Inspired Psychology Call or text (858) 215-2545

Notice of Privacy Practices

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Laura-Beth Fitzpatrick, Psy.D.
Inspired Psychology, Inc.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
California PSY 31518 | Hawaiʻi PSY 1842
(858) 215-2545
hello@inspiredpsychology.com

Effective October 1, 2026

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

This Notice of Privacy Practices explains how Inspired Psychology, Inc. may use and disclose your protected health information, your rights regarding that information, and my responsibilities for protecting your privacy.

If you have questions about this Notice or my privacy practices, please contact:

Laura-Beth Fitzpatrick, Psy.D.
Inspired Psychology, Inc.
(858) 215-2545
hello@inspiredpsychology.com

My responsibilities

I am required by law to:

  • maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;
  • provide you with this Notice describing my legal duties and privacy practices;
  • follow the privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect;
  • notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured protected health information; and
  • comply with applicable federal and state privacy laws.

Federal law provides a baseline of privacy protection. When California or Hawaiʻi law provides greater protection for your health information than HIPAA, I follow the more protective law when it applies.

I maintain electronic health records through SimplePractice and use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect electronic health information.

Outside companies or individuals that perform services for Inspired Psychology and require access to protected health information are required, when applicable, to enter into appropriate agreements requiring them to safeguard that information.

How I may use and disclose your information

HIPAA permits certain uses and disclosures of protected health information without a separate written authorization. State law or my practice policies may provide additional protections.

Treatment

I use your health information to provide and coordinate your psychological care.

HIPAA generally permits health-care providers to share relevant health information with other providers for treatment and coordination of care. Mental-health information may receive additional protection under state law, and separately maintained psychotherapy notes receive additional protection under HIPAA.

As a practice policy, I generally obtain your written authorization before communicating with an outside physician, psychiatrist, therapist, or other treatment provider unless disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law or is necessary in an emergency or safety situation.

Payment

I may use or disclose health information as necessary to obtain payment for services. This may include information provided to:

  • your health insurance company;
  • Headway when your insurance services are administered through Headway;
  • Thrizer when you elect to use its out-of-network claim services;
  • payment processors;
  • billing services; or
  • other entities involved in processing payment or insurance claims.

Information disclosed for payment may include your name and identifying information, dates of service, diagnosis, procedure codes, fees, and other information reasonably necessary for the claim or payment process.

Health care operations

I may use health information when necessary to operate the practice and provide appropriate care. Examples may include:

  • appointment scheduling;
  • appointment reminders;
  • billing and bookkeeping;
  • quality assessment and improvement;
  • professional consultation;
  • credentialing;
  • legal or regulatory compliance;
  • practice administration;
  • security and technology services; and
  • reviewing or improving the quality of services.

People or companies assisting the practice receive access only as permitted by applicable privacy law and contractual requirements.

Your choices about certain disclosures

For certain types of disclosures, you may tell me your preferences.

Family members, friends, and others involved in your care

I generally do not disclose information about your treatment to family members, partners, friends, or other people involved in your life without your permission.

If you want me to communicate with another person about your treatment, I may ask you to complete a written authorization.

There are limited circumstances in which the law may permit disclosure without written authorization, such as an emergency, when you are incapacitated, or when disclosure is necessary to protect health or safety.

When appropriate, I will attempt to consider your preferences before making such a disclosure.

Disaster relief

When legally permitted and necessary, limited information may be disclosed to an organization assisting in disaster-relief efforts so that family or others involved in your care can be informed about your condition or location.

Uses and disclosures permitted or required by law

I may use or disclose protected health information without your authorization when the law permits or requires it. Examples include the following.

Abuse or neglect. I may be required to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or dependent adult.

Serious threats to health or safety. When permitted or required by law, I may disclose information necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of another person.

Health oversight. Information may be disclosed to legally authorized health-oversight agencies for activities such as audits, investigations, inspections, disciplinary proceedings, credentialing, or licensing activities. This can include disclosures to a licensing board when legally authorized.

Judicial and administrative proceedings. Health information may sometimes be requested in connection with a court proceeding, subpoena, court order, administrative proceeding, or other legal process. Psychological records receive significant legal protection. A subpoena alone does not necessarily mean that records will automatically be released. I will respond to legal demands in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

Law enforcement. Information may be disclosed to law-enforcement officials when specifically permitted or required by law.

Workers' compensation. Information may be disclosed when authorized or required by laws relating to workers' compensation or similar programs.

Public health activities. Information may be disclosed when authorized or required for certain legally recognized public-health purposes.

Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors. Information may be disclosed when permitted by law to coroners or medical examiners for activities such as identifying a deceased person or determining cause of death.

Specialized government functions. Certain disclosures may be permitted for specialized government functions when authorized by law.

Required by law. I may use or disclose your protected health information when another law requires me to do so.

HIPAA compliance. I must disclose protected health information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when requested as part of an investigation or review of my compliance with HIPAA.

When the HIPAA minimum-necessary standard applies, I make reasonable efforts to limit the information used or disclosed to what is reasonably necessary for the permitted purpose.

Psychotherapy notes

HIPAA provides special protection for psychotherapy notes.

Under HIPAA, psychotherapy notes are notes created by a mental-health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of psychotherapy conversations that are maintained separately from the regular clinical record.

Psychotherapy notes are different from ordinary progress notes and do not include information such as diagnosis, treatment plans, symptoms, prognosis, progress to date, session start and stop times, frequency or modality of treatment, or clinical-test results.

If I maintain separate psychotherapy notes, most uses or disclosures of those notes require your specific written authorization.

There are limited exceptions permitted by law, including certain uses by the therapist who created the notes, certain legally required disclosures, health-oversight activities, responding to legal proceedings initiated by the client, and circumstances involving serious threats to health or safety.

Your regular clinical record is not considered a psychotherapy note merely because it contains information about psychotherapy.

Uses and disclosures that require your written authorization

Uses or disclosures that are not otherwise permitted or required by law generally require your written authorization. Your written authorization is generally required for:

  • most uses or disclosures of separately maintained psychotherapy notes;
  • uses or disclosures of protected health information for marketing when authorization is required by HIPAA;
  • the sale of protected health information; and
  • other disclosures that are not otherwise permitted by federal or state privacy law.

Inspired Psychology does not sell your protected health information. I do not currently use your protected health information for fundraising.

If I seek your authorization to disclose information, the authorization will describe the information to be disclosed, the person or entity receiving it, and the purpose of the disclosure.

You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on that authorization or as otherwise provided by law.

Substance use disorder records

Federal law provides additional protections for certain records created by or received from federally assisted substance use disorder treatment programs that are subject to 42 CFR Part 2.

If Inspired Psychology receives or maintains information that is protected by Part 2, that information will be handled in accordance with applicable Part 2 and HIPAA requirements.

Part 2 records generally receive additional protection against being used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against a patient.

Such records generally may not be used or disclosed in such proceedings against you unless you specifically consent in writing or a court order meeting applicable Part 2 requirements authorizes the use or disclosure.

Federal law also permits certain consents for future treatment, payment, and health-care-operations uses and disclosures of Part 2 information. If you provide such consent, you may revoke it as permitted by law.

Your rights

You have important rights concerning your protected health information.

Right to inspect and obtain a copy of your record

You generally have the right to inspect or obtain a copy of your clinical record, subject to limited exceptions permitted by law.

For records subject to California law, a written request to inspect records will generally be accommodated within five working days. A written request for copies of records subject to California law will generally be fulfilled within 15 days after the request is received, subject to applicable legal exceptions and requirements.

When your records are maintained electronically and you request an electronic copy in a readily producible format, I will provide the records electronically as required by applicable law.

Reasonable, legally permitted fees may be charged for copying, supplies, postage, or other allowable costs.

Psychotherapy notes maintained separately from the clinical record are subject to different access rules and generally are not included in the HIPAA right of access.

In limited circumstances, access to some information may be denied or provided through another process when permitted by law. If access is denied, I will provide information about the denial and any review rights that apply.

Right to request an amendment

If you believe information in your clinical or billing record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask me to amend it. I may deny the request in certain circumstances permitted by law.

If I deny your request, I will provide a written explanation, and you may have the right to submit a statement of disagreement that becomes part of your record.

Right to request confidential communications

You may ask me to communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular location. For example, you may ask that I contact you only through the client portal, at a particular telephone number, or at a particular mailing address. I will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.

Right to request restrictions

You may ask me not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health-care operations. I am not required to agree to every restriction.

If I agree to a restriction, I will comply with it except as otherwise permitted by law, such as when information is needed for emergency treatment.

If you pay for a health-care service in full out of pocket and ask me not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health-care operations, I will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.

Right to an accounting of disclosures

You may request a list, or accounting, of certain disclosures of your protected health information.

The accounting generally covers disclosures during the previous six years and does not include certain disclosures, such as many disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health-care operations; directly to you; pursuant to your authorization; or as otherwise excluded by law.

Additional accounting rights may apply to certain Part 2 records as federal requirements evolve.

Right to choose someone to act for you

If you have given someone medical power of attorney or another person is legally authorized to act on your behalf, that person may exercise your privacy rights as permitted by law. I may verify that the individual has appropriate legal authority before acting on a request.

Right to be notified of a breach

You have the right to be notified if a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs and notification is required by law. When required, notice will be provided without unreasonable delay and within the timeframe established by applicable law.

Right to receive a copy of this Notice

You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously received it electronically.

California privacy protections

California law provides additional protections for medical and psychological information in some circumstances.

Among other protections, California law may impose additional limitations on disclosures of information concerning outpatient psychotherapy and may require additional procedures before certain psychotherapy information may be released.

When California law provides greater protection than HIPAA, I will comply with the more protective requirement.

Hawaiʻi privacy protections

When Hawaiʻi law or professional regulations provide greater protection for psychological information than HIPAA, those protections will also be followed when applicable.

Hawaiʻi professional rules require psychologists to maintain confidentiality, inform clients of the limits of confidentiality, restrict professional discussion of client information to appropriate purposes and persons, and make provisions for protecting confidential records.

Business associates

Inspired Psychology may use outside individuals or companies to perform services necessary to operate the practice. Examples may include electronic health-record services, billing services, technology services, legal or accounting services, and other administrative support.

When an outside party qualifies as a HIPAA business associate and has access to protected health information, an appropriate Business Associate Agreement will be used as required by law.

Research

Inspired Psychology does not currently conduct clinical research involving clients.

If that changes, protected health information will be used or disclosed for research only as permitted by applicable law. Participation in a research study would not be required as a condition of receiving psychotherapy, and you would be provided with appropriate information and consent procedures when required.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact me directly:

Laura-Beth Fitzpatrick, Psy.D.
Inspired Psychology, Inc.
(858) 215-2545
hello@inspiredpsychology.com

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. You may submit a complaint through the Office for Civil Rights complaint process or contact HHS for assistance.

I will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising your privacy rights.

Changes to this Notice

I reserve the right to change this Notice and my privacy practices as permitted by law. Changes may apply to protected health information I already maintain as well as information received in the future.

When this Notice is materially revised, the revised Notice will be available upon request and will be made available through the practice as required by law.

The current Notice of Privacy Practices will also be made available on the Inspired Psychology website.

Please do not send health information through this website

This website and ordinary email are not secure clinical channels. When you first get in touch, please don't include diagnoses, medications, symptoms, treatment details, or other protected health information.

For a first enquiry, share only what you need to in order to arrange an introductory conversation: your name, how to reach you, and a general sense of what you're looking for. We can talk about the rest once we're speaking.

Once you are an established client

You'll have access to a secure, HIPAA-compliant client portal for messaging, scheduling, intake paperwork and records. Anything clinical belongs there rather than in ordinary email or through this website.

If you are in crisis

Please don't wait for a reply here. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or call 911. The San Diego Access & Crisis Line is available 24 hours at (888) 724-7240.

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