Privacy Policy | Unfold Psychology & Counselling

Unfold Psychology & Counselling
Last updated: February 2026

This policy supersedes all previous versions.

1. Our commitment to your privacy

Unfold Psychology & Counselling (“UNFOLD”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and managing your personal information respectfully, securely, and in accordance with:

the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
professional standards of the Australian Psychological Society

As a health service, we recognise that the information you share with us is highly sensitive. We treat your confidentiality and privacy with the utmost care.

2. What is personal information?

Personal information is any information or opinion that identifies you or could reasonably identify you.

In a psychology practice, this may include both general and sensitive (health) information.

3. What information we collect

Depending on your care and funding arrangements, we may collect:

General information

Name, address, date of birth
Phone number and email
Emergency contact details
Medicare or private health details
Referral information (GP, psychiatrist, insurer, etc.)
Billing and payment details

Health information (sensitive information)

Psychological history
Medical and mental health information
Session notes and assessments
Treatment plans and reports
Risk assessments
Information relevant to your care and safety

Health information is considered sensitive information under law and receives additional protections.

4. How we collect your information

We collect information:

directly from you during sessions, intake forms or correspondence
from referrers (e.g., GP, psychiatrist, insurer, funding body)
from third parties with your consent
through our practice management and booking systems
through telehealth sessions where clinically appropriate

Where possible, we collect information directly from you.

5. Why we collect your information

We collect and use your information to:

provide psychological assessment and treatment
communicate with you about appointments and care
maintain clinical records
write reports or letters at your request
liaise with referrers or other providers (with consent)
process payments and claims
comply with legal, ethical and regulatory requirements
improve the quality of our services

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

6. Practice systems and digital tools we use

To operate efficiently and securely, we use trusted professional platforms.

Halaxy – Practice Management System

We use Halaxy to manage:

appointments
clinical notes
documentation
invoicing and payments
secure client communication

Halaxy stores information on secure, encrypted servers and complies with Australian healthcare privacy standards.

Google Workspace & Google Meet – Telehealth

For telehealth and secure communication, we use Google Workspace (including Google Meet and encrypted email).

Sessions are not recorded unless explicitly agreed to in writing.

Administrative support

Our administrative assistant may have limited access to necessary personal information for:

appointment scheduling
billing
client communication
practice operations

All staff are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and privacy obligations.

No AI recording or scribe tools

Unfold Psychology & Counselling does not use AI recording, transcription, or “scribe” technologies during sessions.

7. Disclosure of information

We will only share your information:

With your consent, for example:

your GP or psychiatrist
other health professionals
funding bodies (e.g., insurers or compensation schemes)
report recipients you nominate

Without consent only when required or authorised by law, such as:

risk of serious harm to you or others
mandatory reporting requirements
court subpoenas
legal or regulatory obligations

Where possible, we will discuss this with you first.

8. Overseas storage

Some cloud-based services we use may store data on servers located outside Australia.

Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure providers meet privacy and security standards comparable to Australian law.

9. Protecting your information

We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information, including:

password-protected systems
encryption
secure servers
restricted access
locked physical files (where applicable)
confidentiality agreements for staff
regular system updates and security practices

10. How long we keep records

Health records are retained in accordance with Australian legal requirements.

Generally:

Adults: minimum 7 years from last contact
Children: until age 25 (or longer if required by law)

After this period, records are securely destroyed or de-identified.

11. Accessing or correcting your information

You have the right to:

request access to your records
request corrections to inaccurate information

Requests can be made in writing. We aim to respond within 10–15 business days.

In rare circumstances, access may be limited where permitted by law (for example, if release may cause serious harm).

12. Website and online activity

Our website may use basic analytics tools to understand visitor traffic and improve services.
This data is typically anonymous.

We do not use advertising tracking or sell data to third parties.

13. Questions, concerns or complaints

If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy, please contact:

Unfold Psychology & Counselling
Email: contact@unfoldpsychology.com.au

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

14. Updates to this policy

This policy may be updated from time to time.
The current version will always be available on our website or on request.