Vitality Unleashed Psychology Pty Ltd (“Vitality Unleashed Psychology”, “we”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose and protect your personal and health information across our psychology and dietetic services. We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and — where it applies to us — the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld).
The information we collect
We collect personal information and health information that is reasonably necessary to provide our services and to run our practice. This may include your name and contact details; date of birth; Medicare, private health, NDIS and other funding details; your GP or referrer; relevant medical, psychological, developmental, nutritional and family history; the information you provide in intake forms and sessions; and appointment, billing and payment records.
Wherever practicable we collect this information directly from you. With your consent, we may also collect information from others involved in your care, such as your GP or referring practitioner, other health professionals, a funder, or a family member.
Why we collect your information
We collect, hold and use your information to provide our psychological services (including therapy, clinical assessment and diagnosis, psychometric testing, and reports and letters) and our dietetic services to you; to administer appointments, payments and funding claims; to communicate with you and (with your consent) others involved in your care; and to meet our professional, legal and funder obligations. If you choose not to provide certain information, we may be unable to provide our services to you.
How we hold your information, and overseas disclosure
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, using appropriate physical, technical and administrative safeguards. We use reputable third-party cloud-based software — including practice management, electronic health record, video-conferencing, telephony, email, accounting and AI-assisted tools — to deliver and administer our services. The servers operated by these providers may be located in Australia or overseas, and may change from time to time. We take reasonable steps to select providers bound by confidentiality and data-security obligations comparable to those required under the Australian Privacy Principles (APP 8). By providing your information you acknowledge and consent to it being stored, processed, accessed or backed up by such providers, including, where applicable, in jurisdictions outside Australia, and that once information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, Australian privacy law may not provide a direct right of enforcement against that recipient.
When we use or disclose your information
Your information remains confidential within Vitality Unleashed Psychology except as described in this policy. We may use or disclose it: to your referring GP or medical practitioner, and to funders such as Medicare, WorkCover, the NDIS or insurers, as required to provide and be paid for your care; to other health professionals involved in your care, with your consent; and to our professional supervisors and peer consultants (in de-identified or consented form). Where you receive both psychology and dietetic care from us, your Psychologist and Dietitian may share clinically relevant information with each other to support your care, particularly under an Eating Disorder Management Plan.
We are also required or permitted to disclose your information without your consent in limited circumstances, including: where disclosure is required or authorised by law or by a court or tribunal order; where we reasonably believe it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of you or another person; where a child is at risk of harm; for domestic and family violence information-sharing under Part 5A of the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld); and for public-health reporting required by law.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools
We use AI-assisted tools in limited, clearly-defined ways — including automated telephone reception, assistance with clinical documentation, and drafting correspondence and reports. A registered practitioner applies human oversight and remains professionally responsible for any clinical output, we only use tools with appropriate privacy and security protections, and we do not enter identifiable personal or health information into public or “open” AI platforms. You may ask about any tool we use and may opt out of the clinical AI tools without affecting your care.
Record retention
We retain adult clients’ clinical records for a minimum of seven (7) years after the last consultation. For clients who were under 18, we retain records until the client reaches 25 years of age, or for seven (7) years after the last consultation, whichever is longer. After the applicable period, records are securely destroyed.
Data breaches
We comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Where a data breach is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required by law.
Access, correction, anonymity and marketing
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct anything that is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, subject to the exceptions in the relevant legislation. Requests for release of your file are managed under our file-release procedures; a File Release Consent Form and an applicable fee apply. You may ask to deal with us anonymously or by pseudonym, although in most cases this will not be practicable given the nature of our services. We do not use your information for unsolicited direct marketing.
Complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on 1300 363 992 or at www.oaic.gov.au. Concerns about a practitioner may also be raised with the Office of the Health Ombudsman (Qld) on 133 646, and — for psychologists — the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) on 1300 419 495, or — for our Accredited Practising Dietitian — with Dietitians Australia.
Contact us
For any privacy question or request, please contact us by SMS to 0474 919 759 or through the enquiry forms on our website, www.vitalityunleashed.com.au.