Privacy Policy

Introduction

At MindLyfe Limited, your privacy is our top priority. We are a Ugandan teletherapy platform dedicated to providing mental health support to students within educational institutions across Uganda. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our services.

We understand the sensitive nature of mental health services and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality and data protection. This policy complies with applicable Ugandan data protection laws and international best practices, including the Google API Services User Data Policy.

Information We Collect

Google Account Information

When you sign in using your Google account, we access your basic profile information to authenticate your identity and provide access to our services. This includes:

• Your name and email address
• Profile picture (if available)
• Google account identifier for authentication

Student and Therapist Information

To provide our teletherapy services within your educational institution, we collect:

• Your name, email address, and phone number
• Your role (student or therapist)
• Your educational institution or organization
• Student ID (for students, if provided by your institution)
• Professional credentials and specialization (for therapists)

Therapy Session Information

As a mental health platform, we handle sensitive information related to your therapy sessions:

• Appointment scheduling and attendance records
• Session notes and documentation (maintained by therapists)
• Chat messages between students and therapists
• Session recordings (only if explicitly consented to)

All therapy-related information is treated with the highest level of confidentiality and is only accessible to you, your assigned therapist, and authorized personnel within your institution as required.

Usage Data

We collect information about how you use our application to improve our services:

• Features you access and how you interact with them
• Time spent on the platform and session duration
• Device information (browser type, operating system, IP address)
• Error logs and technical diagnostics

Google Calendar Integration (For Therapists)

When therapists connect their Google Calendar to MindLyfe, we access:

• Calendar events to check therapist availability and prevent double-booking
• Email address to verify the correct account is connected
• Permission to create, update, and delete calendar events for therapy appointments
• Ability to add Google Meet video conferencing links to appointments

We only access calendar data when students book, reschedule, or cancel appointments. All OAuth tokens are encrypted using industry-standard AES-256 encryption and stored securely. Therapists can disconnect their calendar at any time from their account settings.

How We Use Your Information

To Provide Teletherapy Services

Your information is used to deliver mental health support services within your educational institution:

• Authenticate your identity when you sign in with your Google account
• Connect students with qualified therapists within their institution
• Schedule and manage therapy appointments
• Facilitate secure video, audio, and chat sessions
• Maintain therapy records and session documentation

To Personalize Your Experience

We use your Google user data and profile information to:

• Customize your dashboard and interface
• Match students with appropriate therapists based on needs and availability
• Provide relevant resources and support materials
• Remember your preferences and settings

To Improve Our Services

Aggregated and anonymized data helps us enhance MindLyfe for all users:

• Analyze usage patterns to improve functionality and user experience
• Identify and fix technical issues
• Develop new features based on user needs
• Ensure platform performance and reliability

To Communicate with You

We use your email address to send important notifications:

• Appointment reminders and confirmations
• Session notifications and updates
• Important policy changes or service updates
• Security alerts and account notifications

For Calendar Integration

When therapists connect their Google Calendar, we use the access to check availability, create appointment events with Google Meet links, and prevent scheduling conflicts. This ensures students can book appointments at times when therapists are actually available.

How We Share Your Information

We Do Not Sell Your Data

MindLyfe Limited does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or any other commercial purposes. Your privacy and trust are fundamental to our mission.

With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit permission to do so. For example, if you authorize us to share session information with a healthcare provider outside the platform.

Within Your Educational Institution

Since MindLyfe serves students within educational institutions, we may share limited information with your institution's authorized personnel:

• Appointment attendance records (to verify service usage)
• Aggregated usage statistics (to assess program effectiveness)
• Emergency information (only in cases of immediate safety concerns)

We do not share the content of therapy sessions or detailed clinical information with institutions unless required by law or with your explicit consent.

With Service Providers

We work with trusted service providers who help us operate MindLyfe:

• Cloud hosting providers for secure data storage
• Email service providers for appointment reminders and notifications
• Payment processors for handling institutional payments
• Google services for authentication and calendar integration

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the specific services they provide to us. They cannot use your data for their own purposes.

For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your information if required by Ugandan law or in response to valid legal requests:

• To comply with court orders or legal processes
• To respond to lawful requests from government authorities
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of MindLyfe, our users, or the public
• In cases of immediate danger or risk of harm

Data Storage and Security

Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your Google user data and all other information:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL protocols
• AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest, including OAuth tokens
• Secure authentication using Google Sign-In
• Access controls limiting who can view your information
• Regular security audits and monitoring
• Secure video conferencing for therapy sessions

Data Retention

We retain your Google user data and other information only as long as necessary:

• Active account data is retained while you use MindLyfe services
• Therapy records are retained according to professional standards and institutional requirements
• Usage data is retained for service improvement purposes
• Data is deleted or anonymized when no longer needed, unless a longer retention period is required by law

Data Location

Your data is stored securely on cloud servers. While we primarily serve Ugandan students, data may be processed and stored on servers located outside Uganda to ensure reliability and performance. We ensure that all data transfers comply with applicable data protection requirements.

Your Rights and Choices

Access and Update Your Data

You can access and update your Google user data and profile information through the settings in our application. You have the right to review what information we have about you and request corrections if anything is inaccurate.

Data Deletion

You can request the deletion of your Google user data and account by contacting our support team at info@mindlyfe.org. Please note that:

• Some information may be retained for legal or institutional requirements
• Therapy records may be retained according to professional standards
• Anonymized data may be retained for research and service improvement

Calendar Disconnection

Therapists can disconnect their Google Calendar integration at any time from their account settings. Disconnecting will revoke MindLyfe's access to your calendar, though previously created appointments will remain in your calendar unless manually deleted.

Communication Preferences

You can manage your notification preferences in your account settings. However, certain communications (such as appointment reminders and important service updates) are necessary for the platform to function and cannot be disabled.

Compliance and Accountability

MindLyfe Limited is committed to transparency and accountability in our data practices:

• We regularly review our data practices to ensure compliance with this Privacy Policy
• We comply with the Google API Services User Data Policy for all Google user data
• We follow professional standards for mental health service providers in Uganda
• We maintain appropriate safeguards for sensitive health information
• We conduct regular security audits and assessments

Third-Party Services

Our platform integrates with trusted third-party services to provide the best experience:

• Google Sign-In: For secure authentication using your Google account
• Google Calendar: For therapist appointment scheduling and availability management
• Google Meet: For video conferencing links in therapy appointments

These services have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review Google's Privacy Policy to understand how they handle your data.

Students and Minors

MindLyfe serves students within educational institutions in Uganda. Many of our users are under 18 years old. We work closely with educational institutions to ensure appropriate consent and oversight. If you are under 18, your institution has authorized your access to MindLyfe services. Parents and guardians should contact your educational institution for information about student mental health services.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• We will notify you through our application or via email for significant changes
• Your continued use of MindLyfe after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: