Privacy Policy

Nepean Counselling Services. Last updated: September 2026

About this policy

Nepean Counselling Services (“we”, “us”) respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information, including health information, and your rights over it. We follow the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), and the ethical codes of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).

What information we collect

We collect only what we need to provide counselling safely and professionally. This may include:

  • Contact and identity details such as your name, date of birth, address, phone and email.
  • Emergency contact and GP details.
  • Health and wellbeing information you share with us, including your history, reasons for seeking counselling, and safety concerns.
  • Session notes, intake forms, consent forms, and correspondence.
  • Billing and private health fund details where you claim a rebate.

We collect this information directly from you. With your written consent, we may also collect information from other professionals, such as your GP, lawyer or other authorised professional.

How we use your information

We use your information to assess your needs, plan and deliver counselling, keep accurate records, communicate with you about appointments, process payments, and meet our professional and legal obligations. We do not sell your information, and we do not use it for marketing.

Confidentiality and when we may share information

What you tell us is confidential. We will share your information only:

  • With your written consent, for example to liaise with your GP, lawyer or another professional.
  • Where we reasonably believe there is a serious and imminent risk of harm to you or someone else.
  • Where we are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
  • Where required by law, such as a court order or subpoena.
  • In de-identified form during clinical supervision, which is a PACFA and ACA requirement.

Where appropriate, possible and safe to do so, we will tell you before we share your information. In couples and family counselling, information shared individually with your counsellor may be raised in joint sessions and is not held as a secret.

Telehealth and online communication

We offer sessions by online video (Zoom) or telehealth (phone). Please join from a private space and use a secure internet connection. Sessions are not recorded, and you agree not to record them without the counsellor’s prior written permission. Online video sessions are delivered using Zoom encrypted software, which is not configured to record or store session content. No online platform or email can be guaranteed completely secure. If you prefer that we do not use email or text messages for anything other than appointment logistics, please tell us prior to your initial session.

Storage, security and retention

Your personal details / records are kept in secure practice management software / locked storage and are accessible only to your counsellor. We protect them with password protection, encryption and multi-factor authentication where available. Some service providers (where applicable), such as cloud storage or telehealth platforms, may store data on servers outside Australia; we choose providers with appropriate security safeguards.

We keep records for at least seven years after your last session. For clients who were under 18, we keep records until they turn 25, or for seven years, whichever is longer. After that, records are securely destroyed or permanently de-identified.

Website, email and cookies

If you contact us through our website or by email, we collect the details you provide so we can respond. We suggest you avoid sending sensitive health details by email or through website forms. Our website may use cookies and/or analytics tools such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. This data is aggregated and does not identify you as a counselling client. You can disable cookies in your own browser settings.

Access to and correction of your information

You have the right to request access to the information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct anything that is inaccurate or out of date such as your personal details. Please make your request in writing. We will respond within a reasonable time, usually within 30 days. In limited circumstances, such as where access would pose a serious threat to someone’s safety or unreasonably affect another person’s privacy, we may restrict access and we will explain why. The counsellor has the right to restrict access to clinical notes if not deemed appropriate or safe to do so.

Data breaches

If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme and tell you what steps to take.

Questions and complaints

If you have a concern about how your information is handled, please contact your counsellor first and we will respond promptly. If you are not satisfied, you may contact:

Contact us

Charlotte Hobbs, Founder and Principal Counsellor, Nepean Counselling Services, Frankston, Victoria.

Phone: 0415 555 564 | Email: info@nepeancounsellingservices.com.au

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The current version is always available on our website or upon request.