Notice of Privacy Practices

Our pledge

Health information about you and your care is personal. We keep a record of the care and services you receive from us, because we need it to give you good care and because the law requires it. This notice applies to all of the records of your care held by Zen Life Counseling, at either office and in our online sessions. It describes how we may use and disclose health information about you, the rights you have over that information, and the duties we have.

The law requires us to:

• Keep protected health information that identifies you private.
• Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
• Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
• Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

We may change the terms of this notice, and any change applies to information we already hold about you. The current notice will always be available in our offices, on this page, and on request.

How we may use and disclose your health information

For treatment, payment, and health care operations

Federal privacy rules allow providers who have a direct treatment relationship with you to use and disclose your health information, without written authorization, to carry out treatment, payment, and health care operations. For example, your therapist may consult with another licensed provider about your condition in order to help with diagnosis and treatment, and we submit claims and the information your insurance carrier or EAP requires for billing, authorization, and benefit administration.

Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard, because providers need the full record to deliver quality care. "Treatment" includes coordination and management of your care with third parties, consultations between providers, and referrals from one provider to another.

Lawsuits and disputes

If you are involved in a lawsuit, we may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information.

Uses that require your written authorization

1. Psychotherapy notes. We keep psychotherapy notes as that term is defined in 45 CFR §164.501. Any use or disclosure of those notes requires your authorization, unless the use or disclosure is: for our own use in treating you; for training or supervising mental health practitioners; for defending ourselves in a legal proceeding you bring; for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate our compliance with HIPAA; required by law, and limited to what that law requires; required by law for health oversight activities concerning the originator of the notes; required by a coroner performing duties authorized by law; or required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.
2. Marketing. We will not use or disclose your health information for marketing purposes.
3. Sale of information. We will not sell your health information.

Uses that do not require your authorization

Subject to limits in the law, we may use and disclose your information without authorization in these situations:

1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, limited to what that law requires.
2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, an elderly person, or a person with a disability, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health or safety.
3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order — though we prefer to obtain your authorization first.
5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on our premises.
6. To coroners or medical examiners performing duties authorized by law.
7. For research purposes, under the safeguards the law requires.
8. For specialized government functions, such as military missions, protective services, intelligence activities, or the safety of people working in or housed in correctional institutions.
9. For workers' compensation purposes, to comply with workers' compensation laws — though we prefer to obtain your authorization first.
10. For appointment reminders, and to tell you about treatment alternatives or other services we offer.

When you have a chance to object

We may give your health information to a family member, friend, or other person you indicate is involved in your care or in paying for your care, unless you object in whole or in part. In an emergency, your agreement may be obtained afterwards.

Your rights

• To ask us to limit what we use or disclose. You may ask us not to use or disclose certain information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree, and may decline if we believe it would affect your care.
• To restrict disclosure when you pay out of pocket in full. If you pay for a service in full yourself, you may require us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations purposes. We must honor this request when the information relates solely to the service you paid for.
• To choose how we contact you. You may ask us to reach you a particular way — a specific phone number, or mail to a different address. We will agree to all reasonable requests.
• To see and get copies of your record. Other than psychotherapy notes, you have the right to an electronic or paper copy of your record and other information we hold. We will respond within 30 days of your written request, and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• To get a list of disclosures we have made. You may request a list of disclosures of your information made for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations. We will respond within 60 days. The list covers the last six years unless you ask for a shorter period, and is free once a year; we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests in the same year.
• To correct or update your record. If you believe something in your record is wrong or incomplete, you may ask us to correct it or add the missing information. We may decline, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
• To get a copy of this notice. You have the right to a paper copy of this notice, and to receive it by email. Even if you agree to receive it by email, you may still ask for a paper copy.
• To be told if your information is breached. We will notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can complain — to us, to the State of Texas, or to the federal government. We will not retaliate against you in any way for making a complaint, and it will not affect your care.

To us

Contact Pei-yih Bryan Tzeng, MA, LPC-S at 817-778-9232, or write to us at 8098 Precinct Line Rd, Ste 110, Colleyville, TX 76034.

To the State of Texas

Our therapists are licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, which investigates complaints of professional misconduct.

Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 7.300, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 305-7700 or 1-800-821-3205 · bhec.texas.gov

To the federal government

You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There is no fee, and filing one costs you nothing in your care with us.

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F, Washington, DC 20201
1-877-696-6775 · hhs.gov/ocr/complaints

Texas law

Your records are also protected by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 611. Where Texas law gives you more protection than HIPAA, we follow Texas law.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice at any time. Changes apply to information we already hold as well as information we receive afterwards. The current version is always posted on this page and available in both offices.

Effective date: October 6, 2026