Privacy

Privacy policy

Innertune Counselling · ABN 22 450 457 269 · Last updated October 2026

On this page: Privacy policy · Privacy collection notice

Our commitment

Innertune Counselling respects your privacy and understands that counselling information is sensitive. This policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information, including health information.

We handle information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Private health-service providers in NSW have responsibilities under both Commonwealth and NSW privacy law.

Information we collect

Depending on your contact with the practice, we may collect:

  • Your name, date of birth and contact details.
  • Your emergency contact details.
  • Enquiry, appointment, payment and invoice information.
  • Information about your health, wellbeing, relationships, family circumstances and reasons for seeking counselling.
  • Intake information, consent records, counselling notes, treatment goals, outcome measures and correspondence.
  • Information provided by a parent, guardian, partner, family member, referring practitioner or another person, where appropriate and permitted.
  • Technical information generated when you use the website, such as an IP address, browser type and security logs.

We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary to respond to your enquiry, assess suitability, provide counselling, maintain safe and appropriate care, manage the practice, and meet professional or legal obligations. NSW privacy principles require health information to be relevant, accurate, not excessive and collected without unreasonable intrusion.

How we collect information

We usually collect information directly from you through:

  • The website enquiry form.
  • Email, telephone or text communication.
  • Intake and consent documents.
  • Counselling sessions and professional correspondence.
  • Appointment, payment or telehealth systems.

With your consent, or where the law permits or requires it, information may also be received from another person or organisation. This may include a parent or guardian, partner or family member, GP, school, support coordinator, allied health practitioner or emergency service.

Why we use information

We may use your information to:

  • Respond to an enquiry and arrange appointments.
  • Assess whether the service is appropriate and safe for you.
  • Provide and coordinate counselling or psychotherapy.
  • Communicate with you about appointments and services.
  • Process payments and issue invoices or receipts.
  • Maintain professional records and support continuity of care.
  • Participate in clinical supervision and professional consultation.
  • Manage safety concerns, complaints, legal requirements and professional obligations.
  • Operate, secure and improve the practice and website.

If you choose not to provide information that is reasonably required, the practice may be unable to respond fully, assess suitability or provide counselling safely.

Confidentiality and disclosure

Personal and health information is treated as confidential. It will not ordinarily be shared without your consent.

Information may be used or disclosed without consent where permitted or required by law, including when:

  • There is a serious concern about your safety or another person’s safety.
  • There is a concern about a child or young person and reporting or protective action is legally required.
  • A court order, subpoena or another valid legal requirement applies.
  • Disclosure is otherwise authorised or required by privacy, health or other applicable law.

Where practicable and lawful, only information reasonably necessary for the purpose will be disclosed. Receipt of a subpoena does not mean records will be released informally to another party; its validity, scope and any available legal protection may need to be considered.

Couples, families and young people

Couples and family counselling can involve additional confidentiality considerations. Before joint work begins, the practice will explain who the client is, how joint and individual communications are managed, how records are kept, and how information shared individually may affect the joint work.

For a child or young person, information may be shared with a legally authorised parent or guardian when appropriate. The young person’s age, maturity, wishes, safety and capacity to consent will be considered. Information may also be disclosed where necessary for safety or required by law.

Clinical supervision

Regular clinical supervision supports safe and ethical practice. A case may be discussed with a qualified supervisor, but identifying information will be removed or minimised wherever reasonably possible. Supervisors are expected to maintain professional confidentiality.

Service providers

The practice may use trusted providers for website hosting and forms, email, bookings, payments, secure record management, video appointments, document storage, backup and information technology support. Providers receive only the information reasonably required to perform their service and are expected to protect it.

Website information

The website may record limited technical information for security, reliability and performance. If analytics, advertising cookies, tracking pixels or similar technologies are introduced, this policy and any required cookie information will be updated.

Please do not include detailed clinical, diagnostic or highly sensitive information in the general website enquiry form. Detailed information can be discussed through an appropriate private process.

Storage and security

The practice takes reasonable steps to protect information from loss, misuse, interference, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Safeguards may include access controls, passwords, secure systems, restricted devices, backups and professional record-management procedures.

No electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If an eligible data breach is likely to cause serious harm and cannot be adequately remedied, affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will be notified as required by law. The Notifiable Data Breaches scheme applies to private health-service providers.

Record retention

Health records relating to an adult are generally retained for at least seven years from the last occasion on which a health service was provided. Records created while a person was under 18 are generally retained until that person reaches 25 years of age. Records may be kept longer where another lawful, professional, insurance or risk-management requirement applies.

When information is no longer required and there is no legal or professional reason to retain it, reasonable steps will be taken to destroy it securely or permanently de-identify it.

Access and correction

You may ask to access personal or health information held about you or request that inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or misleading information be corrected. Please make the request using the contact details below. Identity may need to be verified before access is provided.

The practice will respond within the period required by applicable law. NSW private health-service providers are generally required to respond to an access request within 45 calendar days.

Access may be limited or refused where the law permits—for example, where access would pose a serious threat, unreasonably affect another person’s privacy, or relate to certain legal proceedings. If access is refused, written reasons and available complaint options will be provided where required.

Privacy questions and complaints

Please contact Innertune Counselling first if you have a privacy question or complaint. Include enough information to identify the issue, but do not send unnecessary sensitive details by ordinary email.

The practice will acknowledge and consider the concern and aim to respond within a reasonable period.

If you are not satisfied, you may contact:

A complaint about a private NSW health-service provider may be made to the NSW Privacy Commissioner, subject to the applicable requirements and time limits.

Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated when the practice, technology, service providers or legal requirements change. The current version and review date will be published on the website.

Privacy collection notice

Innertune Counselling (ABN 22 450 457 269) collects the personal information you provide in the website enquiry form so that the practice can respond to your enquiry, assess which service may be suitable, contact you and arrange an appointment. The information is collected directly from you and is not required by law; however, without the required contact information, the practice may be unable to respond or provide a service.

Your information may be handled by service providers that support website forms, email, bookings, record management or information technology. It will not ordinarily be disclosed to other parties without your consent unless disclosure is permitted or required by law, including in relation to serious safety concerns, child protection or a valid legal requirement.

Some technology providers may process or store information outside Australia.

Please keep your message brief and do not include detailed clinical, diagnostic or highly sensitive information. You can request access to or correction of your information, or make a privacy complaint, by contacting innertunecounselling1@outlook.com or 02 9633 4033. This Privacy Policy explains storage, disclosures, overseas processing, access, correction and complaints.