What you share with Marble City Counsel is treated as a confidential and sacred trust. We do not sell your information, and we do not disclose it to anyone outside the practice except as you authorize in writing or as described in this notice. Information is accessed only by those providing or stewarding your care, and only as needed to do so.
2. How your information is kept
Identifying details and the content of your sessions are stored encrypted at rest, and access to them is recorded for accountability. This reflects a standard of care equivalent to HIPAA safeguards, whether or not the practice is a HIPAA-covered entity.
Records are retained only as long as needed for your care and for good stewardship, and are then securely and permanently removed.
Backups of records are encrypted. Electronic communications you send (such as a contact form or email) are not a confidential or secure channel and should not be used for sensitive or urgent matters.
3. Limits of confidentiality
Confidentiality is firmly held, but it is not absolute. Disclosure may be required or permitted, and we may act, in the following situations:
Child abuse or neglect. Alabama law requires the reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect. Information learned outside of a privileged, confidential spiritual communication must be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Vulnerable or elderly adults. Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an aged or disabled adult who is unable to protect themselves may require or permit a report to the appropriate authorities.
Serious threat of harm. If you communicate a serious and specific threat of physical violence against a reasonably identifiable person, or present a serious and imminent risk of harm to yourself, we may take reasonable steps to protect you or others, including notifying the person at risk and law enforcement.
Your written authorization. We will disclose information you direct us to disclose, to the persons and for the purposes you specify in writing. You may revoke an authorization at any time, except as already acted upon.
Legal process. We may disclose information where required by valid legal process, subject to any privilege that applies.
4. The clergy-penitent privilege
Confidential communications made to your minister in his or her professional capacity as clergy, for the purpose of spiritual counsel, comfort, or confession, may be protected by the clergy-penitent privilege under Alabama law. This protection is real but limited, including by the situations described above, and it belongs to the relationship rather than being a guarantee against every disclosure.
5. Couples and family counsel
When care involves a couple or family, the relationship itself is the focus of care, and records are generally kept jointly. We do not agree to keep secrets between partners that would undermine the care; please raise any concern about this before we begin.
6. Your records
You may ask questions about the information we keep and how it is handled. Requests regarding your records will be considered in keeping with this notice, applicable law, and the nature of pastoral records, which differ from the clinical records of a licensed provider.
7. Electronic signature and acknowledgment
You agree that completing this notice online and typing your name constitutes your legal electronic signature, with the same effect as a handwritten signature. By signing, I confirm that I have received and read this Confidentiality & Privacy Notice and that I understand both the protection it provides and its limits.