Website privacy policy

The short version

• This site has no contact forms, no analytics, no advertising or social media trackers, and it doesn't set cookies.
• The “What are you struggling with?” box on the home page works only inside your browser. Nothing you type there is saved or sent to me.
• Like any website, the company that hosts the site and the font service (Google Fonts) receive basic technical information, such as your IP address and browser type, when your browser loads a page.
• Booking and everything clinical happen in SimplePractice, my practice-management platform, not on this website.
• I don't sell or rent anyone's personal information.

Who this policy covers

This policy covers this website, which is run by Firas Bdaiwi, LMFT #160651, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California.

This is a website privacy policy. It is not my HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. Therapy records and the Notice of Privacy Practices are handled separately through my client portal, and you receive the Notice at intake, before therapy begins.

What this site collects, and how

Information you choose to send me. The site has no forms that send information anywhere. If you email or call me, I receive whatever you include, such as your name, email address, phone number, and your message. Email and text messages aren't a secure way to share health information, so please share only your name, the best way to reach you, and a good time to talk.

The “What are you struggling with?” box. When you type in this box or tap a suggestion, a short script in your own browser shows a matching message. What you type isn't saved, isn't sent to me or anyone else, and is gone when you leave or reload the page.

Technical information sent automatically. When your browser loads a page, it automatically sends standard technical details to the servers that deliver the site: your IP address, browser and device type, the page you asked for, the page you came from, and the time. My web hosting provider, Netlify, may keep this in server logs for security and to keep the site running. I don't use it to identify visitors.

Fonts. The site loads its fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com). To deliver the fonts, your browser sends Google your IP address, browser information, and the address of the page you're on. Google says the Google Fonts service doesn't set or log cookies and doesn't use this information to build profiles of visitors or for targeted advertising. You can read more in the Google Fonts privacy FAQ and Google's privacy policy.

Cookies and tracking. This site doesn't set cookies, doesn't use analytics or advertising tools, doesn't use social media tracking pixels, and doesn't store anything in your browser's local storage.

Booking and the client portal (SimplePractice)

The “Book” and “Free 15-minute consult” buttons take you to SimplePractice, the platform I use for scheduling, the client portal, intake forms, telehealth, and billing. Anything you enter there is collected through SimplePractice, not through this website. It's handled under SimplePractice's privacy policy and, as part of your care, under my Notice of Privacy Practices.

Links to other sites

This site links to Instagram, TikTok, Psychology Today, and a government page about the No Surprises Act. It doesn't embed content from those sites, so they don't receive anything from this site unless you click a link. Once you're on their site, their own privacy policies apply. Following or messaging me on social media doesn't create a therapy relationship, so please don't send personal health details there.

How information is used and shared

I use information you send me to reply to you, set up a consult, and keep in touch about scheduling. Technical information is used only to deliver the site and keep it secure.

Information may be handled by these kinds of service providers, only as needed for them to do their job:

• my web hosting provider (technical information and server logs)
• Google Fonts (technical information needed to deliver fonts)
• SimplePractice (anything you enter when booking or in the client portal)
• my email and phone service providers (messages and calls you send me)

I may also share information if the law requires it. I don't sell or rent personal information, and I don't share it with anyone for their own marketing.

How this site responds to “Do Not Track”

Some browsers can send a “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signal. This site doesn't track visitors over time or across other websites, so it works the same way whether or not your browser sends one of these signals. I don't allow other companies to use this site to collect information about your activity over time and across different websites.

Reviewing or changing your information

If you've contacted me and want to see, correct, or delete the information you sent, reach me through my secure message form. Please don't use messages for emergencies. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. I may need to keep some information when the law or professional record-keeping rules require it.

If you're a client, your rights to see and request changes to your therapy records are explained in my Notice of Privacy Practices, which you receive at intake.

Security

I take reasonable steps to protect the information I receive. No website, email, or text message is completely secure, so please don't send health details by email, text, or social media message.

Children

This site isn't directed to children under 13, and I don't knowingly collect personal information from children through it.

This website is not therapy and not an emergency service

Content on this site and my social media is general education. It isn't therapy, and it isn't a substitute for care from a professional who knows your situation. Reading the site, watching my videos, or contacting me doesn't create a therapy relationship. Therapy begins only after a consult, intake, and your signed consent.

This practice doesn't provide emergency services, and messages may not be seen right away. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. If you're outside the United States, please contact your local emergency services.

Services are for people located in California at the time of each session.

Changes to this policy

If I change this policy, I'll post the updated version on this page and change the effective date at the top. If a change is significant, I'll also add a note at the top of this page explaining what changed.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your information: my secure message form.

Firas Bdaiwi, LMFT #160651 · California

Effective date: October 12, 2026