Privacy Policy for Management of Personal Information

Introduction

Nourish Nurture Thrive Pty Ltd (ABN ) (“Nourish Nurture Thrive”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (“Applicable Privacy Laws”). 

This Privacy Policy explains how we manage the personal information that we collect, hold, use and disclose in operating our practice.

“Personal information” has the meaning given in the Applicable Privacy Laws, and essentially refers to any information or opinion about a person who is identified or reasonably identifiable.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, if we make changes to the ways in which we handle personal information. We will publish the updated Privacy Policy on our website (nourishnurturethrive.com.au).

Personal Information

Your information is stored securely and accessed only by your treating clinician/s and the authorised staff at the practice, as required, in accordance with the practice’s policies and procedures. 

Your information is stored using a secure electronic practice management system called Halaxy, which is compliant with Australian Privacy Laws. 

The information collected includes your personal details such as name, address and contact phone numbers. As part of providing a mental health service, such as psychological assessment or treatment, or dietetic services, we will also need to collect and record other personal information that is relevant to your current situations. This includes keeping a record of what happens during sessions, your medical and personal history, any psychological tests you complete, and any information received from others, such as your GP, lawyer or insurance company. 

How your personal information is collected

There are a number of ways your personal information is collected, including when:

  • You provide information directly to your psychologist or treating clinician in your session and in writing such as letters, emails and text messages.

  • You interact directly with Nourish Nurture Thrive employees such as our administrative staff.

  • Other health practitioners, such as your GP, provide personal information to Nourish Nurture Thrive, through referrals, correspondence and medical reports.

  • We receive personal information from other sources, such as lawyers, employers or insurance companies, through correspondence or reports. 

If you have concerns that the information recorded is not correct, please discuss your concerns with our administration staff or your treating clinician.   

Purpose of holding personal information

Your personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing a mental health service to you, which includes assessing, diagnosing and treating a client’s presenting issue or concerns The personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, and enables the clinician to provide a relevant and informed mental health service to you. This information and record keeping is a necessary part of the services provided and guides treatment. 

Consequence of not providing personal information

Psychologists and allied health clinicians are required to keep clear and accurate client records as part of their professional obligations. If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected, we may not be able to provide the psychological or mental health service to you. Please discuss any concerns you have with your treating clinician or the administrative team.

Confidentiality of Information

Personal information gathered by your clinician will remain confidential except for certain circumstances. In most cases, any sharing of information will only occur with your consent. 

Our practice asks for your consent to share information when:

  • Sharing information with a family member, guardian or carer.

  • Discussing with others, such as your GP, employer, or any agencies which may be paying for your attendance.

  • Providing a written report regarding your assessment or treatment to another professional or agency, such as your GP, lawyer or insurance company.

  • For disclosing the information in any other way not referenced in this document.

Psychologists and allied health clinicians are required to consult and receive supervision from colleagues from time to time. If your information is shared in this context, all care is taken to deidentify your information in such a way that you remain anonymous. 

In the course of providing clinical services, we may share information with your other healthcare providers where you have authorised us to do so, or where you would otherwise reasonably expect it.  For example:

  • if you have been referred to us by your GP or psychiatrist, the clinician who is treating you may discuss your treatment with the referring GP or psychiatrist, as per medicare reporting requirements; and

  • If you provide consent for our clinician to liaise with your other healthcare providers or support service providers (such as your social worker, school counsellor etc), your clinician will discuss relevant aspects of your treatment with your care team.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

There are times when your psychologist may release your information without obtaining your consent such as: 

  • When a court requires information by issuing a subpoena, or providing information is otherwise required or authorised by law.

  • When it is required because the psychologist must make a mandatory report on a concern.

  • When the psychologist discloses information because they believe you or someone else is at risk of serious harm.

Data Breach Policy

In the event that any unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of your personal information occurs Nourish Nurture Thrive will activate its data breach plan and use all reasonable endeavours to minimise any risk of consequential serious harm.

Our administrative team are all internal team members who are based in Melbourne, Australia. Within our practice, access to personal information is limited to those staff who have an operational need to access it.   Generally, your clinical records will only be accessed by the professional staff who are involved in your treatment.

Destruction of client files

We have policies and procedures in place to destroy or de-identify personal information once it is no longer needed for a valid purpose or required to be kept by law. 

Requests for access and correction to client information  

At any stage you may request to see and correct the personal information about you kept on file. Your clinician may discuss the contents with you and/or give you a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).  

If your clinician is satisfied that your personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken in the circumstances to ensure that this information is corrected. All requests by you for access to or correction of personal information held about you should be lodged with your psychologist or our administration staff.  

All written requests for access to information will be responded to in writing within 14 days and an appointment will be made if necessary for clarification purposes.  

Concerns

If you have a concern about the management of your personal information, you may inform your treating clinician, our administrative staff or our clinic director by writing to us at admin@nourishnurturethrive.com.au. Upon request you can obtain a copy of the Australian Privacy Principles, which describe your rights and how your personal information should be handled.  

Ultimately, if you wish to lodge a formal complaint about the use of, disclosure of, or access to, your personal information, you may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:  

Last updated: March 2026