Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for Management of Personal Information

Last Updated May 2025

 

This document describes the privacy policy of Mums Matter Psychology for the management of clients’ personal information. The psychological service provided is bound by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the applicable Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act when handling personal information, together with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (“Health Records Act”) and the applicable Health Privacy Principles in the Health Records Act when handling personal information which is health information (“Health Information”).

 

Client information

Client files are held in a secure electronic document management system which is accessible only to authorised employees. The information on each file includes personal information such as name, address, date of birth, Medicare details, billing information, credit card information, contact phone numbers, medical history, and other personal information collected as part of providing the psychological service. 

 

How clients' personal information is collected

A client's personal information is collected in a number of ways during psychological consultation with Mums Matter Psychology, including when the client provides information directly to Mums Matter Psychology using hardcopy forms, correspondence via email, when the client interacts directly with Mums Matter Psychology contractors, and when other health practitioners provide personal information to Mums Matter Psychology via referrals, correspondence and medical reports.

 

We and our psychologists collect personal information for the purposes of arranging appointments and delivering counselling services as well as communicating with the client. We may collect information through our client consent forms, via the Mums Matter Psychology website located at www.mumsmatterpsychology.com (“Website”), or in the course of our psychologists undertaking counselling services in consultation and treatment of clients.

 

We collect personal information:

 

• from clients– when they register an enquiry, book an appointment, attend our practice, access our Website, subscribe to our newsletter, and/or at any other time from time-to-time in the course of our psychologists providing counselling services;

• from third party service providers – when they are engaged to supply services to us (such as but not limited to psychologists), provide information to us or invoice us for the provision of services;

• when we receive enquiries through the Website and when the Website is otherwise accessed or used;

• when we receive enquiries via email or telephone.

 

Our psychologists may also collect personal information in the manner and for the purposes contemplated above.

 

Some personal information we or our psychologists collect may include Health Information. We collect Health Information from clients when they attend our clinics for the purposes of arranging appointments and obtaining counselling services. Our psychologists collect Health Information in order to provide the counselling services. How Health Information is dealt with is outlined in greater detail below.

 

The Health Information we collect enables us to arrange for the provision of counselling services and for the safe, appropriate and accurate provision of counselling services by our psychologists, to assess the needs of clients in the provision of counselling services and for us to generally assist in optimising the quality of our service.

 

Consequence of not providing personal information

If the client does not wish for their personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this Privacy Policy, Mums Matter Psychology may not be in a position to provide the psychological service to the client. Clients may request to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, unless it is impracticable for Mums Matter Psychology to deal with the client or if Mums Matter Psychology is required or authorised by law to deal with identified individuals. In most cases it will not be possible for the client to be anonymous or to use a pseudonym, however if the Mums Matter Psychology agrees to the client being anonymous or using a pseudonym, the client must pay consultation fees at the time of the appointment. 

 

Consent

By engaging us or registering details on our Website or by email or telephone, and/or using the Website or completing a client consent form or otherwise engaging our counselling services, consent is given for collecting, using and disclosing personal information (including Health Information) for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy.

 

Use

We may use any personal information collected (excluding Health Information) to provide our counselling services, operate the Website, sign the person up to our newsletter, respond to feedback and complaints, communicate with third party service providers or if needed to enforce our Client agreement (Client Consent Form). 

 

Purpose of holding personal information

A client’s personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing psychological services, which includes assessing, diagnosing and treating a client’s presenting issue. The personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables the psychologist to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.

 

Disclosure of personal information

Clients’ personal information will not be disclosed except when:

1. It is subpoenaed by a court; or

2. Failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of the Mums Matter Psychology place a client or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or

3. The client’s prior approval has been obtained to:

   1. provide a written report to another professional or agency, e.g., a GP or a lawyer; or

   2. discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, employer or health provider; or

   3. disclose the information in another way; or

4. you would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected; or

5. disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.

 

A client's personal information is not disclosed to overseas recipients, unless the client consents or such disclosure is otherwise required by law. Clients' personal information will not be used, sold, rented or disclosed for any other purpose. 

 

Data security and quality

We will take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we collect and hold from misuse, loss and interference and from unauthorised access and modification, and to make sure it is accurate, complete and up-to-date when we collect, use or disclose it.

 

To assist us, please ensure correct details are provided to us, and let us know if the information we have is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading (and we will take reasonable steps to correct the information). We may take steps to destroy or permanently de-identify information when it is no longer needed for any purpose for which it may be used or disclosed. We may retain and use de-identified information.

 

Our Website: www.mumsmatterpsychology.com

 

Cookies:

Our Website may use “cookies”; technology to store data on a computer using the functionality of a browser. Many websites do this because cookies allow the website publisher to do useful things like find out whether the computer has visited the site before.

 

A browser can be modified to prevent cookie use – but if this is done our service (and our Website) may not work properly. The information stored in the cookie is used to identify visitors. This enables us to operate an efficient service and to track the patterns of behaviour of visitors to the Website.

 

In the course of serving advertisements to the Website (if any), third-party advertisers or ad servers may place or recognise a unique cookie on a browser. The use of cookies by such third party advertisers or ad servers is not subject to this Privacy Policy, but is subject to their own respective privacy policies.

 

Requests for access and correction to client information

Clients can request, and we will provide them with access to, any personal information we hold about them (including any Health Information) (subject to any applicable legal exceptions). Requests should be submitted by email to frances@mumsmatterpsychology.com . Where our records are found to be inaccurate, we will promptly rectify any inaccuracies on the basis of the further information provided.

 

Concerns

If clients have a concern about the management of their personal information, they may inform Frances Bilbao (Director). Upon request they can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe their rights and how their personal information should be handled. Ultimately, if clients wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to, their personal information, they may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by phone on 1300 363 992, online at http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/making-a-privacy-complaint or by post to:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW 2001