Privacy Statement

1. Anonymity is the default

Our booking form does not require your real name. You can submit it with a nickname, initials, or anything you feel comfortable with. We do not collect:

• Your legal name (unless you give it to us)
• Your social security number or any government ID
• Your school login or school ID
• Your parents' or guardians' contact information

We collect only what we need to schedule a session and pair you with a counselor.

2. What we ask for, and why

• A name or nickname, so your counselor knows how to address you in session.
• A way to reach you, an email, throwaway address, or phone number so we can confirm a time. We recommend using a contact method you don't share with family.
• How you're feeling and what's on your mind, so we can match you with the right counselor and prepare for the conversation.
• Optional: county, school, age range, only to improve matching. Always optional.

3. What we do not do

• We do not record sessions, audio or video.
• We do not write down identifying details. Counselors keep brief, anonymous reflection notes for their own training only.
• We do not contact your parents, guardians, school, or any other adult in your life, unless you ask us to.
• We do not sell, share, or monetize any of your information. Ever.
• We do not use tracking cookies or third-party analytics that profile you.

4. The one exception, keeping you alive

If you tell us during the intake form or a session that you are in immediate danger of seriously hurting yourself or someone else, we will help connect you with professional crisis resources (such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or local emergency services). We do this because we care about you, not because of any policy or institution. We will explain what we are doing, and we will not leave you alone in that moment.

5. Data retention

After your session is scheduled and completed:

• Contact details (email, phone) are deleted within 30 days unless you ask us to keep them so we can follow up.
• Intake form responses are anonymized and used only to improve our matching and training. Identifying fields are stripped.
• You can request that all your information be deleted at any time by emailing projectigyb@gmail.com.

6. Counselor confidentiality

Every Project:IGYB counselor signs a confidentiality pledge as part of training. They learn:

• What can be shared in supervision (anonymized themes only, never your identity).
• When and how to refer you to a licensed professional, always with your knowledge.
• The legal duty to seek help when there is imminent risk of harm.

If a counselor ever breaches confidentiality outside these limits, they are removed from the program.

7. Technical safeguards

• Our forms are served over HTTPS.
• We avoid storing IP addresses linked to intake responses.
• Sessions are held over end-to-end consumer-grade tools you can choose (Google Meet, Zoom, or text). We do not record on our end.

8. Your rights

You always have the right to:

• Know what information we have about you.
• Ask us to delete all of it.
• End a session at any time, for any reason, with no questions asked.
• Reach a human at projectigyb@gmail.com with any privacy concern.

9. A note on legal limits

Project:IGYB peer counselors are trained students. They are not licensed therapists, psychologists, or social workers. They are not mandated reporters under most state laws, but they are bound by our internal duty-of-care described above. If you need a licensed clinician for a diagnosis, for medication, or for ongoing therapy we will help you find one. We are a complement to professional care, not a replacement for it.

10. Updates to this statement

If we update this statement, we'll post the new version here with a clear "last updated" date. Material changes will be highlighted on our home page for at least 30 days. The version below is current.

Last updated: May 2026