Privacy Policy

About this policy

Foresight Psychology is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all clients and website visitors. We comply with the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and, where applicable, the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).

This policy applies to personal information collected by Foresight Psychology (ABN available on request), operating from Suite 2.12, Level 2, 22-36 Mountain Street, Ultimo NSW 2007. It covers information collected in person, via telehealth, through our website, and through email or phone contact.

By engaging our services or using our website, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy. We may update this policy from time to time — the current version will always be available on our website.

Information we collect

Foresight Psychology collects personal information necessary to provide you with quality psychological services. The types of information we may collect include:

Personal and contact information

• Full name, date of birth, and gender
• Contact details including address, phone number, and email address
• Emergency contact details
• Medicare number, healthcare card, or private health fund details (where relevant)
• GP or referring practitioner details

Health and clinical information

• Presenting concerns, symptoms, and mental health history
• Medical history relevant to your psychological care
• Information shared in the course of therapy sessions
• Questionnaires and assessments completed during or prior to sessions
• Clinical notes and treatment records created by your psychologist

Billing and administrative information

• Payment details for processing fees
• Medicare or insurance claim information
• Appointment records and attendance history

How we use your information

Information collected about you will be used for the following purposes:

1. Providing psychological services — assessing, diagnosing, and delivering evidence-based treatment to you.
2. Administrative purposes — scheduling appointments, processing payments, managing waitlists, and running the practice.
3. Billing and claiming — processing Medicare rebates, private health fund claims, WorkCover or other compensation agency claims on your behalf.
4. Continuity of care — sharing relevant clinical information with another Foresight practitioner if your care is transferred or shared within the practice.
5. Referrals and collaboration — communicating with your GP, psychiatrist, or other treating health professionals with your permission, or in circumstances permitted under this policy.
6. Clinical supervision — your case may be discussed in clinical supervision to ensure you receive the highest standard of care. All supervisors are bound by the same confidentiality obligations.

We will not use your personal information for any purpose not listed above without your consent, except where required or permitted by law.

Confidentiality

What is discussed in your psychology sessions is private and confidential. We will not disclose information about you to any third party without your written permission, except in the limited circumstances described below.

Exceptions to confidentiality

There are circumstances in which your psychologist may be required to share information without your consent. These include:

1. Risk of harm — if there is a serious and immediate risk of harm to you or another person, your psychologist may need to take action to protect that person's safety. This may involve contacting emergency services or relevant parties.
2. Legal obligations — if a court of law subpoenas your clinical records, your psychologist is required by law to comply.
3. Medicare and insurance reporting — if you are claiming rebates under a Mental Health Care Plan, Eating Disorder Treatment Plan, or through WorkCover or another compensation agency, your psychologist is required to provide progress reports to your referring doctor or the relevant agency.
4. Mandatory reporting — in New South Wales, health practitioners are required by law to report reasonable suspicions of child abuse or neglect to the relevant authorities.

Clinical supervision

To ensure the highest standard of care, your psychologist participates in regular clinical supervision. Your case may be discussed with a supervisor, who is bound by the same professional obligations of privacy and confidentiality as your treating psychologist.

Storage and security

Foresight Psychology takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we hold is stored securely and protected from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access.

How we store your information

• Clinical records are stored in a secure, password-protected practice management system.
• Electronic records are protected by industry-standard security measures including encryption and access controls.
• Only Foresight Psychology staff and your treating clinician(s) have access to your records.
• Paper records, where held, are stored in locked filing systems accessible only to authorised staff.

Retention of records

We retain client records in accordance with legal requirements and professional guidelines. Under Australian law, adult client records are generally retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of the last service, and records relating to clients who were minors at the time of treatment are retained until the client reaches 25 years of age (or seven years from the last service, whichever is later).

Data breaches

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, Foresight Psychology will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you. To request access, please discuss this with your psychologist or contact our administration team in writing.

We will respond to access requests within a reasonable timeframe. In some circumstances we may be unable to provide access — for example, where providing access could pose a serious threat to the life, health or safety of another person, or where access would unreasonably impact the privacy of others. In such cases, we will explain our reasons in writing.

Correction of information

If you believe that personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, you may ask us to correct it. We will take reasonable steps to correct information that is found to be inaccurate.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance to discuss the matter. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.

Written requests for access to records should be sent to:

Foresight Psychology
Suite 2.12, Level 2, 22-36 Mountain Street
Ultimo NSW 2007
info@foresightpsychology.com

Telehealth privacy

Foresight Psychology offers psychological services via telehealth (video and telephone). Where telehealth sessions are delivered, the following privacy considerations apply:

• We use videoconferencing software that meets industry standards for patient data protection.
• You are responsible for ensuring that your environment is private during telehealth sessions. If you have concerns about the privacy of your location, please discuss this with your psychologist before the session begins.
• Sessions are never recorded without your explicit written consent.
• Your psychologist will conduct telehealth sessions from a private, confidential space.

If you have questions about the privacy and security of telehealth services, please speak with your psychologist or contact our administration team.

Website and cookies

When you visit the Foresight Psychology website, we may collect non-identifying information about your visit, including the pages you viewed, the time and date of your visit, and your general location. This information is used to improve the website and understand how it is used.

Cookies

Our website may use cookies — small text files placed on your device — to improve your browsing experience. Cookies do not identify you personally. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, though this may affect some website functionality.

Third-party services

Our website is hosted on Squarespace. Squarespace may collect information in accordance with their own privacy policy. We recommend reviewing the Squarespace Privacy Policy if you have questions about how your data is handled at a platform level. Links to external websites on our site are provided for your convenience — we are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites.

Enquiry forms

Information submitted via our online enquiry form is used only to respond to your enquiry and, with your consent, to schedule an appointment. We do not add you to mailing lists or share your enquiry information with third parties.

Questions about this policy

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Foresight Psychology
Suite 2.12, Level 2, 22-36 Mountain Street, Ultimo NSW 2007
Phone: 02 8380 8855
Email: info@foresightpsychology.com

Administration is available Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm. We aim to respond to all written enquiries within two business days.