Privacy Policy

<article>
  <h1>Privacy Policy</h1>
  <p><strong>Last updated:</strong> June 18, 2026</p>

  <p>
    Serenity Mental Health &amp; Counseling Services ("Serenity", "we", "our", or "us")
    respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store,
    and protect information when you use the Serenity mobile application, website,
    and related counseling booking services.
  </p>

  <h2>1. Information We Collect</h2>
  <p>We may collect the following information:</p>
  <ul>
    <li>Account information, such as your name, email address, password, and login method.</li>
    <li>Profile and intake information that you choose to provide, including form responses used to support counseling services.</li>
    <li>Booking information, such as counselor, session type, appointment date and time, participants, notes, meeting type, and booking status.</li>
    <li>Payment-related information, such as payment method, payment status, transaction references, or uploaded payment confirmation images.</li>
    <li>Communication information, such as support requests, contact forms, notifications, and messages related to your bookings.</li>
    <li>Technical information, such as device type, app version, push notification token, IP address, log data, and basic usage information.</li>
  </ul>

  <h2>2. Sensitive Health and Counseling Information</h2>
  <p>
    Some information you provide may relate to your mental health, counseling needs,
    personal history, or wellbeing. We treat this information as sensitive and use it
    only to provide, manage, improve, and protect the services.
  </p>

  <h2>3. How We Use Information</h2>
  <p>We use information to:</p>
  <ul>
    <li>Create and manage your account.</li>
    <li>Verify your email address and reset your password.</li>
    <li>Book, manage, approve, reject, cancel, or complete counseling sessions.</li>
    <li>Share relevant booking and intake information with the counselor involved in your service.</li>
    <li>Send service messages, OTP codes, booking updates, reminders, and notifications.</li>
    <li>Provide customer support and respond to questions.</li>
    <li>Maintain security, prevent misuse, debug issues, and improve app reliability.</li>
    <li>Comply with legal, safety, accounting, and operational requirements.</li>
  </ul>

  <h2>4. Sharing Information</h2>
  <p>
    We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only when needed:
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>With counselors and authorized staff to provide and manage services.</li>
    <li>With service providers that help us operate the app, such as hosting, storage, email delivery, push notifications, and payment support.</li>
    <li>When required by law, legal process, safety obligations, fraud prevention, or to protect rights and security.</li>
    <li>With your consent or at your direction.</li>
  </ul>

  <h2>5. Data Storage and Security</h2>
  <p>
    We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect
    your information. No system is completely secure, so you should protect your account
    password and notify us if you believe your account has been misused.
  </p>

  <h2>6. Data Retention</h2>
  <p>
    We keep information for as long as needed to provide services, maintain booking and
    payment records, comply with legal or accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and
    protect our users and services. When information is no longer needed, we may delete,
    anonymize, or securely retain it as required.
  </p>

  <h2>7. Your Choices</h2>
  <p>
    You may update some account information in the app. You may request help to access,
    correct, or delete certain information, subject to identity verification and legal,
    safety, and operational limits. Some booking, payment, or counseling records may need
    to be retained even after an account deletion request.
  </p>

  <h2>8. Notifications</h2>
  <p>
    We may send push notifications, emails, or in-app messages related to account security,
    OTP verification, appointments, service updates, and important notices. You can manage
    device notification permissions in your device settings.
  </p>

  <h2>9. Children</h2>
  <p>
    The service is intended for users who can lawfully use counseling and booking services.
    If a parent, guardian, or authorized person uses the service for a minor or another
    participant, they are responsible for providing accurate information and obtaining any
    required consent.
  </p>

  <h2>10. Emergency and Crisis Situations</h2>
  <p>
    Serenity is not an emergency service. If you or someone else may be in danger, at risk
    of self-harm, or experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, contact local
    emergency services or go to the nearest emergency facility immediately.
  </p>

  <h2>11. Changes to This Policy</h2>
  <p>
    We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be shown
    in the app or on our service with a new "Last updated" date.
  </p>

  <h2>12. Contact Us</h2>
  <p>
    If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please
    contact Serenity through the Contact Us section in the app or through the official
    contact details provided by Serenity Mental Health &amp; Counseling Services.
  </p>
</article>