Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

About this policy

Esther Psychology ("we", "us", "our", or "the practice") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and secure personal and health information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), and the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) guidelines administered by AHPRA.

Esther Psychology is a sole-practitioner private practice operated by Carmeline Augustine (AHPRA Reg. PSY0002119458), a registered psychologist based in Melbourne, Victoria, delivering telehealth psychology services across Australia.

The information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us. It may include:

• Contact details — name, date of birth, email address, phone number, postal address, and (for minors) the details of a parent or legal guardian.
• Health information — the reasons you have sought therapy, your relevant psychological and medical history, current concerns, treatment goals, session notes, risk assessments, treatment plans and progress records.
• Referral and rebate information — Medicare number, referral letters, Mental Health Care Plans, NDIS plan details, private health fund details, GP or referrer contact information.
• Payment information — invoicing details and payment receipts. Card details are handled by our booking and payment providers and are not stored by the practice.
• Website interaction data — if you fill in the contact form, we collect the details you provide. Our website is hosted on Cloudflare Pages and forms are handled by Web3Forms; basic technical logs (IP address, request timestamps) may be recorded by these providers for security and delivery purposes.

How we collect it

We collect information directly from you wherever possible — during our first contact, on intake forms, and through the course of therapy sessions. In some situations we may also collect information from third parties with your consent, such as your GP, another treating clinician, a parent or guardian (for clients under 18), or an NDIS plan manager.

Why we collect it

We collect and use your information for the following purposes:

• To provide safe, informed and effective psychological services to you.
• To keep the clinical records required by law and the Psychology Board of Australia.
• To communicate with you about appointments, session logistics, invoices and follow-up.
• To process Medicare, DVA, NDIS or private health fund rebates on your behalf.
• To liaise, with your consent, with your GP, referrer or other health professionals involved in your care.
• To meet our legal, professional and insurance obligations.

How we store and protect your information

Clinical records are stored electronically in a secure practice management system with password protection, encryption and access limited to Carmeline as your treating psychologist. Video sessions are conducted through a secure, encrypted telehealth platform. Sessions are not recorded unless you give explicit written consent and there is a clear clinical reason to do so.

We take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Any physical documents are held in a locked location. Electronic records are backed up securely.

Who we share it with

Your information is kept confidential. It is only shared in the following limited circumstances:

• With your consent — for example, providing a report or clinical letter to your GP, referrer, school, employer or NDIS plan manager.
• To process rebates — Medicare, DVA, NDIS and private health funds require certain information (such as item numbers, dates and provider details) to process claims. Only the minimum information needed is shared.
• Where required or authorised by law — including but not limited to (a) where there is a serious and imminent risk to your safety or the safety of another person, (b) where a child is at risk of harm and mandatory reporting obligations apply, (c) where records are subpoenaed by a court or otherwise lawfully required, or (d) where disclosure is authorised or required by legislation such as the Privacy Act 1988 or the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).
• To our professional supervisor — as required by the Psychology Board of Australia, we participate in confidential clinical supervision. Where cases are discussed for supervision, identifying information is de-identified wherever practicable.

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information. We do not send your information overseas except where a service provider (such as our website host or contact form provider) processes technical data internationally as part of delivering their service; where this occurs, we have taken reasonable steps to ensure the provider handles the information consistent with the APPs.

How long we keep your records

In line with the Psychology Board of Australia's Guidelines on Record Keeping, we retain clinical records for a minimum of:

• 7 years from the date of the last client contact for adult clients, or
• Until the client reaches the age of 25 for clients who were under 18 at the time of last contact, whichever is longer.

After the retention period, records are securely destroyed or de-identified.

Your rights — access and correction

Under the Australian Privacy Principles you have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you (APP 12), and to request that we correct information you believe is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading (APP 13).

To make a request, please contact us at the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time (usually within 30 days). Some limited exceptions apply where release could pose a serious threat to life, health or safety, or where release would prejudice legal proceedings; in those cases we will explain the reason for the decision.

Website, cookies and third-party services

Our website (estherpsychology.com.au) does not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party analytics that identify individual visitors.

The following third-party services are used to deliver the website and its functionality:

• Cloudflare Pages — website hosting and delivery. Cloudflare may collect basic technical logs (IP addresses, request timestamps) for security and performance purposes.
• Web3Forms — processes contact form submissions and delivers them to us by email. Information you submit through the contact form is transmitted through Web3Forms.
• Halaxy — used for online appointment booking. Halaxy has its own privacy policy which governs the information you submit when booking through their platform.
• Google Fonts — used to load display fonts.

Each of these providers has its own privacy practices. We have chosen providers we consider reputable, but we encourage you to review their policies if you would like more detail.

Concerns and complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about how your information has been handled, please raise it with us first. We take privacy concerns seriously and will work with you to resolve them.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) — oaic.gov.au · 1300 363 992
• Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria) — hcc.vic.gov.au · 1300 582 113
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) — ahpra.gov.au · 1300 419 495

Contact us about privacy

If you would like to access your records, correct information we hold, ask a question, or make a complaint about privacy, please contact:

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practice, legal requirements, or the services we use. The most current version will always be available on this page, with the Last updated date at the top of the page.