep the site secure, fast, and working properly.

How we use your information

We use the limited information we collect only to:

• Respond to you — to reply to your message and, if you ask, to talk with you about counseling and scheduling.
• Keep our records — to maintain a basic record of inquiries so we can follow up appropriately.
• Protect the site — to prevent spam, abuse, and security threats.
• Maintain and improve the website — to fix problems and understand, in aggregate, how the site is used.

We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not sell, rent, or trade it to anyone.

How your information is shared

We keep your information within the practice. The limited exceptions are:

• Service providers. We use trusted vendors to run the site and deliver your message. Our website is hosted and secured by Cloudflare, and contact-form submissions are routed to us by email. These providers may process your information only to provide their service to us and are expected to protect it.
• Spam protection. Our forms use Cloudflare Turnstile, a privacy-first alternative to CAPTCHA, to confirm you are a real person. It is designed to avoid tracking you across the web.
• Legal requirements. We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or a valid government request, or where necessary to protect safety.

What we will never do:

• Sell or rent your personal information
• Share it with advertisers or data brokers
• Use it to target you with ads

Cookies, analytics, and tracking

This site uses no advertising cookies and no cross-site tracking. We do not use Google Analytics, Meta/Facebook pixels, or similar advertising trackers.

Our hosting provider may set a small number of strictly necessary cookies to keep the site secure (for example, to tell real visitors apart from bots). Any analytics we review is aggregate and privacy-focused — it counts visits and general trends without cookies that identify you and without building a profile of you.

Because we do not track you across sites, there is nothing to opt out of for advertising. You can also set your browser to block or delete cookies at any time.

How we protect your information

We take reasonable measures to protect the information submitted through this site. The site is served entirely over an encrypted connection (HTTPS), and contact-form submissions are transmitted securely to us. We limit access to inquiries to the people who need it to respond to you.

No website or method of transmission is perfectly secure, which is another reason we ask you not to send sensitive health details through the site. If we ever become aware of a breach that legally requires notification, we will notify affected individuals as required by law.

How long we keep it

We keep contact-form messages and inquiry notes only as long as reasonably necessary to respond to you, to maintain appropriate business records, and to comply with our legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or otherwise dispose of it securely.

Please note: if you become a client, your clinical treatment records are kept under separate legal retention requirements that apply to counseling records — not under this website policy.

Your rights and choices

You are in control of the information you share with us through this site. At any time, you may ask us to:

• Tell you what information we hold about you from the website
• Correct information that is inaccurate
• Delete information you previously submitted, where we are not required to keep it

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity before acting. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under state privacy laws; we honor applicable rights and will not discriminate against you for exercising them.

Children's privacy

This website is intended for adults seeking counseling services. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the site. If you believe a child has provided information through this website, please contact us and we will delete it. (Counseling services for minors, when offered, are arranged directly with a parent or guardian, not through this form.)

Links to other sites

Our site may link to outside resources — for example, our BBB listing, a professional directory, a social media page, or a crisis hotline. Once you leave stepbystepsupport.net, this policy no longer applies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites, and we encourage you to read their policies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Significant changes will be made clearly visible here. Your continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please reach out: