Notice of Privacy Practices
Transformative Healing Pathways
Aurelie Zephir, LMFT
Effective Date: September 16, 2026
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This notice describes how health and mental health information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can access this information, and the rights you have regarding your information.
Please review it carefully.
Federal law requires covered health care providers to explain their privacy practices, individuals’ privacy rights, and how protected health information may be used or disclosed. Covered providers that maintain a website describing their services must also make the Notice of Privacy Practices available on that website.
Your Rights
You have rights regarding the health information maintained about you.
You may request access to your records
You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of health information maintained about you. Access to certain information may be limited when permitted by law.
Under federal law, health information is generally provided within 30 days of a valid request. Different state timelines may apply when they provide you with greater rights.
You may ask to correct your record
If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask that it be corrected or amended.
A request may be denied in circumstances permitted by law. If a request is denied, you will be informed as required by applicable law.
You may request confidential communication
You may ask me to communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular telephone number, email address, or mailing address.
Reasonable requests for confidential communication will be honored.
You may ask me to limit what is used or shared
You may ask me not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
I am not always required to agree to your request.
If you pay for a health care service in full out of pocket and ask that information about that service not be shared with your health insurer for payment or health care operations, that restriction will generally be honored unless disclosure is required by law.
You may request an accounting of certain disclosures
You may request information about certain disclosures of your protected health information made during the six years before your request.
Certain disclosures are not included in this accounting, such as many disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations and disclosures you specifically authorized.
You may request a copy of this notice
You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.
You may choose someone to act for you
If another person has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as through a valid health care power of attorney or guardianship arrangement, that person may exercise applicable privacy rights on your behalf after their authority has been verified.
You may file a complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact:
Aurelie Zephir, LMFT
Privacy Contact, Transformative Healing Pathways
Email: azephir@transformativehealingpathways.com
Phone: (737) 331-1658
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
You will not be retaliated against or denied services because you filed a privacy complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you may tell me how you would like that information shared and with whom.
For example, you may tell me whether information may be shared with family members, close friends, or others involved in your care when applicable.
Written authorization is generally required for uses and disclosures not otherwise permitted by law, including most uses of psychotherapy notes, the sale of protected health information, and certain marketing activities.
If you give written authorization, you may generally revoke that authorization in writing later, except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on it.
How Your Information May Be Used or Shared
To provide treatment
I may use your health information to provide psychotherapy and coordinate your care.
When appropriate and permitted by law, information may also be shared with another health care professional involved in your treatment.
To operate the practice
Your information may be used as necessary to operate Transformative Healing Pathways, maintain records, manage services, communicate with you, support quality of care, and perform other lawful health care operations.
To receive payment
Your information may be used as necessary to collect payment for services.
Transformative Healing Pathways is a private pay practice and does not bill insurance directly.
If you request a superbill for possible out of network reimbursement, the superbill may contain information such as diagnosis, dates of service, procedure codes, provider information, and fees. You are responsible for submitting the superbill to your insurance company.
When required or permitted by law
Health information may be disclosed when federal or state law requires or permits disclosure.
This may include certain circumstances involving suspected abuse or neglect, serious threats to health or safety, legal or regulatory requirements, health oversight activities, judicial proceedings, law enforcement requests, or other situations specifically authorized or required by law.
Any disclosure will be limited according to applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
Psychotherapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes, as specifically defined under federal law, receive additional privacy protection when they are maintained separately from the rest of the clinical record.
Written authorization is generally required for most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, except for limited circumstances permitted by law.
Substance Use Disorder Records
If Transformative Healing Pathways receives or maintains substance use disorder patient records that are protected under 42 CFR Part 2, those records receive additional federal confidentiality protections.
Federal rules limit how certain Part 2 records may be used or disclosed, including restrictions on using those records in certain civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against a patient without appropriate consent or legal authority.
As of February 16, 2026, the federal Notice of Privacy Practices requirements were updated to include information about applicable Part 2 substance use disorder records.
Electronic Records and SimplePractice
Transformative Healing Pathways uses SimplePractice for functions that may include clinical records, intake documents, secure messaging, scheduling, billing information, and telehealth.
Once you become a client, your SimplePractice client portal will be used for many practice related documents and communications.
Please avoid sending detailed clinical information through ordinary website forms or regular email when a secure method of communication is available.
Additional Privacy Rights for California Clients
California law provides additional protections for medical and mental health information.
Confidentiality of medical information
California generally prohibits health care providers from disclosing a patient’s medical information without authorization except when disclosure is specifically permitted or required by law. California also provides additional protections related to information from outpatient psychotherapy.
Access to your records
Subject to applicable legal exceptions, California clients have the right to request access to their records.
A health care provider generally must permit inspection of records during business hours within five working days after receiving a valid request.
When a client requests a copy of records that the client has a right to inspect, the provider generally must transmit those copies within 15 days after receiving the request.
Requests may be subject to reasonable identity verification and other requirements or exceptions provided by California law.
Authorization to disclose information
California law contains specific requirements regarding authorization before medical information is released. When California law provides greater confidentiality protection than federal law, the more protective requirement will be followed.
California licensing complaints
Clients may contact the California Board of Behavioral Sciences regarding concerns about the professional conduct of a licensed marriage and family therapist. The Board accepts consumer complaints concerning possible unprofessional conduct by its licensees.
Additional Privacy Rights for Texas Clients
Texas law provides additional confidentiality protections for mental health information.
Confidentiality of mental health records
Under Texas law, communications between a patient and a mental health professional, as well as records concerning a patient’s identity, diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment, are confidential. They may be disclosed only as authorized or required by applicable law.
Electronic disclosure of protected health information
Your protected health information may be created, maintained, transmitted, or disclosed electronically as part of providing and administering your care.
Texas law requires notice when protected health information is subject to electronic disclosure. This website notice is intended in part to provide that general notice.
Texas law may require separate authorization before certain electronic disclosures of protected health information. Separate authorization is not required for certain disclosures permitted by law, including qualifying disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, or disclosures otherwise authorized or required by state or federal law.
Access to electronic health records
When applicable under Texas law and the electronic health record system is capable of fulfilling the request, requested electronic health records generally must be provided in electronic form no later than the 15th business day after a valid written request, unless an exception applies or another form is agreed upon.
How to request your records
To request access to records maintained by Transformative Healing Pathways, submit your request to:
Aurelie Zephir, LMFT
Transformative Healing Pathways
Email: azephir@transformativehealingpathways.com
Your identity may need to be verified before records are released.
Texas licensing and consumer complaints
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council regulates marriage and family therapists in Texas and provides information about filing professional complaints.
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council
1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 7.300
Austin, Texas 78701
Complaint information: 1 800 821 3205
Texas law now requires covered entities to prominently provide website instructions for requesting health records, contacting the applicable licensing authority, and filing consumer complaints.
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council also requires licensees to inform clients that complaints regarding professional misconduct may be filed with the Council.
Additional State Privacy Protections
Depending on where you receive services, state law may provide confidentiality protections that are greater than those available under federal law.
When applicable California or Texas law provides greater protection for your health or mental health information, Transformative Healing Pathways will follow the more protective requirement.
My Responsibilities
I am required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as required by applicable law.
If a breach occurs that compromises the privacy or security of protected health information and notification is legally required, affected individuals will be notified.
I must follow the duties and privacy practices described in the current version of this notice.
I will not use or disclose your information in ways not described in this notice unless you provide written permission or another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law.
If you provide written permission, you may generally change your mind later by notifying me in writing, subject to actions already taken based on that permission.
Changes to This Notice
The terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices may change in the future.
Changes may apply to information already maintained by Transformative Healing Pathways as well as information received after the change.
The current version of this notice will be available on this website and will be provided upon request.
Questions or Privacy Concerns
If you have questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices, your privacy rights, or how your information is handled, contact:
Aurelie Zephir, LMFT
Transformative Healing Pathways
Privacy Contact
Email: azephir@transformativehealingpathways.com
Phone: (737) 331-1658
You may also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights regarding federal health privacy rights or to file a HIPAA complaint.