Privacy Policy
Effective Date: August 8, 2026
Ellen May / The Emotional Health Ninja (“we,” “us,” “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have, in connection with our website (emotionalhealthninja.com) and the services we offer: BrainWorking Recursive Therapy (BWRT®), Somatic Experiencing, and Licensed Massage Therapy.
By using our website or engaging our services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
The Nature of Our Services
It’s important that you understand what our services are — and are not — because it affects how your information is handled.
BWRT® and Somatic Experiencing are nervous-system-focused coaching and wellness approaches. They are not medical care, psychotherapy, counseling, or the diagnosis or treatment of any medical or mental health condition, and they do not require a medical, psychological, or mental health license to provide. These sessions may be offered in person or remotely by phone or video, to clients located anywhere in the United States or internationally.
Massage Therapy is a licensed profession. Massage services are provided only in person, and only to clients physically located in Washington State, by a therapist holding a valid Washington State massage therapy license (LMT).
Nothing in our services is intended to replace the advice or care of a licensed physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other qualified medical or mental health professional. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, please contact 911 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
Contact and identifying information — such as your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and, for massage clients, date of birth (as required for licensed massage practice in Washington).
Intake and session information — including information you voluntarily share on intake forms, during discovery calls, or during sessions, such as health history relevant to massage therapy (e.g., injuries, medical conditions, medications, areas of pain or tension), or information you share during BWRT® or Somatic Experiencing sessions about your history, triggers, patterns, or goals.
Payment information — processed through a third-party payment processor. We do not store full credit card numbers on our own systems.
Communications — records of emails, text messages (SMS), phone calls, and messages sent through our website contact or scheduling forms, including your consent to receive emails and/or SMS messages.
Website and technical information — such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and cookies collected through standard website analytics tools.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
Provide, schedule, and follow up on services (BWRT®, Somatic Experiencing, and massage therapy sessions); communicate with you about appointments, discovery calls, and your care; process payments; send you requested resources (such as our free guide) and, where you’ve consented, marketing emails or text messages; maintain accurate client records as required for licensed massage practice; improve our website and services; and comply with applicable legal, licensing, and regulatory obligations.
We do not sell your personal information.
HIPAA and Protected Health Information
We want to be transparent about how HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) applies to our practice.
BWRT® and Somatic Experiencing are not medical or mental health treatment, and we are not a “covered entity” or “business associate” under HIPAA with respect to these services. Information shared during these sessions is treated as confidential under this Privacy Policy, but it is not “Protected Health Information” (PHI) in the formal HIPAA sense.
Massage Therapy is a licensed healthcare-adjacent profession, and in the course of providing massage services we may collect health-related information (such as intake and health history forms) that resembles the type of information HIPAA is designed to protect. We are generally not required to comply with HIPAA as a “covered entity” for massage therapy unless we conduct certain electronic transactions (such as electronic insurance billing) that would trigger that status, which we do not currently do. However, as a matter of practice and respect for your privacy, we voluntarily apply safeguards consistent with HIPAA’s privacy and security principles to any health-related information collected in connection with massage therapy services — including limiting access to your records, storing information securely, and not disclosing your health information to third parties without your consent, except as described in this policy or required by law.
If our practice changes in a way that makes HIPAA formally applicable to any of our services, we will update this policy accordingly and provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices as required by law.
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share your information with:
Service providers who help us operate our business, such as payment processors, appointment scheduling software, email/text marketing platforms, and website hosting providers — each of whom is authorized to use your information only as needed to provide those services to us.
Legal and safety reasons, if required by law, subpoena, or court order, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of you or others.
Business transfers, if our business is sold, merged, or transferred, in which case client information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy or a materially similar one.
We do not disclose your intake, health, or session information to any third party for marketing purposes.
Out-of-State and International Clients
Because BWRT® and Somatic Experiencing sessions may be provided remotely by phone or video to clients located outside Washington State, elsewhere in the United States, or internationally, your information may be collected, stored, and processed in the United States. By using our remote services from another state or country, you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your home jurisdiction. If you are located outside the United States, please contact us with any questions about how your information is handled before booking a session.
Massage therapy services are provided exclusively in person in Washington State and are not offered remotely or to clients outside Washington.
Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate certain features, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use our site (for example, through website analytics tools). You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling cookies may affect how some parts of our website function.
Text Messaging (SMS) and Email Communications
If you opt in to receive text messages and/or emails from us (for example, when requesting our free guide or booking a session), we will use that information only to send you the communications you’ve agreed to receive, such as appointment reminders, resources, and marketing messages. You may opt out of text messages at any time by replying “STOP,” and you may unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any email. Message and data rates may apply. Opting out of marketing communications will not affect essential communications related to your scheduled sessions.
Data Security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or loss. This includes limiting who has access to client records and using secure, reputable third-party platforms for scheduling, payment processing, and communications. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain client information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide services, maintain business and licensing records (including records required to be kept under Washington massage therapy licensing regulations), comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or de-identify it.
Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information, which may include the right to: request access to the personal information we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate information; request deletion of your information, subject to our legal and recordkeeping obligations; and opt out of marketing emails or text messages at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 13 below.
Children’s Privacy
Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without parental or guardian consent. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without appropriate consent, please contact us so we can address it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or business practices. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised “Effective Date.” We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us at:
Ellen May / The Emotional Health Ninja 214 E Albany Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336 Or via our Contact page.
