Pete Lewis Psychotherapy (PLP) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Personal information refers to any details that can identify you directly or indirectly, such as your name, address, phone number, email address, or date of birth.
Sensitive information is a special category of personal information that may include details about your racial or ethnic background, political or religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health or genetic information, family court orders, or criminal record.
Because of its nature, a breach of sensitive information could result in discrimination or embarrassment. We take particular care to protect this information.
We collect personal information to assess and support you in the therapy process and to provide effective, informed care.
Due to our duty of care and professional standards, clients cannot be anonymous. You may request to use a pseudonym, but your legal name (as shown on identification) is required for our records.
We may collect personal information through:
We take active measures to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss, or unauthorised access.
Information is stored securely, either as hard copies in locked storage or in digital form on a secure server or offline system. Only authorised personnel can access this information.
We do not retain any credit card or banking details once payment has been processed. Information that is no longer required is securely destroyed in accordance with legal and professional obligations.
In the event of a data breach, we will promptly investigate, take remedial action, and notify affected individuals where required under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
We do not share your personal information with third parties without your consent, unless required by law.
It is unlikely that we will disclose any information to a recipient outside Australia.
Where disclosure is legally required, we will make all reasonable efforts to inform you beforehand.
You may request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you. We may ask you to specify what information you wish to access and may charge a reasonable fee for providing it.
We will handle all such requests in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and may refuse access only where permitted by law.
If you believe your personal information has not been handled appropriately, please contact us first so we can investigate and resolve the issue directly.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Visit www.oaic.gov.au for details on how to do this.
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be communicated via email or posted on our website.
If you have questions or concerns about privacy, please contact us at:
Email: info@petelewis.com.au