Privacy Policy
At Centred Wellness your privacy is our priority. This policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your personal information in compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
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/
What is Personal Information and Why Do We Collect It?
Personal Information is information or an opinion that identifies an individual. This includes Health Information, which is information about the physical or mental health or disability of an individual, and Sensitive Information. Sensitive Information is defined in the Privacy Act to include details such as an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record, or health information.
Examples of Personal Information we collect include names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, residential addresses, date of birth, religious affiliation, medical information relevant to the service being provided, psychological history, goals/reasons for counselling, and emergency contact information.
We obtain this Personal Information through various methods, including intake forms, interviews, correspondence, telephone, email, our website www.centredwellness.com.au, your IP address, media and publications, other publicly available sources, cookies, practice management software (e.g., Zanda), and third parties where applicable and with consent. Please note that we do not guarantee the privacy policies of authorised third parties.
We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing our services to you. We may also use your Personal Information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure. You may unsubscribe from our mailing/marketing lists at any time by contacting us in writing.
Sensitive Information will be used by us only for the primary purpose for which it was obtained, for a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose, with your consent, or where required or authorised by law.
Centred Wellness will only request and retain Personal Information that is necessary for the services we are providing. When we collect Personal Information, we will explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.
Third Parties
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 (e.g. other health services). In such a case, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the information provided to us by the third party.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Your Personal Information may be disclosed in a number of circumstances, including the following:
- Third parties where you consent to the use or disclosure
- Where required or authorised by law
Security of Personal Information
All information obtained during treatment is kept confidential and secure, except:
- to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of you or another person;
- to outside agencies with your or your representative’s permission;
- with written consent from a person with lawful authority;
- or when required by law, or to fulfil legislative obligations such as mandatory reporting and court subpoena.
- Security and Destruction of Personal Information.
In the course of treatment, Personal Information is collected to enable treatment. All notes taken in the course of treatment and all communications (such as from e-mails, text messages or phone calls) relating to treatment become a part of your clinical records.
Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
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 your Personal Information. However, most of the Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years.
Access to Your Personal Information
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. In order to protect your Personal Information, we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.
Maintaining the Quality of Your Personal Information
It is important to us that your Personal Information is up to date. We will take reasonable steps to make sure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. If you find that the information we have is not up-to-date or is inaccurate, please advise us as soon as practicable so we can update our records and ensure we can continue to provide quality services to you.
Policy Updates
This Policy may change from time to time and is available on our website.
Privacy Policy Complaints and Enquiries
If you have any queries or complaints about this Privacy Policy, please contact Candyce.