Counselling in Melbourne is committed to providing quality therapeutic services to you. This policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information, ensuring the confidentiality and security of your personal and health data is protected. Our commitment to your privacy is a cornerstone of the trust and safety essential for effective therapy.
We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). The APPs govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure, and dispose of your Personal Information. Our practices are also aligned with the stringent ethical guidelines of the professional bodies our practitioners are registered with, including the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at https://www.oaic.gov.au/.
This Personal Information is obtained through methods such as our secure online client intake forms, correspondence, telephone conversations, email, and directly during your counselling sessions with our therapists.
We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing quality counselling, psychotherapy, and psychological services to you. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to this primary purpose, such as managing appointments, processing payments, and, if you consent, providing you with relevant information about our services. You may unsubscribe from any general mailing lists at any time by contacting us in writing.
When we collect Personal Information, we will explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.
Sensitive information is a specific type of personal information that requires a higher level of protection. For a counselling service, the majority of information we collect is sensitive information.
This is defined in the Privacy Act and includes information about an individual’s:
This sensitive information will be used by us only:
Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your Personal Information only from you. However, in some circumstances, we may be provided with information by third parties. For example, we may receive a referral letter or a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP. Should you be referred to a different specialist within Counselling in Melbourne (e.g., from an individual therapist to a couples counsellor), relevant information may be shared between practitioners with your explicit consent to ensure continuity of care.
The therapeutic relationship is built on trust, and the content of your sessions is held in the strictest confidence. However, there are important legal and ethical limits to this confidentiality that all clients must be aware of.
Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse, loss, and from unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Counselling in Melbourne uses secure, Australian-compliant practice management software with encryption for all digital records. Any physical files are stored in secure, locked filing cabinets accessible only to authorized personnel.
When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify it. By law, health records must be kept for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the last service. For clients who were under 18 years of age at the time of their last session, records must be kept until they would have turned 25.
You may access the Personal Information we hold about you and request to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing.
Counselling in Melbourne will not charge a fee for your access request, but may charge a reasonable administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information, which involves collating records and ensuring compliance. Please note that access may be denied in specific circumstances, such as if providing the information would pose a serious threat to the life or health of yourself or any other individual.
In order to protect your Personal Information, we will require proof of identity from you before releasing the requested information.
It is important that your Personal Information is up to date. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your details are accurate, complete, and current. If you find that the information we have is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise our administration or your therapist as soon as practicable so we can update our records and continue to provide quality services to you.
Privacy Policy Complaints and Enquiries
If you have any queries or complaints about our Privacy Policy please contact us at:
Suite 903/530 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Counselling in Melbourne Psychologists
