Privacy Policy for TRACE Counselling & Psychology

Last Updated: July 2026

At TRACE Counselling & Psychology, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the ethical guidelines of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

1. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary to provide you with high-quality psychological services. This includes:

  • Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and any details you submit via our online contact forms.

  • Clinical and Sensitive Information: Health history, GP referral letters (such as Mental Health Care Plans), session notes, and psychological assessments.

  • Audio-Visual Data: Video and audio recordings of telehealth consultations, captured solely for the purposes of clinical reflective practice, professional development, and peer supervision.

2. Telehealth Consultations (Zoom)

Online consultations are conducted via Zoom.

  • All data transmitted during sessions is protected by end-to-end encryption.

  • We do not use Zoom’s cloud storage features. No session data, audio, or video is saved or stored on Zoom's servers or any external online cloud platform.

3. Video Recordings for Reflective Practice and Supervision

  • Consent: Video recording of sessions is optional and will only occur with your explicit, informed consent. Sessions are not recorded automatically, and you may decline recording or withdraw consent at any time.

  • De-identification: Where recordings are used for reflective practice, professional supervision, or peer consultation, identifying information will be removed or altered wherever possible to protect your privacy and confidentiality.

4. How We Collect Data (Squarespace Website)

  • Website Enquiries: When you use our contact form built on Squarespace, your name and contact details are transmitted securely via SSL encryption. Squarespace hosts this data on secure global servers. We routinely delete entry logs from our website platform to minimize data storage risks.

  • Direct Intake: Clinical documentation is gathered directly from you during consultations, phone intakes, or via direct email.

5. Storage, Security, and Retention

We maintain strict, segregated storage protocols depending on the type of data collected:

  • Clinical Records (Halaxy): All clinical notes, files, medical histories, and invoices are securely stored electronically using Halaxy, a dedicated Australian Practice Management Platform. Data in Halaxy is encrypted both in transit and at rest using bank-grade 256-bit encryption, hosted locally on AWS servers within Australia.

  • Video Recording Storage (Local SSD): Session video files are transferred immediately following the consultation to a dedicated, offline physical Solid State Drive (SSD). This SSD is heavily secured using hardware PIN-lock encryption and is stored in a secure physical location. These recordings are permanently and securely deleted as soon as the reflective practice or supervision cycle for that session is complete.

  • Retention Eras: In line with Australian health regulations, adult clinical records are securely retained for 7 years from the date of last contact. Records for minors are retained until the client reaches 25 years of age.

6. Use and Disclosure of Information

Your information is strictly used to deliver psychological assessment and therapy. We will not disclose your personal information to third parties unless:

  • You provide express consent (e.g., sharing a report with a third-party specialist, or anonymized supervision updates).

  • We are required to write a progress report back to your referring GP under Medicare requirements.

  • There is a legal obligation to do so (e.g., a court subpoena).

  • There is an immediate, serious risk of harm to yourself or an identifiable third party, triggering our professional duty of care.

7. Your Rights and Complaints

You have the right to request access to, or correction of, the personal and clinical information we hold about you.

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to lodge a complaint about how your data has been handled, please contact us directly at connect@tracepsychology.com.au. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you can escalate the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.