Privacy Policy for Positive Growth Counselling
Last Updated: [Insert Current Date, e.g., October 26, 2023]
At Positive Growth Counselling, your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information are of paramount importance. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, protect, and disclose your personal and sensitive information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and ethical guidelines.
By engaging with our services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
1. What Personal Information Do We Collect?
We collect information necessary to provide you with the best possible counselling services and to manage our practice effectively. This may include:
- Contact Information: Your name, address, email address, and phone number.
- Demographic Information: Date of birth, gender, and cultural background (where relevant to your care).
- Health Information (Sensitive Information): This includes details about your physical and mental health, medical history, medications, previous treatments, and information shared during counselling sessions.
- Family and Social History: Information about your relationships, family background, and social circumstances relevant to your therapeutic goals.
- Payment Information: Details required for billing and processing payments (e.g., credit card information, Medicare/NDIS details, Workers’ Compensation claim numbers).
- Enquiry Information: Details provided when you make an initial enquiry, even if you do not proceed with a booking.
2. How Do We Collect Your Information?
We collect information in several ways:
- Directly from You: When you contact us via phone, email, our website enquiry form, complete intake forms, or during your counselling sessions.
- From Third Parties (with your consent): With your explicit consent, we may collect information from other healthcare providers (e.g., your GP, psychiatrist), referrers (e.g., EAP providers), or relevant agencies (e.g., Workers’ Compensation, NDIS).
- Indirectly: Via our website analytics (e.g., IP address, browser type – this data is typically de-identified and used for improving our website).
3. Why Do We Collect Your Information?
We collect your information for the following primary purposes:
- To Provide Counselling Services: To understand your needs, assess your situation, develop appropriate treatment plans, and deliver effective therapeutic interventions.
- To Manage Our Practice: For appointment scheduling, billing, processing payments, and maintaining accurate client records.
- To Communicate with You: To send appointment reminders, respond to your enquiries, and provide information relevant to your care.
- For Legal and Ethical Obligations: To comply with professional standards, legal requirements (e.g., mandatory reporting), and insurance/funding body requirements.
- To Improve Our Services: De-identified data may be used for internal quality improvement or statistical purposes.
4. How Do We Use and Disclose Your Information?
Your personal and sensitive information is treated with the utmost confidentiality.
- Internal Use: Your information is primarily used by your assigned psychologist and the administrative team at Positive Growth Counselling to facilitate your care and manage our services.
- Disclosure to Third Parties (with your consent): We will only disclose your information to third parties (e.g., other healthcare professionals, family members, legal representatives) with your explicit written consent, or as required by law.
- Confidentiality Limits: There are strict limits to confidentiality, as required by law or professional ethical guidelines, which include:
- If your psychologist believes you are at serious risk of harm to yourself or others.
- If there is a mandatory reporting obligation (e.g., child protection concerns).
- If subpoenaed by a court of law.
- For administrative purposes, such as billing or liaison with funding bodies (e.g., Medicare, NDIS), where limited information may be shared to process claims.
- Supervision and Professional Development: Psychologists regularly engage in professional supervision. While discussing client cases, identifying information is always removed to protect your privacy.
- De-identified Data: We may use de-identified information for research, service evaluation, or training purposes, ensuring your identity is completely protected.
5. How Do We Store and Protect Your Information?
We are committed to protecting your information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
- Secure Storage: Your records are stored securely, primarily in electronic format within encrypted, password-protected practice management systems. Physical records, if any, are stored in locked cabinets in secure premises.
- Access Control: Only authorised personnel (your psychologist and administrative staff) have access to your information, based on their roles and responsibilities.
- Data Security Measures: We employ robust technical and organisational measures, including firewalls, secure networks, and regular security audits, to safeguard your data.
- Retention: We retain client records for the period required by relevant professional guidelines and legal obligations.
6. Accessing and Correcting Your Information
You have the right to:
- Request Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you. This request should be made in writing. We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access, reflecting the cost of retrieval and supply.
- Request Correction: Request corrections to any information you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
We will respond to your requests within a reasonable timeframe, typically 30 days. In certain circumstances, we may decline your request to access or correct information, in accordance with applicable laws (e.g., if providing access would pose a serious threat to your life or health, or to the life or health of another individual).
7. Website and Cookies
Our website may use “cookies” to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small data files placed on your device. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of the website. We may also use website analytics to understand how our website is used, but this data is generally anonymous.
8. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most current version will always be posted on our website, with the “Last Updated” date revised accordingly.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about our Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
Positive Growth Counselling : admin@positivegrowthcounselling.com
We take all privacy complaints seriously and will respond promptly to address your concerns.