1. Information only

Everything on this website, including our blog, is general information. It is not medical, mental health, or legal advice, and it is not a substitute for care from a qualified professional.

2. No therapy relationship until you are a client

Using this site, sending a message, or having a free 15-minute consultation does not create a therapist-client relationship. That begins only after you complete intake, sign our consent forms, and we agree to work together.

3. Not for emergencies

We cannot respond to crises through the website, email, or voicemail. If you or someone else is in danger, call 911. For emotional crisis or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), anytime.
4. Our clinicians

Our team includes licensed clinicians (LMHC, LCSW), clinicians with limited permits (MHC-LP), and an advanced clinical intern. Clinicians with an "LP" designation and interns work under the supervision of a licensed professional, as New York law requires. Credentials are listed on each bio.

5. Our methods and results

Somatic therapy, Hakomi, IFS, EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing are different therapeutic approaches. Research support varies by method and condition, and none of them can promise a particular result. Testimonials reflect individual experiences and do not predict yours. Testimonials are shared with written consent, and the people quoted are former [current/former] clients who were not compensated [confirm]. confirmed

6. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP)

• Ketamine is a controlled substance. The FDA has approved esketamine (a related nasal spray) for treatment-resistant depression, but has not approved ketamine for treating mental health conditions. Using it for therapy is "off-label."
• We are not a medical clinic. Independent licensed medical providers assess your eligibility, prescribe the medicine, and handle your medical care. Somatic Psychotherapy provides the psychotherapy. [Confirm the exact arrangement and who the medical partners are.] Confirmed
• Ketamine is not right for everyone. Risks can include dissociation, higher blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, confusion, and, with repeated use, bladder problems and dependence. You must be screened first, and you must not drive or operate machinery afterward.
• KAP is for adults.
• In Group KAP, we ask members to keep each other's information private, but we cannot guarantee they will.
• Nothing here is a promise of improvement.

7. Online therapy

Online sessions are available only to people physically located in New York State at the time of the session. They have limits, including technology failures and the difficulty of responding to an emergency from a distance. You will review and sign a telehealth consent before your first session.

8. Fees and insurance

We are out-of-network and do not bill insurers directly. We cannot guarantee that your plan will reimburse you. Please check your benefits before starting.

9. Supervision and consultation

Our supervision and consultation services are for professional development. They do not replace your own legal, ethical, or clinical judgment or your licensing board's requirements.

10. Links and content

We are not responsible for third-party sites we link to. All content on this site belongs to Somatic Psychotherapy. Please do not copy or reuse it without written permission.

11. Accessibility

We want everyone to be able to use this site. If something is not working for you, email us and we will help promptly.

12. Limits of liability

To the extent New York law allows, the website is provided "as is." We are not liable for losses arising from your use of the website or reliance on its general information. This does not limit any rights you have under law, and it does not apply to the care you receive as a client, which is governed by your signed agreements and professional standards.

13. Governing law

This page is governed by New York law. Any dispute relating to the website will be brought in the state or federal courts located in  New York.

Information Needed Before Publishing

Everything below is needed from the client or the web team before the policy can be finalized. The "Used in" column shows where each answer lands in the draft.

A. Information Needed from the Client
# What We Need Used In Why It Matters
1 Legal entity name (e.g., PLLC) and effective date.
Provided: Sybil Ottenstein Mental Health Counselor, PLLC (DBA Somatic Psychotherapy). 		Header The policy has to name the actual business that holds the data.
2 Privacy contact: name, title, and email.
Provided: Sybil Ottenstein, Owner, hello@somaticpsychotherapycenter.com. 		Privacy 13, 17 HIPAA expects a named contact for privacy questions and complaints.
3 Full address with ZIP code for Brooklyn and the address for the Manhattan office.
Status: Addresses are already on record. 		Privacy 17 Contact details must be complete and match the website.
4 Existing Notice of Privacy Practices (or confirmation that none exists) and a link.
Provided: https://somaticpsychotherapycenter.com/legal 		Privacy 1, 7, 13 A HIPAA-covered provider must post its notice prominently on its website.
5 Confirmation of HIPAA status and the list of vendors with signed Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). Privacy 1, 6, 9 Any vendor that handles client health information needs an appropriate agreement when required by HIPAA.
6 Names of the scheduling, video, email/newsletter, payment, and records (EHR) platforms.
Provided: Zoom, Google, and SimplePractice. 		Privacy 6, 9 Lets us name or accurately describe each provider.
7 Whether AI tools are used for notes, transcription, or summaries.
Provided: No. 		Privacy 9 If such tools are used, appropriate client consent and vendor agreements may be required.
8 How minors are handled: minimum age for therapy and parent/guardian consent process.
Provided: The practice works with adults only. 		Privacy 14 The website says 16+, but intake rules for minors may differ. The website should be updated to reflect the actual policy.
9 Record retention periods for inquiries and clinical records.
Provided: Per New York State (NYS) standards. 		Privacy 11 Must match the practice's actual policy and New York requirements.
10 KAP details: medical partner names, who prescribes, consent forms, and group confidentiality agreement.
Provided: See above. 		Disclaimer 6 The disclaimer must match who actually provides the medical care.
11 Telehealth consent form and the requirement that clients must be in New York during sessions.
Provided: Yes. 		Disclaimer 7 The website says "statewide," so the client's location at session time must be confirmed.
12 Testimonials: written consent on file, current or former clients, and any compensation.
Provided: Consent is on file; testimonials are from former clients; no compensation. 		Disclaimer 5 Professional ethics codes and FTC rules apply to testimonials.
13 Credentials and supervisors for MHC-LP clinicians and the advanced clinical intern; LMHC supervisors. Disclaimer 4 Supervision must be disclosed accurately.
14 Preferred court venue (Kings County or New York County).
Provided: Kings County. 		Disclaimer 13 Sets where disputes would be heard, subject to applicable law.
15 Name of the attorney who will review the final text.
Provided: Mary Lynn McDermott, Esq. 		All Required step before publishing.
B. Information Needed from the Web Team (Digital Guider)
# What We Need Used In Why It Matters
1 Full audit of the Google Tag Manager container (GTM-MZ35XTN6), including every tag that fires and the pages on which it fires. Privacy 4, 5 Decides whether any advertising language stays in the policy.
2 Confirm whether Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Google Ads, or LinkedIn tags are installed. Privacy 4, 5 The old policy admits Google and Meta retargeting. Health inquiries must not be sent to advertising platforms.
3 Identify what the CleanTalk spam pixel collects and where it sends data. Privacy 3, 6 It loads on every page and is not described in the old policy.
4 Decide whether to honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) and Do Not Track (DNT) signals. Privacy 5 The old policy claimed to respect these signals while also describing retargeting.
5 Confirm whether a cookie banner or consent management tool exists. Privacy 5 Needed if any non-essential cookies remain, subject to applicable consent requirements.
6 Identify all forms (contact, intake, booking) and confirm where each form sends data. Privacy 3, 6 Each form must be described accurately and hosted on an appropriately secure platform.

C. Changes to make on the website

1. Remove or gate advertising trackers on the contact, booking, and service pages, or get explicit consent first. Neither Google nor Meta signs the agreements HIPAA requires.
2. Make the newsletter opt-in. The contact page currently says contacting the practice also subscribes you. Replace it with an unchecked box.
3. Publish a Notice of Privacy Practices as its own page and link it from the footer and Privacy 1.
4. Replace the current /legal page. Remove the GDPR-style rights list, the "Do Not Track" claim, the "no transfers outside the US" claim, the AI content ownership section, and the "contact us before legal action" accessibility clause.
5. Fix testimonial attributions. On the home page, the name shown under several quotes does not match the therapist being praised (for example, Sybil's name appears under a quote about Sierra). - Can you change this??
6. Add a short crisis line (911 and 988) to the footer or the contact page.
7. Consider splitting the page into /privacy-policy and /legal-disclaimer, with the footer linking to both.

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