Terms & Conditions
Effective date: July 18, 2026
These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) are an agreement between you and Mattie Chein, LCSW (“we,” “us,” or “the practice”). Together with our Privacy Policy, they govern your use of the website mattiecheinlcsw.com (the “Website”) and all content and materials on it. By accessing or using the Website, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of them, please do not use the Website.
The Website is informational only
Everything on the Website, including blog posts, FAQs, and descriptions of therapy, is provided for general information and education. It is not therapy, counseling, or medical or mental health advice, and it is not a substitute for care from a qualified professional who knows your situation. Reading the Website, sending us a message, or booking a consultation does not create a therapist-client relationship. That relationship is established only through a completed intake process and a signed agreement between you and the practice.
If you are in crisis
The Website is not monitored for urgent messages and is not a crisis resource. If you are in crisis, or thinking about harming yourself or someone else, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. In an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Who may use the Website
To access or use the Website, you must be 18 years of age or older and have the power and authority to enter into these Terms. You are financially responsible for any services purchased or booked through the Website, or through its scheduling links, whether by you or by someone acting on your behalf.
The information and resources on the Website are subject to change. We make no representation or warranty that the information provided, regardless of its source, is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free, and we disclaim liability for any inaccuracy, error, or incompleteness. We may withdraw or amend the Website, or any material on it, at our sole discretion without notice, and we will not be liable if all or part of the Website is unavailable at any time. From time to time, we may restrict access to some parts of the Website or to the entire Website.
Acceptable use
You may use the Website for lawful purposes only. You agree not to post or transmit through the Website any material that violates or infringes the rights of others; that is threatening, abusive, defamatory, invasive of privacy, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable; or that encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any law. You also agree not to use the Website in any way that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair it, or interfere with anyone else’s use of it, and not to obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through means not intentionally made available through the Website.
Our intellectual property
The Website and its content, including text, graphics, logos, photographs, design, and any software used on the Website, are the property of the practice or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Website for your personal, non-commercial use, strictly in accordance with these Terms.
You may not modify, publish, transmit, reverse engineer, sell, create derivative works from, distribute, display, reproduce, or in any way exploit any of the Website’s content, in whole or in part, without our prior written consent. The practice’s name, logo, and all related names and marks may not be used without our prior written permission, and all other names, logos, and marks appearing on the Website are the trademarks of their respective owners. We reserve the right to block access to the Website for anyone who violates this section.
Scheduling and third-party services
Consultations and appointments are scheduled through Cal.com, a third-party scheduling service with its own terms and privacy policy. The Website also links to third-party websites and resources, including our Psychology Today profile and social media pages. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, content, or policies of any third-party website or service, and a link does not imply endorsement or affiliation. You use third-party websites and services at your own risk.
Privacy
Your use of the Website is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes what the Website collects and why, and is incorporated into these Terms. If you become a client, your health information is protected under HIPAA as described in our Notice of Privacy Practices. Both documents are available on the Website.
No warranties
While we make reasonable efforts to keep the content on the Website free from errors, we do not warrant its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or fitness for any particular purpose. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE WEBSITE AND ALL RELATED INFORMATION AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, OR GUARANTEES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
We do not warrant that the Website will be error-free, uninterrupted, or free from viruses or other malicious code. You are responsible for ensuring that the way you access the Website does not expose your own systems to risk, and all information transmitted to or from the Website is transmitted at your own risk.
Limitation of liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ANY RESOURCES, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES AVAILABLE THROUGH THE WEBSITE. THIS INCLUDES, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH ANY FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE, ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DELETION, DEFECT, DELAY, COMPUTER VIRUS, OR SYSTEM FAILURE; ANY LOSS OF REVENUE, ANTICIPATED PROFITS, BUSINESS, SAVINGS, GOODWILL, OR DATA; AND ANY THIRD-PARTY THEFT OF, DESTRUCTION OF, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO, ALTERATION OF, OR USE OF YOUR INFORMATION OR PROPERTY, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY AND EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
IN STATES THAT DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES, OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU EXCEED THE TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE OF ANY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES YOU HAVE PURCHASED FROM THE PRACTICE.
Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from and against any losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, and any third-party claims or causes of action, arising out of your breach of these Terms or your use of the Website and its content. You agree not to settle any such third-party claim or waive any defense without our prior written consent.
Changes to these Terms
We may amend these Terms and our Privacy Policy at any time. The date of the most recent revision appears in the effective date at the top of this page, and amendments are effective once posted on the Website. If you continue to use the Website after revisions are posted, your continued use constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
Governing law, jurisdiction, and mediation
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, are governed by the laws of the State of California, and the courts of California have jurisdiction over any dispute arising in relation to them. You agree that any proceeding relating to use of the Website must be filed exclusively in the appropriate courts located in California, and you submit to the jurisdiction of those courts and waive any objection based on an inconvenient forum.
The parties agree to attempt to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms by mediation, and that good-faith participation in mediation is a condition precedent to pursuing any other available legal or equitable remedy, including litigation.
Severability, entire agreement, and waiver
The headings in these Terms are for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation. If any portion of these Terms is held unenforceable or contrary to law, that portion will be construed as nearly as possible to reflect the intent of the original provision, and the remainder will stay in full force and effect. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the practice regarding the Website and supersede all prior agreements and understandings between us. A waiver by us of any breach or right under these Terms is not a waiver of any other or subsequent breach or right, and no waiver is binding unless executed in writing by us. All rights not expressly granted in these Terms are reserved by us.
Contact
The owner of this Website is Mattie Chein, LCSW. Questions about these Terms are welcome by phone at 917-300-8419 or by email at Mattie@mattiecheinlcsw.com.