LEGAL
Privacy Policy
Fielding Feelings Psychology — last updated [5/08/2026]
This Policy should be read together with our Website Terms & Conditions.
1. Introduction
Fielding Feelings Psychology (“we”, “our”, “us”, “FFP”) has adopted this Policy in accordance with Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
As a Victorian health service provider, we also comply with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs) set out in that Act, which apply specifically to health information collected and held in Victoria.
This Policy explains how we handle the Personal Information we collect in order to provide our psychology services, and reflects the standards for informed consent, privacy and confidentiality set out in the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct.
In the course of delivering our services and communicating with the public, we may also collect information about individuals who are not our clients.
Capitalised words in this Policy are defined terms, explained at the end of this Policy.
2. Collecting information directly from you
We collect Personal Information directly when you:
Contact us by telephone, email or any other form of communication;
Give us your information in person, on paper, or electronically, including an online enquiry, a GP or paediatrician referral, or a new client intake form;
Send us a message via SMS or a third-party app;
Subscribe to or interact with our website or social media.
We also collect Personal Information when our website analytics log details about website visits, or when our website places a cookie on your device or records your IP address.
3. Collecting information from third parties
With your explicit permission, we may collect Personal Information about you from third parties, for example when:
A family member, teacher, medical practitioner, allied health practitioner, school, or other referral source provides us with written or verbal information;
Another treating practitioner shares records or reports relevant to your care; and
Parents and guardians provide information about a child in their care.
4. Types of information we collect and hold
Using the processes described above, we collect the following categories of Personal Information:
Content — Personal Information contained in whatever you share with us when using our services (for example, during an assessment or therapy session);
Identity Information — name, date of birth, Medicare details, private health insurance details, family details, education and developmental history;
Contact Information — email address, telephone number, residential and postal address;
Internet Data — webpage views, IP address, browser type, operating system, access times and other data typically collected by analytics tools such as Google Analytics.
5. Sensitive information
Privacy laws treat certain information as “sensitive information”, including information about a person’s racial or ethnic background, political opinions, religious beliefs, philosophical beliefs, criminal record, and sexual orientation, as well as health information such as:
Any information or opinion about a person’s physical or mental health, disability, or the health services provided to them; and
Information collected in the course of providing a health service.
We collect health information from clients in the course of providing our services (including psychological assessments and therapy). This information is recorded in clinical notes and reports, which we hold and manage as the treating practitioner. If FFP ceases to operate, arrangements will be made for the secure transfer or storage of these records in line with our professional and legal obligations.
5A. Limits to confidentiality and mandatory reporting
We treat what you share with us as confidential, in line with the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct. There are circumstances in which we are legally or ethically required to disclose information without your consent, including where:
We hold a reasonable belief that a child is at risk of harm or abuse, triggering mandatory reporting obligations under Victoria’s Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005;
There is an immediate and specified risk of harm to you or another identifiable person that can only be averted by disclosure;
We are compelled to do so by a court, tribunal, or by law (for example, a subpoena); or
It is otherwise required by the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct or other legislation.
Where practical, we will discuss any such disclosure with you beforehand or as soon as possible afterward.
6. How we store your Personal Information
We hold and store Personal Information using:
Storage services — third-party providers such as Halaxy (practice management software), Google Workspace (email and documents), and payment processing services;
Practice devices — computers and mobile devices used by FFP; and
Paper files — printed documents, stored securely and destroyed once electronically recorded.
You may update your details at any time by contacting us in person or in writing.
7. Security
We take reasonable precautions to protect Personal Information from unauthorised access, including physical security of our premises and files, and electronic security measures such as passwords, encryption, secure client portals, two-factor authentication, and the use of reputable vendors. We do not and will not store your credit card details on any device or server.
For information about the security practices of the platforms we use, see: Google or Halaxy websites.
8. Deleting your information
We only delete Personal Information when appropriate to do so under relevant state and national law. Our deletion process involves identifying and securely deleting or de-identifying digital records, and shredding or securely destroying paper records.
Under Victorian and Commonwealth law, we retain records relating to adult clients for seven years following the date of last contact, and records relating to children until the child reaches the age of 25, in line with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct. We have certain obligations under Australian laws to retain some client information for a prescribed period of time (seven years or once the person turns 25, whichever occurs first).
9. Why we hold, use and disclose your information
We hold, use and sometimes share Personal Information so that we can:
Arrange and manage appointments;
Provide assessment, therapy and related psychological services;
Process Medicare and private health insurance claims and payments;
Communicate with referrers and other treating practitioners (with your consent); and
Maintain accurate clinical records as required by law and our professional obligations.
9A. Consent
Before providing a service, we obtain your informed consent, in line with the Psychology Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct. As part of this process, we will let you know the period for which your consent will apply in the absence of any significant change to your circumstances or our services, and we will revisit consent periodically or whenever there is a significant change. You may withdraw or vary your consent at any time by telling us in writing, though this may affect our ability to continue providing certain services.
10. Disclosing your Personal Information
We may share your Personal Information:
To facilitate bookings, Medicare rebates, invoices and payments;
With other treating practitioners, parents/guardians, schools, Medicare and private health insurers, where relevant and with appropriate consent; and
With administrative staff and business service providers who support our practice.
11. Information requests: family court orders and parenting arrangements
Where a person who has not personally engaged our services on behalf of a child (for example, a non-resident parent) requests information about that child, we need to verify their right to access this information before we can respond. To process such a request, we may require:
A clear copy of the requester’s driver’s licence or passport;
A full copy of any relevant family court order or parenting plan, with the relevant clause(s) relating to health information clearly identified;
A signed letter stating the requester’s full name and date of birth, the child’s name and date of birth, their relationship to the child, and the purpose of the request; and
Payment of our information request service fee, quoted in advance based on the time required to prepare a written summary.
We provide written summaries only, not full clinical records, transcripts, or assessment reports, and we do not provide reports prepared specifically for family court or custody proceedings. Any summary will respect the confidentiality of all parties and will not include information shared with us in confidence by any party.
Requests that do not meet the above requirements cannot be actioned. Persistent or harassing contact outside this process may be reported to the relevant authorities.
12. Access to your Personal Information by third parties
Where we use third-party providers to deliver our services, they may have access to your Personal Information, including:
Halaxy (practice management, telehealth and client records) — see Halaxy’s privacy policy;
Google (email, calendar and document storage) — see Google’s privacy policy;
Our payment processing provider; and
Medicare and private health insurers, for billing purposes.
We only share Personal Information with these providers to the extent necessary for them to perform their function. Please contact us if you would like more information about any of these arrangements.
13. Disclosing information overseas
Some of the service providers we use, including Halaxy and Google, may store data on servers located overseas. By providing us with your Personal Information, you consent to it being transferred to and held by these overseas recipients in the course of us providing our services. We take reasonable steps to use reputable providers with appropriate data protection standards, but note that Australian privacy law may not apply to information once it is held overseas.
14. Contacting us
If you would like to access, correct, or delete your Personal Information, or make a complaint, please contact us at admin@fieldingfeelings.com.au.
In line with Health Privacy Principle 6 of the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and Australian Privacy Principle 12, we will respond to access requests within a reasonable time and, in any event, within 30 days. We reserve the right to refuse access to or correction of information where reasonable grounds exist for doing so, such as where this would be unlawful or would compromise another person’s privacy. A fee may apply to cover the reasonable cost of retrieving and providing records, as permitted under the Health Records Regulations.
15. Complaints process
If you have a complaint about our handling of your privacy, please contact us using the email above. We will respond in writing within a reasonable period (usually within 10 business days) and will aim to resolve complaints within 20 business days, though more complex matters may take longer.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or, for complaints specifically about health information handled in Victoria, the Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria). You may also raise concerns about our professional conduct with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).
16. Amendment
We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time. If you continue to use our services after we notify you of a change, you agree to be bound by the amended Policy.
17. Definitions
Individual, Individuals
Means a natural person, not a business entity or organisation.
Personal Information
Means information about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be established, from that information, such as names, telephone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses.
Policy
Means this document, prepared in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Health Privacy Principles.
FFP, we, our, us
Means Fielding Feelings Psychology and its staff, associates and contractors.
Services
Means the psychological assessment, therapy and related services provided by FFP, including managing enquiries, arranging appointments (face-to-face or via telehealth), facilitating Medicare and private health insurance claims, and managing associated documentation and records.
