Privacy Policy
Foothold Counseling | Last updated: April 24, 2026
Thank you for visiting Foothold Counseling. We take your trust seriously, and we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. The information you share with us helps us provide a clear, supportive experience as you learn about our practice and decide whether to reach out.
This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, and protected when you visit footholdcounseling.com (the "Site") or contact our team through it.
This policy covers the website only. Once you become a client of Foothold Counseling, your protected health information is governed by our separate Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which Sandy or your assigned therapist will provide to you at intake. Nothing on this website page replaces or modifies that document.
Collection of Personal Information
In order to better connect you with the right care and resources, Foothold Counseling may collect personally identifiable information you choose to share with us. This can include your first and last name, email address, phone number, the state you live in, and a brief description of what you are looking for in therapy.
We do not collect personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it. You may be asked to share certain details when you choose to:
Submit a contact form or consultation request through the Site
Schedule a free consultation or appointment
Sign up to receive emails, resources, or newsletters from Foothold Counseling
Register for a workshop, group, or event we offer in the future
We use this information to respond to your inquiry, confirm appointments, send any resources you have requested, and communicate with you about services you have specifically asked about.
Payments for therapy services are processed inside our secure client portal (Sessions Health), not through the public website. Any billing information you share with our practice is handled within that platform under its own security and privacy standards.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically about your device and how you interact with us. This may include your web browser type, IP address, time zone, the pages you view, the search terms that brought you here, and how long you spend on each page. This information helps us understand what visitors are looking for so we can keep improving the Site.
Cookies
Like most websites, footholdcounseling.com uses cookies to support a smoother browsing experience. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device by a web server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses, and they are uniquely assigned to your browser.
Cookies help the Site remember your preferences and recognize you on return visits, so you do not have to re-enter the same information. They also help us understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve content and navigation.
You can accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept them, but you can usually adjust your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. Declining cookies may limit some features of the Site.
How We Use Your Information
Foothold Counseling collects and uses your personal and device information to:
Respond to inquiries you submit through the Site
Schedule consultations or appointments you have requested
Send you the resources, newsletters, or information you have signed up for
Improve and optimize the Site, including understanding which pages and resources are most helpful to visitors
Maintain the security and proper functioning of the Site
We use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors interact with the Site. You can read more about how Google handles this data at https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/, and you can opt out of Google Analytics at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Booking a Consultation Through Our Website
Foothold Counseling offers a free consultation that you can book directly through our website using a scheduling tool embedded from Sessions Health, our secure client management platform. When you use this scheduler to book a consultation, the information you enter (such as your name, email address, phone number, and any details you provide about what you are looking for) is submitted to Sessions Health, not stored on our website.
Sessions Health is a HIPAA-compliant platform built specifically for mental health practices. Information you submit through the scheduler is handled under their security and privacy standards, which you can review at sessionshealth.com.
If you would prefer not to use the scheduler, you can also reach out through the website contact form or by emailing us directly. We are happy to schedule by email if that feels more comfortable.
Sharing Your Information
We will never sell, rent, or lease the personal information you share with us.
Foothold Counseling may share limited information with trusted service providers (for example, our website host, email marketing platform, or scheduling software) so they can perform the work we have hired them to do. These providers are required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we have authorized.
We may also disclose personal information without notice if required by law, or in good faith belief that doing so is necessary to:
Comply with a subpoena, court order, or legal process
Protect and defend the rights or property of Foothold Counseling
Act under emergency circumstances to protect the personal safety of our clients, our team, or the public
Email and Marketing Communications
If you sign up to receive emails from Foothold Counseling, you can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send. We do not share your email address with outside marketers.
Links to Other Websites
This website may contain links to other sites, including the websites of professional organizations, recommended resources, or trusted partners. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those other sites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of any site you visit that collects personally identifiable information.
Security of Your Personal Information
Foothold Counseling takes reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. When sensitive information is transmitted through the Site, it is protected through encryption, including the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.
That said, no method of transmitting information over the internet or any wireless network is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, you acknowledge that there are inherent security limitations to internet communication that are outside our control.
Communicating With Our Clinicians
If you are a current client of Foothold Counseling, please communicate with your therapist directly through the secure client portal (Sessions Health) rather than through the website contact form or general practice email. The client portal is set up to handle protected health information securely. Email and contact forms are not intended for clinical communication.
If you are not yet a client and you are reaching out to ask a question or schedule a consultation, the website contact form is the right place to start. Please share only what you are comfortable sharing in your initial message.
Data Retention
If you submit information through our website, we will keep it for our records as long as it is reasonably needed to respond to your inquiry, support your relationship with the practice, or comply with legal and regulatory requirements. You can request that we delete your information at any time by contacting us at the email address listed at the end of this policy.
Children Under 13
Foothold Counseling does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information through this website from children under the age of 13. Our youngest direct clients are adolescents 13 and older, and intake for minors is handled by their parent or guardian, not through self-service forms on the website. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted information through the Site, please contact us so we can remove it.
Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA)
If you become a client of Foothold Counseling, your protected health information is governed by our separate Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which we provide to you at intake. The NPP outlines your rights under HIPAA, including how your health information may be used and disclosed and how you can access it. The website privacy policy you are reading now does not replace or modify the NPP.
Insurance and Medicare
Foothold Counseling is a private-pay practice. We do not bill insurance directly, and a superbill can be provided upon request for clients with out-of-network benefits.
[PLACEHOLDER pending Sandy's confirmation] Sandy Boone has opted out of Medicare under §§1128, 1156, or 1892 of the Social Security Act. If you are Medicare-eligible and choose to work with us, you will be asked to sign an Opt Out Private Contract acknowledging that you (or your legal guardian or representative) are solely responsible for the cost of treatment. Working with a provider who has not opted out of Medicare may result in lower out-of-pocket costs for eligible services.
Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills (No Surprises Act)
Under the federal No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges before scheduling non-emergency services with a provider who is out-of-network or who you are paying for without using insurance. Foothold Counseling will provide you with a written Good Faith Estimate as part of your intake process.
What is balance billing?
When you see a healthcare provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, like a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. You may have additional costs if you see a provider or visit a facility that is not in your health plan's network. Out-of-network providers may bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged. This is called balance billing.
You are protected from balance billing for:
Emergency services. If you have an emergency medical condition and receive emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most that provider may bill you is your plan's in-network cost-sharing amount.
Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center. When you receive services from an in-network facility, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan's in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, and intensivist services.
You are never required to give up your protections from balance billing, and you are not required to receive care out-of-network. You can always choose a provider in your plan's network.
If you believe you have been wrongly billed:
If you believe you have been wrongly billed, you may contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) by visiting cms.gov/nosurprises or calling 1-800-985-3059.
More information about your rights under federal law is available at cms.gov/nosurprises.
Non-Discrimination
Foothold Counseling is committed to providing care without discrimination. We welcome clients of every race, ethnicity, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, ability status, country of origin, age, and faith tradition or absence of one. Our team works to create a space where you can be honest about who you are and what you are carrying, without performing or filtering.
If at any point in your work with us you feel unseen, dismissed, or harmed because of who you are, we want to know. You can contact us at the email below to share that feedback directly.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, our technology, or applicable legal and regulatory requirements. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you stay informed about how we are protecting your information.
Questions or Concerns
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to update or delete information we have collected about you, or want to share a concern about how your information was handled, please reach out:
Foothold Counseling
Email: admin@footholdcounseling.com
Website: footholdcounseling.com