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Privacy & Confidentiality

I take privacy seriously, both as a general obligation to anyone visiting this website and as a core part of how I practise as a counsellor. This page explains what information I collect, how I use and store it, and what confidentiality means in the context of counselling specifically — including its limits. The confidentiality and record-keeping practices described here follow the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and Practice, which I'm registered under, and reflect comparable standards set out in the PACFA Code of Ethics and PACFA's Guidelines on Client Records.

Website analytics

This site uses a lightweight, privacy-focused analytics tool (GoatCounter) to understand how many people visit, which pages they read, and what they've clicked. This tool doesn't use cookies, doesn't track you across other websites, and doesn't collect anything that identifies you personally. It gives me aggregate numbers only — how many visits, from roughly where, and which pages get read — not who visited.

Enquiries and bookings

If you get in touch through the contact form or booking system, I collect what you provide, typically your name, contact details, and anything you write in your message. This is used only to respond to you and, if you go ahead, to arrange and manage sessions. It isn't shared with third parties beyond the booking software itself, and isn't used for marketing.

Client records (session notes)

If you become a client, I keep clinical records of our work together. This is both a professional requirement and good practice — it helps me provide continuity of care and is expected under the ACA Code of Ethics and Practice, which requires client records to be kept securely, whether in digital or hard-copy form.

What I keep: brief session notes covering what we discussed, clinical observations, and any plans or referrals. I don't record sessions or keep verbatim transcripts.

How it's stored: records are kept in a secure, access-controlled system, separate from general business records. Only I have access to them.

How long I keep them: in line with standard practice for health records in Australia, adult client records are retained for at least 7 years after the last contact. Records for clients who were minors at the time of counselling are retained until they turn 25. After that period, records are securely destroyed.

Confidentiality — and its limits

Everything discussed in sessions is confidential. I don't share the content of our conversations with anyone else, including family members, without your consent, except in the following circumstances:

  • Risk of serious harm. If I believe there's a serious risk to your life or safety, or to someone else's, I may need to act to prevent that harm, which can include contacting emergency services or another relevant party.
  • Mandatory reporting. Counsellors in the ACT are subject to mandatory reporting obligations regarding the safety of children. If information raises a mandatory reporting concern, I'm legally required to act on it.
  • Legal requirement. If a court orders disclosure of records (for example, via subpoena), I may be legally required to comply, though I'll do what I reasonably can to protect your privacy within that process.
  • Clinical supervision. I discuss aspects of my work in professional supervision, as required by the ACA, but this is done in a way that protects your identity wherever possible.

Sessions themselves are private — they won't be recorded, overheard, or observed by anyone else without your informed consent, in line with ACA standards on session privacy.

The ACA requires these terms, and the degree of confidentiality offered, to be agreed with you clearly before counselling begins — so I'll always talk this through with you directly at the start of our work together, not just leave it on a page.

Data breaches

In the unlikely event of a data breach involving your personal information that's likely to result in serious harm, I'll notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), in line with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Your rights

You can ask to see the personal information I hold about you, ask me to correct it if it's wrong, and ask questions about how it's handled at any time. If you have a concern about how your information has been handled, you're welcome to raise it with me directly first. If it's not resolved to your satisfaction, you can make a complaint to:

Third-party services this site uses

  • GoatCounter — anonymous website analytics
  • [Booking/practice management software — name once chosen] — for scheduling and client records
  • [Email provider, e.g. Fastmail] — for professional correspondence

Questions

If you have any questions about this policy or how your information is handled, contact me at this email.

Last updated: [date pending].