Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of the Mindful Journey Counseling website and the therapy services we provide. Please read carefully. By using our website, requesting a consultation, or entering into treatment with us, you agree to these Terms.

01Acceptance of Terms

These Terms are a binding agreement between you (“you,” “client,” or “user”) and Mindful Journey Counseling LLC (“Practice,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), a South Carolina limited liability company. By accessing our website at mindfuljcounseling.org, scheduling a consultation, or engaging in clinical services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy & Notice of Privacy Practices.

If you do not agree, please do not use the website or engage our services. Clinical clients will also be asked to sign additional informed-consent documents at intake.

02Description of Services

Mindful Journey Counseling provides outpatient mental health services, including individual psychotherapy, anxiety-focused therapy, and clinical supervision, delivered by Rosalyn Smith, LISW-CP and any associated qualified clinicians. Services are offered both in person in Columbia, South Carolina, and via telehealth in jurisdictions where we are licensed.

Therapy is a collaborative process. While we draw on evidence-informed practices and our clinical experience, the outcome of therapy depends on many factors and cannot be guaranteed. We make no warranties or guarantees about specific results.

03Not for Emergencies

By agreeing to these Terms, you acknowledge that you understand the practice is not an emergency service and agree to use the resources above in a crisis.

04Telehealth Services

Telehealth services are conducted via a HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platform with which we have a signed Business Associate Agreement. By participating in telehealth, you acknowledge the following:

• Telehealth involves the use of electronic communications to enable services at different locations;
• The same standards of practice and ethical obligations that apply to in-person therapy apply to telehealth;
• Telehealth may not be appropriate for all clinical situations; we may recommend in-person care, a higher level of care, or refer you to another provider if clinically indicated;
• Technology failures may interrupt sessions; we will work with you to resume by phone or reschedule;
• You are responsible for ensuring your environment is private, secure, and free of distractions during sessions;
• You must be physically located in a state in which we are licensed at the time of the session.

States Where We Are Licensed

You agree to inform us if you travel outside these states or experience a change in your primary residence before any scheduled session.

05Eligibility & Licensure

To receive services, you must be at least 18 years of age. Services are provided under the license of Rosalyn Smith, LISW-CP (Licensed Independent Social Worker — Clinical Practice) and other licensed professionals associated with the practice.

We are not authorized to provide therapy to individuals located in states or jurisdictions in which we are not licensed. It is your responsibility to confirm your location at the start of each telehealth session.

06Scheduling & Cancellation Policy

Appointments may be scheduled through our secure client portal or by contacting the practice directly. Standard session length is 50–55 minutes unless otherwise agreed.

Late-cancel and no-show fees are not reimbursable by insurance and are your responsibility. Reasonable exceptions may be made for emergencies on a case-by-case basis at our sole discretion.

07Fees & Payment

Current self-pay session rates are:

• Initial intake (55–60 min) — $140
• Ongoing session (55 min) — $125
• 45-minute session — $110
• 30-minute session — $90

Payment by credit or debit card is due at the time of service. Rates may be updated from time to time with advance written notice; the rates above are current as of the effective date of these Terms. Outstanding balances more than 60 days past due may be subject to a stop-service hold and may be referred to a collections process consistent with applicable law.

08Insurance & Out-of-Network

Mindful Journey Counseling is currently in-network with the following plans:

• Aetna, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Cigna — in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and South Carolina;
• Anthem BCBS of Georgia — in Georgia;
• Ascension (Smart Health) — in Texas;
• BCBS of North Carolina — in North Carolina.

If you have one of these plans, applicable copays, coinsurance, and deductibles remain your responsibility and are due at the time of service. For all other plans, services are provided on a self-pay basis at the rates listed above. Upon request, we can provide a superbill (receipt of services) that you may submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement. We make no representations about the amount, if any, your insurer will reimburse.

You are responsible for verifying your mental health benefits, including in-network status, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, allowed amounts, and any pre-authorization requirements, directly with your insurance company before your first session. Your insurance contract is an agreement between you and your insurer; Mindful Journey Counseling is not a party to that agreement. Our list of accepted plans may change over time; please contact us to confirm current participation before scheduling.

09Good Faith Estimate & the No Surprises Act

Under the federal No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. We provide a Good Faith Estimate upon scheduling and upon request to any uninsured or self-pay client.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you may be able to dispute the bill through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process. For more information, visit cms.gov/nosurprises or ask us directly.

10Confidentiality & Its Limits

What you share in therapy is protected by federal and state confidentiality laws, including HIPAA and the South Carolina mental health confidentiality statutes. Please see our Notice of Privacy Practices for a full description of how we use and protect your information.

There are limits to confidentiality. We are legally and ethically required to disclose information without your authorization in the following situations:

• Imminent risk of harm to yourself or another identifiable person;
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly adult, or vulnerable adult;
• Court orders or subpoenas issued under applicable law;
• Information requested by licensing boards or regulatory authorities conducting authorized investigations;
• Other disclosures required or permitted by law (see the Notice of Privacy Practices).

We will discuss the limits of confidentiality with you at intake and again at any point during treatment if questions arise.

11Records & Retention

We maintain clinical records as required by professional ethics and applicable state and federal law. South Carolina requires that adult mental health records be retained for at least the minimum period specified by state law, after which records may be securely destroyed.

You have the right to access and request copies of your records as described in our Notice of Privacy Practices. Psychotherapy notes, when maintained separately, are subject to heightened protection and may not be available for direct release.

12Communication Policy

We use a secure client portal for clinically related communication, scheduling, and documents. Please use the portal for any messages that include sensitive or clinical content.

Email & Text Messages

Standard email and SMS text messages are not secure. We use them only for non-clinical, administrative communication (e.g., appointment reminders) and we will never request or share clinical information through these channels. By providing your phone number or email, you consent to receive administrative communications. You may opt out at any time.

Response Times

Non-urgent messages are typically returned within one to two business days. We do not respond to messages outside of business hours, on weekends, or on holidays. For urgent clinical or crisis matters, please follow the guidance in Not for Emergencies above.

13Social Media Policy

To protect your confidentiality and the integrity of the therapeutic relationship, we do not accept friend or connection requests from current or former clients on any social media platform. We will not respond to direct messages, comments, or other social-media communications that include clinical content. If you encounter us in public, online, or via any social platform, we will not acknowledge the therapeutic relationship unless you do so first.

14Termination of Services

You may end therapy at any time and for any reason. We may end the therapeutic relationship if:

• It is clinically appropriate (e.g., goals have been met or a different level of care is needed);
• Continued treatment is no longer effective or appropriate;
• You request termination;
• You have an outstanding balance that has not been resolved after reasonable notice;
• You repeatedly miss or late-cancel sessions;
• You engage in threatening, harassing, or abusive behavior toward our staff;
• Continued treatment would create an ethical, legal, or safety concern.

Where clinically appropriate, we will provide reasonable notice and offer referrals to other qualified providers.

15Website Use

You agree to use the website only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of, restrict, or inhibit any third party's use of the site. You agree not to:

• Use the site for any purpose unlawful under applicable law;
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the site or its systems;
• Introduce viruses, malicious code, or harmful materials;
• Scrape, harvest, or otherwise collect information from the site by automated means without our prior written consent;
• Use the site to impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation with any person.

16Intellectual Property

All content on the website — text, photographs, graphics, logos, the Mindful Journey Counseling name and marks, page design, and arrangement — is owned by or licensed to Mindful Journey Counseling LLC and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may view and download content for your personal, non-commercial use only. No content may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used without our prior written consent.

17Disclaimers

Information on our website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reading our website does not create a therapist-client relationship. Always seek the advice of a qualified mental health or medical provider with any questions you may have regarding a condition.

THE WEBSITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

18Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, MINDFUL JOURNEY COUNSELING LLC AND ITS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR DATA, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR THESE TERMS, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Nothing in this section limits liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law, including any liability for our professional clinical services as governed by our professional license and applicable state law.

19Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Mindful Journey Counseling LLC and its owners, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising from: (a) your use or misuse of the website; (b) your violation of these Terms; or (c) your violation of any third-party right, including any intellectual property or privacy right.

20Governing Law & Venue

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or related to them or to the services we provide shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South Carolina, without regard to its conflicts-of-laws principles. Exclusive venue and jurisdiction shall lie in the state and federal courts located in Richland County, South Carolina, except where required otherwise by applicable law.

21Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises out of these Terms, the website, or our services, we encourage you to contact us first so we can attempt to resolve it informally. If informal resolution is not successful, the parties agree to attempt to mediate the dispute in good faith before initiating litigation, except where injunctive or equitable relief is required.

This section does not limit your right to file a complaint with the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, or any other regulatory body with jurisdiction.

22Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated through the website. Your continued use of the website or services after the effective date of a revised version constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

23Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be severed and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

24Contact

For questions about these Terms, billing, scheduling, or any other matter not requiring crisis intervention, please contact us: