PRIVACY POLICY

Thriving Now is highly committed to your privacy and confidentiality. In accordance with the recent amendments to the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988, we need to let you know the following:

1. In the process of your assessment and/or therapy your psychologist will collect personal information about you (and/or your child if applicable) that is relevant to our understanding of the difficulties for which you are seeking assistance.
2. The information will be collected from you (and/or your child if applicable) through clinical interview and standardised questionnaires and/or tests. If there is a requirement to seek information from collateral sources, we will ask for your written consent.
3. All information collected will be held within an electronic file under the safest possible conditions available for privacy, as per government regulations.
4. The information that we hold about you (and/or your child, if applicable) is held and used for the sole purpose of assisting you with the difficulties for which you are seeking assistance.
5. All personal information gathered by your psychologist will remain confidential and secure, except where:
   (1) It is subpoenaed by the Court;
   (2) Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious or imminent risk;
   (3) Your prior approval has been obtained to:
        (a) provide a written report or letter to another professional or agency, e.g. a school, GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician,
        (b) discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent or employer; or
   (4) Disclosure is otherwise required or authorized by law.
6. If at any time you wish to access your personal information, please put this request either verbally or in writing to your psychologist or the Clinic Director. There are conditions under which psychologists may refuse access to your personal information. Please note that personal information does not include your psychologist’s own notes, including their clinical impressions, observations or formulations, or test forms that are protected by Copyright laws
7. If you believe that a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles has been made, please make your complaint to the Clinic Director in writing.
8. The Clinic Director will make investigations to seek a satisfactory resolution.
9. If the resolution is not satisfactory, it is possible to make a complaint to the OAIC: www.oaic.gov.au.

If you wish to interact anonymously with your psychologist, or with the Thriving Now clinic, please let this be known to reception and offer a pseudonym, for the purpose of identification. A pseudonym will be used, at your wish, unless this is impracticable or where the law or a court order requires you to identify yourself. Please note that use of a pseudonym would disallow use of Government funding for sessions.